Martin announces bid for District 44 seat in Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Columbia business owner John Martin has announced his intent to run for the state representative seat Missouri’s 44th District in a Thursday press release.
Martin is running as a Republican for the August 2024 primary, and is the first to announce an intent to run for the seat. The district that represents parts of Boone County, including Ashland, Hallsville and Centralia. The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Cheri Tolson Reisch, who will not be able to run again due to term limits.
Martin previously ran as a Republican in the 2022 election for the District 47 seat, losing to Adrian Plank -- a Democrat -- by 754 votes.
He owns of Pro Pumping and Hydrojetting in Columbia, the release states. Martin also states that he invests in Regional Economic Development, Inc.
Martin describes himself as a Christian. He has been a pastor and has a master of divinity degree from Midwestern Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, according to the release. He says he was raised on a farm in Centralia.
He states that some of his campaign priorities include local infrastructure improvements, tax reform and “empowering parents to choose the best education for their children.”
Though no one else has formally announced an intent to run, a committee has been formed for Dave Raithel, according to the Missouri Ethics Commission. Raithel previously ran for the District 44 seat in the 2022 election, and decisively lost to Reisch.
