MISSOURI HOUSE, DISTRICT 56
By Trey Swaggart
NCH intern
Republican Michael Davis, 29, stands out from the rest of the politicians in Jefferson City because he is one of the youngest members of the Missouri House.
Davis, who hails from Maryland Heights, a St. Louis suburb, obtained a bachelor’s degree in middle school social studies from historically black college, Harris-Stowe State University.
Upon graduation, Davis started law school at Washburn in Topeka and joined the conservative organization Americans for Prosperity, first as a volunteer and then in a part-time paid position. Davis graduated law school in 2018 and then was hired full time at AFP. After a short stint with the organization, and changes here in the district, Davis decided to run for the seat he now holds.
When asked why, at the age of 25, he would he forgo a career in law after earning his degree, Davis admitted it really wasn’t his path. “I realized it wasn’t a perfect fit. I always had more of an interest in policy and government,” sparking the decision to join AFP.
As Davis came of age during the Obama administration, his profound policy disagreements spurred Davis to get involved and reorient the country towards more conservative-minded policy outcomes.
“I didn’t like the direction that he (Obama) was taking our country, and I wasn’t a fan of Obamacare.” Those frustrations turned into activism and outreach, assisting Jay Ashcroft in his run for Attorney General, among other state campaigns. The lessons Davis learned helped him along the way. “By the time I was running, I knew what you needed to do, what campaigns were successful, and what campaigns were not.”
Prior to his decision to run for political office in 2020, serving as a representative had never crossed Davis’s mind. He did, however, acknowledge the change from being a surrogate to a candidate. “It’s different. People always have more questions when you are the candidate.
“I had to make sure I was on my game and knew the policies, and that there are a lot of things.” Davis went on to admit his age was also a challenge for gaining voter trust. “People are always a little more suspect of someone who is on the younger side. I had to prove to voters that I understood policy and that I was able to do the job effectively.”
Despite Davis’s credentials as a young Republican, his tenure has not come without criticism. Since his first election, Davis has been dogged by allegations of residency, as well as a lack of attendance at district meetings and events. When offered the opportunity to respond, Davis defended himself saying, “I have performed all the duties that a representative performs.” He continued, “The only other address I have is a Jefferson City address.”
On fiscal priorities, Davis suggested that the current state budget surplus should be returned to the taxpayers. He also made the case that “if government has more money than they know what to do with it, that means we are taking too much money.” Davis suggested tax rebates as a way to return the surplus money to the people. On the topic of tax cuts, which were passed during a special session of the General Assembly, Davis cautioned that tax cuts need to be targeted in order for them to be effective. He supports phasing out the personal property tax, which he argues could “tax people out of their homes.”
Davis is aware he’s running in a three-person race for the Republican nomination in the House primary. Current Cass County North Commissioner Ryan Johnson and former football coach Todd Berck are his challengers. When pressed about why Davis deserves another term, he argued he’s the best conservative candidate. “The other two say what they will do, I have actually done it. I voted to defund Planned Parenthood. I voted for the largest tax cut in history. Everyone else discussed it; I was the only one who did it.”
Editor’s note: The North Cass Herald is thrilled to welcome Belton High School alumnus and Missouri State University senior Trey Swaggart to our team for the summer to cover the upcoming August Primary. Swaggart will be interviewing candidates for county and state offices in the upcoming weeks before writing wrap-up analyses on the major races just prior to the Aug. 6 election.
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