Fuel prices are under $2.50 a gallon in mid-Missouri, and although the outlook is positive, many mid-Missourians say they're keeping an eye on the 9th District congressional race in hopes of keeping fuel prices affordable.

Even young children have some understanding of how gas prices impact their family. Traci Scardina's 2 1/2 year old twins may be too young to understand, but in some ways, they're buckled into the issue too.

Six years as a, two years as a mom and one year sharing a single car. The Scardina's gave up one of their cars last fall to save money. So now, it's all about coordinating schedules to get their kids, Joey and Louie to daycare.

"We pick up the kids together, or we rely on some friends that live in our neighborhood or work by us to drop off or pick up," Traci said.

And with the closest family in Chicago...

"Our family is at least a good six hour drive away, so unfortunately with the gas prices...Sorry family, we love you but we aren't able to see you quite as often," Traci said.

Or at least not by the same modes, which leads to the upcoming 9th District congressional race, where Baker and Luetkemeyer are facing off on offshore drilling.

"I'm realizing that it definitely starts kind of locally, if we can get the support of everyone here...And then it goes to Washington," Traci said.

Appealing to mid-Missourians who dish out too much cash every time they need to do fill their cars.

"I'm watching both candidates to see, what are they proposing to do to kind of fix this crisis, because I know with my pocketbook...That's what I'm going to notice immediately," Traci said.

And it's an issue she hopes the candidates will notice, too, because if Missouri turns in the right direction, other states are sure to follow.

To answer Scardina's question and those of many other concerned mid-Missourians, KOMU spoke with both candidates for the 9th District congressional race: Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer and Democrat Judy Baker.

"I support drilling off our shores, I support drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) region, I support development of our oil share out west. And then to develop those resources, we need to fast track and permit some new development of refineries," says Luetkemeyer. "I think that is a tremendous way we need to be going in this. But in the meantime, to help lower the cost of gasoline, it's important we continue our renewable fuels support."

"I agree that we can use drilling as a transition to new energy sources, so I'm supportive of the bill that just went through for drilling offshore and in domestic sources," Baker said. "However, the difference between me and my opponent is that I want to actually redirect the subsidies we give to big oil companies and redirect those to promote and develop new renewable sources of energy so that we can be planning for the future of my grandchildren."