County Auditor and Navy veteran Victor Hurlbert has announced his candidacy for State Senate District 17. With territory covering mostly southwest Clay County and a northern fraction of Jackson County, the district includes residents from Kansas City, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, Pleasant Valley, and numerous smaller villages and cities. With Senator Lauren Arthur term-limited, the 2024 election will be a battle for the open seat. Hurlbert will be on the Republican ballot in the August 2024 primary.
“I will bring a public servant mindset to the office. Rather than engaging in petty name-calling of another political party, I plan to be a responsible adult who answers to all citizens in the district. Further division of our state and nation has to stop. As a civic leader in the community, rhetoric matters. It’s time to come together and find common-sense solutions that have real impact.”
Hurlbert’s story is one of action over words. Motivated by the attacks on 9/11, he joined the Navy to be the change he hoped to see in the world. As a small business owner, he became a licensed financial advisor and today is a certified auditor. His desire to ensure government remains accountable to the people led him to his successful bid for Clay County Auditor, where he continues to work in tandem with state officials to correct the county’s spending problems and return the county to fiscal responsibility.
“My desire to help others and serve stretches beyond politics—but certainly it is my inspiration for seeking office. As a fiscal conservative, my goals for the senate would be to reduce wasteful spending on the state level and provide any possible tax relief to our working families as well as small businesses. We need more employers and jobs in the Northland—that will be my laser-focused mission as senator. Government often lacks effective solutions to societal issues by itself; it should be limited as the private and nonprofit sectors are typically better.”
Other platform priorities include adequately funding police, vital infrastructure needs, and increasing economic development in the region. Hurlbert has made clear his dedication to supporting law enforcement through innovative solutions as auditor to increase funding for the Clay County Sheriff’s Department without raising taxes. Likewise, he is an outspoken advocate on acquiring more state funding for critically-needed updates on streets like North Oak, Barry Road, 169, Cookingham, and several local highways.
“Our district lacks representation in the Missouri Senate because we have extremists who push their radical social agendas and grandstand at the expense of the taxpayer. I have no desire to engage in political theater. I’m more interested in finally delivering real results for SD17. As auditor, I have a proven record of listening to constituent concerns and accomplishing goals; With voter approval, I will continue to do so as state senator.”
Within the community, Hurlbert is a member of the Mid-America Regional Council and Legislative Affairs Vice President of the Navy League Greater KC Council. Previously, he served as a North Kansas City School Board member and treasurer. As a lifelong Missourian, Hurlbert attended Oak Park High School, the U.S. Naval Academy, and holds a master’s degree from Midwest Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Courtney, attend Briarcliff Church with their two small children.
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