From growing up on welfare, becoming a mom at 16 years old, to later being elected as a state lawmaker, Sen. Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston, wants the next leg of her journey to be as the state’s lieutenant governor.
In a news release to announce her run for statewide office in 2024, Rehder said she wants to better the lives of all Missourians by “unabashedly protecting sacred Christian and Conservative values.”
“In both the Missouri House of Representatives and State Senate, I have built a successful track record of strong and consistent leadership. I am not afraid to rock the boat for the sake of my constituents. I am proud of my history that is filled with championing reforms and legislation that improves the lives of ALL Missourians – not just the chosen few,” said Rehder.
She was elected to the state Senate in 2020. Rehder served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2013 through 2020.
She is known for her 10-year crusade sponsoring legislation to create a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. Missouri was the last state in the nation to adopt this system. Her fight to make this a reality is personal – her late mother and late sister were both sexually assaulted multiple times, and turned to prescription drugs for their pain. Rehder’s daughter has also struggled with addiction.
She sponsored a bill this year to restrict transgender athletes from playing in female sports. Gov. Mike Parson signed the legislation into law last month.
Rehder also championed a House bill to make Missouri a right to work state, which would bar workplaces from requiring employees to pay union dues. The state Legislature passed that bill in 2017, but the next year, Missouri voters overwhelmingly blocked the bill from becoming law.
Last year, Rehder published a memoir, called “Cinder Girl: Growing up on America’s Fringe.” The book describes her childhood of growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, abuse, and moving over 30 times between third grade and her sophomore year in high school. It explains her fight to end the cycle of poverty by putting herself through college and becoming a successful businesswoman. She talks about her pursuit to be a mom who doesn’t mess around when it comes to her children.
Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher’s name has also been brought up as possibly running for lieutenant governor.
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