Joan VonDras

Joan VonDras believes that if Democrats are going to beat Congresswoman Ann Wagner in the fall, they’ll have to stretch past their comfort zone. VonDras, a former educator at the Clayton and Parkway School districts, and Fred Wellman are the major contenders in the 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary. VonDras has been holding town halls throughout the 2nd District, which includes a number of GOP-leaning areas like Jefferson, Franklin and Gasconade counties. She said the winner of the Aug. 4 primary Democratic primary can’t win in November without appealing to Republicans and independents. “There are plenty of people that want to put country above party, and those are the people we need to tap into,” VonDras said during an appearance on the “Politically Speaking” podcast.