Meet John

I didn't start at the top

I'm John Armbruster. I live in Sikeston with my wife Sheila. I'm 74 years old, and I'm a nurse practitioner.

I didn't start there. I started at the bottom of the ladder, as a certified nursing assistant — bathing people, feeding people, turning people in bed. That's where you learn what care actually is. From there I went into respiratory therapy, helping people breathe. Then I ran a nursing home as its administrator, which taught me the other half of health care: budgets, staffing, regulations, and what happens to people when the money runs short. Then I went back to school and became a registered nurse. And then I went back again and became a family nurse practitioner.

Along the way I also taught school. That's not a detour in my story — it's part of the same thing. Whether you're standing in front of a classroom or sitting across from somebody in an exam room, the job is the same: pay attention to the person in front of you, tell them the truth, and help.

I hold master's degrees in nursing, health care administration, and divinity.

Sheila and the exam room

My wife Sheila is a nurse practitioner too. I practice as a family nurse practitioner in Bloomfield, and the exam room is where most of what I know about this district came from.

What a shortage of providers does to a place

In my years as a nurse practitioner I've seen what a shortage of providers does to a place. I've seen people put off a problem until it turned into an emergency because there was no appointment to be had, or no way to get to one. I've seen families drive an hour for something that used to be down the road. People in this district are living shorter lives than people in other parts of Missouri, and it isn't because they're careless. It's because the care isn't there. Life expectancy in parts of our district runs 4 to 8 years below the Missouri average.

I went to Jefferson City before I ever thought about running

That's what took me to Jefferson City before I ever thought about running for anything. In February 2024 I went and testified in front of a House committee, as a private citizen, in support of letting nurse practitioners practice to the full extent of their training. Here's what I told them:

"How else can we move forward to provide better access to care for Missouri citizens? There must be a solution to allow more providers to stay in this state by allowing certain providers to practice to the full extent of their education and training. By approving a transition to practice for nurse practitioners, a step forward will be made in rescuing Missouri from being in the bottom 10 states with poor access to care for its citizens. Bill will not cost the state government and will address the continued attrition of healthcare providers moving out of state to practice due to legal restrictions to practice. Thank you."

— John Armbruster, written testimony on HB 1773, House Emerging Issues Committee, February 7, 2024

Sheila and I went back again in March 2026 to give information on a similar bill in the Senate. I'm not new to this fight. I just haven't had a vote in it.

That's why I'm running

That's why I'm running. District 149 — Mississippi, New Madrid and the northern part of Pemiscot County — has had no one casting a vote for it in the Missouri House since August 2025. Our problems didn't pause. I want to go to Jefferson City and work with people from around the state to make your life more affordable, to make health care more accessible, and to make sure all the children in the State of Missouri get a good education.

I'm asking for your vote on November 3rd, and I appreciate it. God bless you.

Facts at a glance

For press and partner sites

Short bio. John Armbruster is a family nurse practitioner from Sikeston and the Democratic candidate for Missouri State Representative in District 149 — Mississippi, New Madrid and northern Pemiscot counties. He began his career as a certified nursing assistant and worked his way through respiratory therapy, nursing home administration and registered nursing before becoming a nurse practitioner. He is also a former school teacher, and by his own account holds master's degrees in nursing, health care administration and divinity. He practices in Bloomfield. He has testified before the Missouri legislature on rural access to care. He is 74.

Micro bio. John Armbruster is a nurse practitioner and former school teacher from Sikeston, running for Missouri State Representative in District 149 — Mississippi, New Madrid and northern Pemiscot counties.