VOTERS GUIDE: Joe Martellaro

Before deciding to run for U.S. Senate, Joe Martellaro was playing golf and spoiling his granddaughters.

Martellaro chose to run with his wife's encouragement.

“I started this study of history, economics and the Constitution, and the more that I learned, the more ridiculous the things that I saw on television from our elected officials became," he said. "I spent all my time screaming at the television, and my wife said, ‘Why don’t you do something about it?’”

Martellaro hopes the public will take him seriously. The only major issue for him is reforming federal government to ensure personal liberties and to return to the principles of the Constitution.

“We have a federal government that’s so hungry for power and getting worse all the time,” he said. “We’re in danger of losing our liberty — the liberty that our founders ensured in the Constitution.”

He doesn’t want anarchy but prefers a government “just shy of anarchy.” He doesn’t want the government more involved than necessary.

Originally from St. Louis, Martellaro lived in several states before returning to Missouri in 1999 to raise his family with Christian, conservative values and to be closer to his aging parents.

"I’m one of the folks," he said. "I’m going to represent the people of Missouri. I don’t think the people in there now have any idea what the people in Missouri want. That grip’s got to be broken."