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Mark Sheehan is the Democratic candidate for the 28th House District seat.

A St. Joseph Democrat running for the statehouse can personally relate to voters in a way the incumbent Republican doctor falls short.

It’s an issue of employment.

“I’m the poster boy for the economy — a 58-year-old man who lost his job and lost his insurance,” said Mark Sheehan, the News-Press’ former Opinion page editor.

Mr. Sheehan filed his candidacy for the 28th House of Representatives District four days after his position was eliminated in March.

“I was an aggressive reporter. I’ll be aggressive for this community,” Mr. Sheehan said.

Born in Oklahoma, his family settled in Stanberry, Mo., by the time he turned 3 years old. He later was drafted into the U.S. Navy, where he stitched up patients and ran an ambulance shack, among other duties, as a hospital corpsman for four years in California.

And like his opponent, Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, he still has his stethoscope.

He returned to the Midwest and graduated from Northwest Missouri State University before starting at the News-Press in 1977. He covered a variety of beats, including the statehouse in Jefferson City for three years.

“It’s a fascinating place for people who can think quickly and can count votes,” he said.

He lived in Andrew County for about 20 years before moving to St. Joseph in 1996 and has coordinated multiple community efforts. Those include Fourth of July at Lake Contrary and the Coleman Hawkins Jazz Society’s music festivals and Mardi Gras parades.

As the Opinion editor, he critiqued local officials in his weekly columns and editorials.

Mr. Sheehan may have ruffled the feathers of Trails West! organizer Karen Graves when he called her a “professional do-gooder,” but she’s supporting his campaign.

“No one knows about this region as much as Mark Sheehan does,” said Ms. Graves, an independent voter whose brother-in-law is Bill Graves, former Republican governor of Kansas.

Also used to seeing his name in Mr. Sheehan’s “Timely Observations,” former Mayor Larry Stobbs described him as “a very capable” candidate.

“Mark and I went around and around, up and down, but that was part of the game,” Mr. Stobbs said. “... He played with about everyone who had political ambitions.”

Mr. Sheehan said he believes his skills as a government watchdog will make him effective in Jefferson City.

“(This) is the logical next step for my life,” he said.

Early in his campaign, he criticized his opponent for only focusing his tenure on health care issues, specifically for friction with Heartland Health. The Missouri Hospital Association, which represents Heartland, now is backing Mr. Sheehan with contributions.

“Those guys are obsessed with each other,” he said. “I’ll never work for Heartland ... I am not fearful of power.”

That beef is between the hospitals and Dr. Schaaf, contended Mr. Sheehan, who pushed a broad platform to address such a “complex district.”

With roots in both sides of the 28th, he said he hopes to build bridges between the northeast corner of Buchanan County and neighboring Andrew County — a prime spot for growth. He describes Missouri Western State University’s campus as the most valuable property in the district and hopes to advance efforts to continue life science research and education there.

And he argues the 28th needs an advocate for the Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center and Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center, who have had pending funding requests for some time.

“There is not enough attention paid to this part of the community,” he said.

Northwest Psychiatric long has functioned as a forensic center that treats permanent patients, so it is seeking funds for about 24 more beds for temporary rehabilitation patients. Western Reception is looking for 100 more beds to ease space issues.

He said the representative should be heavily in tune with the multiple issues surrounding the district, in addition to what’s going on at Heartland.

“There are other needs ... What I bring to the table is someone who will bring an interest and broader ability to talk to different groups,” he said.

Alyson E. Raletz can be reached

at alysonraletz@npgco.com.