Representative Ray Reed is a proud Missourian, a progressive Democrat, and a new generation of leadership for our state.

Born and raised in the St. Louis region, Ray learned early what hard work and community look like. He saw it in families who showed up for each other, in public schools that shaped young minds, and in neighbors who believed that if you work hard and do right by people, you should have a fair shot at a good life. That belief still drives him today.

Before being elected to the Missouri House of Representatives, Ray served in the Missouri Governor’s Office under Governor Jay Nixon, reviewing legislation, clemency applications, and state rules, and gubernatorial appointments gaining firsthand experience in how policy decisions impact real people. He later worked for the Missouri Democratic Party and on the U.S. Senate campaign of Senator Claire McCaskill, fighting to protect healthcare, reproductive freedom, and union jobs for working families.

In Jefferson City, Ray has focused on delivering real results: expanding opportunity, standing up for public schools, protecting reproductive rights, and cutting through red tape that keeps talented people like DACA recipients who’ve worked their way through nursing school from fully contributing to our communities. He believes government should work for working people, not just the well-connected.

Rep. Reed and his wife, Natalia, live in Maplewood with their dog, Summer. They are excited to be starting a family and are experiencing firsthand the hopes, and the pressures that come with building a life in today’s economy. From the cost of housing and childcare to the quality of local public schools, these issues aren’t abstract policy debates for Rep. Reed they’re personal.

That’s why he brings the perspective of young families just starting out to Jefferson City. Ray knows what it’s like to worry about rising costs, to want safe neighborhoods and strong schools, and to believe that Missouri should be a place where the next generation can thrive.

Rep. Reed is running for re-election to make sure our state works for everyone, not just those at the top. Because the future of Missouri should be built by families who believe in it, invest in it, and call it home.