JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — (KMOX)  At Wednesday’s Republican House Caucus, representatives chose State Rep. Steven Tilley to be the house speaker.

Tilley, who started the conference by saying Tuesday’s elections were a historical day for republicans, said that the results of this year’s elections were due to an “anti-democratic environment, and it was a bad day for democrats.

“Last night was a historic night, we picked up 17 seats,” Tilley said. ”A pick-up of 17 seats is the largest republican pick-up in the history of the state and the largest pick-up for either party since the 1930s.”

Tilley also said the results of Tuesday’s elections reflected what voters want: more jobs, which is what he, and the 59 other newly-elected officials are working on creating.

“The average voter is worried about economic development,” he said.  ”They’re worried about jobs and I think you have to prioritize everything and my priority is jobs.”

However, St. Genevieve Democratic Representative, Joe Fallert, said the historical gain in Republican seats does not have to do with the focus on employment, but just a cycle of who had house majority at the time.

Fallert said that more people should have focused on health care reform during this election, and not employment.

“Health care reform is important because whether you know you have a job or a lot of money,somebody is paying for your health care.”

Reported by Becky May

 

Copyright 2010 KMOX Radio State Capitol Bureau 

 

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Filed Under: elections, jobs, Republicans

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