Barbara Phifer

Barbara Phifer
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
from the 90th district
In office
January 6, 2021 – January 8, 2025
Preceded byDeb Lavender
Succeeded byMark Boyko
Personal details
BornWashington, D.C., U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseThomas
Children5
EducationCornell College (BA)
Oklahoma City University (MDiv)
WebsiteCampaign website

Barbara Phifer is a former United Methodist pastor who started her term as a Democratic member of the Missouri House of Representatives, representing the state's 90th House district, in January 2021.[1] She was the Democratic candidate in the 2024 Missouri Secretary of State election.

Early life and education

Born in Washington, D.C., Phifer is a graduate of Cornell College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and history in 1977. She then attended St. Paul School of Theology at Oklahoma City University, where she received a master's degree in theology in 1980.[2][3]

Career

Phfier has served as a United Methodist pastor for over 40 years.[4] Her preaching career included a five-year stint in Montevideo, Uruguay under a dictatorship, an experience which she said gave her "an understanding of the dangers of authoritarianism, which is what I see in the [Republican] party right now".[2] Along with her criticism of Donald Trump, Phifer ran on a platform of expanding Medicaid, improving public education, and supporting gun control and social justice issues such as women's and LGBTQ rights.[2][5]

Phifer had not thought about entering politics until after retiring from preaching, but decided to run for the seat vacated by Deb Lavender who was running for state Senate.[2] In 2020, Phifer defeated her Republican opponent in the general election for Missouri's 90th state House district.[6][7]

In March 2024, Phifer announced her candidacy for Missouri Secretary of State in front of the Jefferson City Missouri River Regional Library. She criticized book banning efforts in Missouri and expressed a commitment to neutral ballot language.[8] She lost the race to Denny Hoskins.[9]

Personal life

Phifer lives in Kirkwood, Missouri with her husband Thomas, and has five children and seven grandchildren.[2][4][10][3]

Electoral history

Phifer had no opponents in the Democratic primary elections for the Missouri House of Representatives, winning the party nomination by default each time.

Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 3, 2020, District 90[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Barbara Phifer 13,858 56.72% −43.28
Republican Anne Landers 10,575 43.28% +43.28
Total votes 24,433 100.00%
Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 8, 2022, District 90[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Barbara Phifer 11,355 62.56% +5.84
Republican Gary Albert Bokermann, Jr. 6,795 37.44% −5.84
Total votes 18,150 100.00%
2024 Missouri Secretary of State election Democratic Primary Results by County
  Phifer
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  Williams
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  Jacobsen
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  Tie
  •   30–40%
2024 Missouri Secretary of State Election, Democratic primary, August 6, 2024[13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Barbara Phifer 146,284 40.86
Democratic Monique Williams 123,270 34.43
Democratic Haley Jacobsen 88,491 24.72
Total votes 358,045 100.00

References

  1. ^ Schallhorn, Kaitlyn (April 26, 2021). "Freshmen to Watch: Barbara Phifer". Missouri Times. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Lingo, Emma. "Meet the candidate: Barbara Phifer". The Kirkwood Call. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Barbara Phifer's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Representative Barbara Phifer District 090". house.mo.gov. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  5. ^ "Barbara Phifer On the Issues". UpBallot. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  6. ^ "Barbara Phifer". ballotpedia. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  7. ^ Rosenbaum, Jason. "Rep. Barbara Phifer Provides First Impressions Of Missouri House". St Louis Public Radio. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  8. ^ Suntrup, Jack (March 12, 2024). "Kirkwood Democrat blasts 'book banning' in kickoff for secretary of state campaign". STLtoday.com. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  9. ^ "Missouri state office elections swept by Republicans Bailey, Hoskins, Malek and Wasinger". KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR. November 6, 2024.
  10. ^ "Representative Barbara Phifer, District 90". molegdems. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  11. ^ "Election Results; Official Election Returns" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  12. ^ "Election Results; Official Election Returns" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. December 9, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  13. ^ Missouri Secretary of State (August 6, 2024). "State of Missouri - State of Missouri - Primary Election, August 06, 2024". enr.sos.mo.gov/. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
Missouri House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
from the 90th district
2021–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Secretary of State of Missouri
2024 		Most recent