FESTUS, Mo. – Republican Becky Ruth unseated Democrat Rep. T.J. McKenna last week in her second run for state representative. The retired teacher and current realtor plans to prioritize the Jefferson County Port and education when she comes to the Capitol in January.
Ruth formerly served as the state president for the Missouri State Teachers Association. One education-oriented goal she has for Missouri is to return education to local control and reduce the amount of standardized testing in public schools.
“Something that is important to note is that education is not a Democratic issue, it is not a Republican issue – it is an issue that we all need to be concerned about,” Ruth said. “We need to make sure that we are doing what is right for kids. One of the things that I would like to see in the next few years is to move away from so much emphasis on standardized testing. I think we need to get back to more local control of our school districts – allowing teachers to teach instead of relying on a high-stakes test – so that we are doing what we need to do to allow children to be successful in the world after they graduate from high school, whether it is a 2-year, 4-year, vo-tech school or going out into the workforce.”
The Festus native told The Missouri Times that the Jefferson County Port is one issue she hopes to work on with her Jefferson County colleagues. Senator-elect Paul Wieland spearheaded an amendment this past session to secure funding for the Jefferson County Port Authority. The hope is that the funding for infrastructure improvements will bring thousands of jobs to the area.
“My district has to come first and I have to look out for the people here,” Ruth said. “The Jefferson County Port is an issue that I know has been focused on by other Jefferson County legislators in the past and I hope to continue that work in order to secure more funding for our port here. It is up and going and we still have a long way to go with it. I’d really like to see it come to fruition because it is going to mean a lot of jobs for people in Jefferson County.”
Ruth said she is very excited to be coming into the legislature with almost completely new representation for the county at the state level.
“We all have a good working relationship and we all come from different backgrounds,” Ruth said of the Jefferson County delegation. “I think that you will definitely see a lot of cooperation. Despite whether you are a Democrat or Republican, we have to roll up our sleeves and do what is right for the people of our district, as well as the people of the state. That’s who we are there for and that is who we are representing.”
Ruth touched on the power that a supermajority has with the Republican 118-member caucus.
“We have an awesome responsibility ahead of us with a supermajority,” Ruth said. “I think it is going to be a great responsibility and something we are going to have to approach very carefully and at all times, make sure we are doing what is in the best interest of the people of our state. I know I’m one voice, one vote, but [I’m looking most forward to] representing the people here and bringing that strong voice for the people. I’m looking forward to getting there, rolling up my sleeves, and getting to work.”
Ruth and her husband, Don, live in Festus. They have three children and three grandchildren.
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.
