Mike Thomson, an educator from Maryville, Mo., and Rick Oswald, a lifelong farmer from Langdon, Mo., grew up in the same area of Northwest Missouri. They drive on the same crumbling roads and dilapidating bridges. They each recognize that the small schools around them are underfunded. And they both want the same seat in the state’s capital.

But when the conversation turns to tax credits, they see things differently.

“Tax credits to big business has gotten way overdone,” said Mr. Oswald, 58, a Democrat who is vying for the seat currently held by Mr. Thomson, 62, a Republican in his first term. “We need to put a lot more emphasis on local economic development.”

Mr. Thomson sees his challenger’s point, and will even agree to a certain extent. But he also sees tax credits as an important tool to help grow the economy.

“They are a part of the toolkit we use as economic development,” Mr. Thomson said. He added that using tax credits helped the state come out of a “billion dollar shortfall ... we’ve opened our state up for business and that’s one of the tools we used.”

Mr. Oswald, who writes his opinions in an online magazine in a column called “Letters from Langdon,” criticizes his opponent for voting the party line too often.

“For me it’s not so much a party thing as it is voting for my district,” Mr. Oswald said. “The fundamental difference is that I’m not going to Jefferson City to represent the Democratic party.”

Mr. Thomson prefers to play nice. He said the difference between them is basically the fundamental differences between political parties. It’s his belief, he said, that you “basically don’t talk about your opponent. The spin comes off as critical.” Instead he prefers to talk feeling “really good” about his first two years in Jefferson City. He said he’s represented his district well and that he’s defended the local schools, and represented the farmers.

The sole bill that Mr. Thomson authored (HB 1851) addressed overtime pay issues with firefighters and policemen. However, an amendment that sought to lower tipped waiters’ pay from $3.33 to $2.13 “without a doubt” killed the bill, he said to the News-Press in April. The first term proved educational. He said the hardest lesson to learn is that you can’t go to Jefferson City thinking you can change everything just because you’re passionate.

“There is some cooperation and some uncooperation (sic),” he said. “You have to learn to maneuver the system and learn how things work and then do your best to get things done.”

The bulk of Mr. Oswald’s political experience comes through nearly a decade on the Rock Port School District’s board of education, where he served for six years as president.

Jimmy Myers can be reached

at jimmym@npgco.com.