Meredith Sumenek

Meredith Sumenek graduated from Verona Area High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from Smith College. She has been affiliated with the Tesson Ferry Democratic Organization.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in the Midwest and was the first person in my family to graduate from college. I'm the president of the Tesson Ferry Democratic Organization, where we help people learn about local and state issues and why it's important to be an informed and active voter.

After college, I worked in finance for over 20 years, crunching numbers and helping businesses grow. Over time, I was promoted to supervisor and then business manager of a fortune 400 sized company managing $3 billion in annualized income. Eventually I branched out and started my own small business. These jobs helped me to learn how to read a balance sheet, make good decisions and fix tough problems. One of my passions learning how things work so we can make it faster, stronger and less expensive.

As a wife and mom, my goal is to leave the world a better place for my son and our community. Life needs to be more affordable for everyone and I'd like to end the tax on groceries. Public schools also need to get all the money they are supposed to from the state to teach and support our kids. Leaders should listen to their voters and respect the choices they make at the ballot box. I believe, "We deserve better!"

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Affordability - We need to make food, homes, and medicine cost less. We also need to protect workers and make sure our economy is fair and strong.

Right now, the prices for food, housing, and healthcare keep going up. This makes it hard for regular people to pay their bills and plan for the future. Meanwhile, ultra wealthy people keep getting richer.

Pass a law to remove taxes from food making food cheaper

Try to stop big cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, which help many people in Missouri get health care

Work with local unions to make sure there are good, well-paying jobs so young people stay in our towns

Support a new tax law that works for everyone.

See my website for more details.Education - Kids are the future of our country and our economy. But schools in Missouri aren’t getting the help they need.

Our South County schools are an important part of our community. Our kids are the future. But right now, our schools don’t have enough money, and they’re struggling to keep up with the world around us.

The Mehlville School District is ranked 106th out of 551 in Missouri. Lindbergh is ranked 81st. Both schools need better ACT scores to help students do well in the future.

I will work with families, schools, and lawmakers to learn what our schools need to do better.

A new law is sending more money to private schools, this doesn't help many families

See my website for more details.Healthcare - Our health care system in the United States is not working. No one should have to choose between health care and feeding their family.

Our health care system in the United States is not working. No one should have to choose between going to the doctor and buying food for their family.

As a mom, I know how hard it is to take care of my son and still make sure we have enough money to pay our bills. Families should not have to worry like this.

I will fight to protect health care for people in Missouri.

I believe everyone should be able to see a doctor, a dentist, or a mental without facing bankruptcy

See my website for more details.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The three key messages outlined above are what I am passionate about. Not just because they are important to me, but because they are important to the people in House District 95.

Our current government is failing the people of Missouri; especially the vacant house districts such as House District 95. Taxation without representation is against our democracy and our values.

Until our government is meeting the basic needs of all of us, our government is not and will not be successful. House District 95 deserves someone that will represent the will of the people, not of a specific party. Someone who likes a challenge and has a proven history of building new solutions and making successful changes. I am that candidate.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The ability to listen with an open mind and to learn something new even if it makes you uncomfortable. Additionally, having a strong moral compass to guide you through difficult situations and solutions.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To passionately represent the people of House District 95 while balancing the good of the district with the knowledge that all decisions impact every citizen in The State of Missouri.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was as a newspaper delivery person for a local weekly newspaper. I had to deliver just under 100 newspapers between getting home from school and 6pm. It didn’t matter what the weather was, rain, snow, windy, I got on my bike and made sure every newspaper was bundled and delivered every week. I kept that job for two years until I started high school sports and could no longer meet the time frame for delivery.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

As outlined in the Missouri Constitution, the State Legislature is intended to be a co-equal branch balanced by the Executive (Governor’s Office) and Judiciary (State Courts).

In my opinion, this means that while the state legislature should have a cordial relationship with the governor whenever possible, the legislature is not bound by the desires or whims of the governor.

The legislature’s job is to represent the will of the people, not that of the governor or the courts.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Having the proper funding allocated to the proper areas in an effective manner.

What does that mean? While the state government has said they are cutting taxes, it is my opinion that what has actually occurred is that taxes and tax breaks have often been spent in ineffective or counter productive manners.

For example, the capital gains tax removal was supposed to bring in new business and additional revenue to the state. Instead, it has resulted in a significantly larger budget shortfall than expected and has not created new jobs or business at this time.

It is my opinion that while Missourians pay lower taxes than many states, we receive much less benefits from the taxes we do pay. In other words we are paying too much for what we get from the state of Missouri.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Not necessarily. Prior government experience is helpful but not essential to success as a legislator. What is important is the willingness to learn, know how to build relationships and to be a quick study.

It is also important to be willing to take a deep dive into complicated situations. Having a team of subject matter experts you can rely on to help with complicated policies is also essential to getting quickly up to speed on issues.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

I absolutely believe it is important to build relationships with other legislators. Not only does a legislator need to build relationships with other legislators, but our government was designed with the idea that those relationships should reach across party lines.

40 – 50 years ago our country functioned more effectively because legislators held discussions and passed bills with all parties having a seat at the table. Currently, our government has entered a “winner takes all” phase and we are all less successful as a result.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Not at this time.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Yes. Again, according the the Missouri Constitution, the state legislature has the ability to grant or remove emergency powers to or from the governor in the event of an emergency. For a government to function correctly the legislature needs to act as a check on the power of the governor (Executive Branch) and courts (Judicial Branch).