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Mary Elizabeth Coleman

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Mary Elizabeth Coleman
Member of the Missouri Senate
from the 22nd district
Assumed office
January 4, 2023
Preceded byPaul Wieland
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
from the 97th district
In office
January 9, 2019 – January 4, 2023
Preceded byMike Revis
Succeeded byDavid Casteel
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
SpouseChris
Children6
EducationSaint Louis University (BS)
St. Mary's University, Texas (JD)

Mary Elizabeth Coleman is an American politician, attorney, and anti-abortion activist from Arnold, Missouri. She has served in the Missouri Senate since 2023, representing the 22nd district. Coleman was previously a state representative from 2019 to 2023 and a Arnold city councilwoman from 2013 to 2015.

On January 5, 2023, Coleman announced that she would be a candidate for Missouri's 3rd District in the United States House of Representatives in 2024.[1] On March 26, 2024, Coleman withdrew from that race and instead joined the crowded 2024 Republican primary for Missouri Secretary of State.[2]

Early life and education

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Coleman was raised in Georgetown, Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Saint Louis University and a Juris Doctor from St. Mary's University School of Law.[3]

Career

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From 2007 to 2009, Coleman worked as an associate at Oppenheimer, Blend, Harrison and Tate. She was then a member of the Arnold, Missouri City Council. Coleman operated an independent law firm from 2009 to 2015 and joined TuckerAllen in 2015. Coleman has also worked for the Thomas More Society, a Pro-Life law firm.[4]

Arnold City Council

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On April 2, 2013, Coleman won an open seat on the Arnold, Missouri City Council, representing the 2nd ward.[5] Her term began on April 11.[6] She did not run for re-election in 2015.

Missouri House of Representatives

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In March 2018, Coleman announced her campaign for the Missouri House of Representatives in the 97th district. The seat was considered competitive after Democrat Mike Revis narrowly flipped it from the Republicans in a February 2018 special election.[7]

In the House, Coleman served as chair of the House Children and Families Committee. In December 2021, Coleman introduced a bill that would ban abortion in Missouri after eight weeks, modeled after the Texas Heartbeat Act. In 2022, Coleman proposed that Missouri women who leave the state to get an abortion should be prohibited from doing so.[8]

Missouri Senate

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In February 2021, Coleman declared her candidacy for a seat in the Missouri Senate.[9] She came in first place against three opponents in the Republican primary, and then won the general election of 2022.

In 2024, Coleman reinstated "ballot candy" provisions to a bill that would add barriers to citizen-initiated constitutional amendments. The provisions were previously removed in bipartisan negotiations in which the language was criticized by Democrats as "deceptive" and "unnecessary" while Republicans described it a means of being inclusive of rural voters.[10]

Missouri Senate Primary Election, August 2, 2022, district 22[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mary Elizabeth Coleman 7,615 34.86%
Republican Jeff Roorda 5,246 24.02%
Republican Dan Shaul 5,095 23.33%
Republican Shane Roden 3,886 17.79%
Total votes 21,842 100.00%
Missouri Senate Election, November 8, 2022, district 22[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mary Elizabeth Coleman 40,695 65.48%
Democratic Benjamin Hagin 21,456 34.52%
Total votes 62,151 100.00%

Personal life

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Coleman is Catholic. She is married with six children, including two who are adopted. Her husband Chris is an accountant.[13]

References

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  1. ^ https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/state-sen-mary-elizabeth-coleman-jumps-into-race-to-replace-blaine-luetkemeyer/article_12bd7288-abdf-11ee-9deb-a770247a24d6.html [bare URL]
  2. ^ Hancock, Jason (March 26, 2024). "Republican senator leaves Congressional race to run for Missouri secretary of state". The Missouri Independent.
  3. ^ "Representative Mary Elizabeth Coleman". house.mo.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  4. ^ McDermott, Kevin. "McDermott: Now that they control women's wombs, the right seeks to control their movement". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  5. ^ "Jefferson County General Election Results 2013". April 2, 2013.
  6. ^ "Arnold City Council April 11, 2013 Meeting Minutes". April 11, 2013.
  7. ^ "JeffCo House district race will test the strength of the blue wave". STLPR. 2018-10-29. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  8. ^ "Missouri lawmaker seeks to stop residents from obtaining abortions out of state". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  9. ^ Gerber, Cameron (February 8, 2021). "Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman running for Senate in 2022". The Missouri Times. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  10. ^ Spoerre, Anna (2024-04-25). "Missouri House sends initiative petition bill back to Senate with 'ballot candy' reinstated". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  11. ^ "Election Results; Official Election Returns" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. August 26, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  12. ^ "Election Results; Official Election Returns" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. December 9, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  13. ^ Kitchener, Caroline (2021-12-29). "The new face of the antiabortion movement is a young mom of 6 who listens to Lizzo". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
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