OLIVETTE, Mo. – Familiar face Tracy McCreery will be returning to the Capitol in January, replacing Senator-elect Jill Schupp in the 88th House District – which is comprised of Creve Coeur, Olivette and Westwood as well as parts of Ladue, Frontenac, Town & Country, Chesterfield and unincorporated St. Louis County.
McCreery ran as an independent in 2011 to replace Jake Zimmerman in the 83rd district and won, but ran as a Democrat in the 71st District in 2012, only to be defeated by Sue Meredith. She said her experience in both the legislative and executive branches brought her back to run again. She refers to herself as a “freshman with experience.”
“I have always sought to put people first, both professionally and as a community volunteer,” McCreery said on the campaign trail in 2011. “I served as Senator Joan Bray’s district aide for 8 years. Before that I worked in Governor Bob Holden’s administration. My invaluable experience in both the executive and legislative branches means that I can hit the ground running and will be an effective legislator on Day One.”
Bray served as McCreery’s campaign committee treasurer during all three of her campaigns. This time around, McCreery hopes having a year of experience as an elected official will give her a somewhat incumbent status.
McCreery comes from a strong background of community service and volunteer experience, her participation including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, St. Louis Rescue & Restore Coalition, Women’s Group on Race Relations, and several others around the state and St. Louis area. She was a founding member of the St. Louis Rescue & Restore Coalition which advocates for victims of human trafficking through public advocacy, training and outreach. McCreery was also an early member of the St. Louis Million Mom March (now called the Brady Campaign), joining in their fight against gun violence and the devastation it causes.
She said her greatest support came from groups and voters she had created connections with campaigning in 2012, in addition to the various non-profits and other government entities she partnered with in the past.
McCreery has worked in various fields, including consumer healthcare, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications. She has also worked as a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood, an event planner for Citizens for Missouri’s Children, and an Associate Director for the National Abortion Rights Action League. Since leaving the 83rd District, she worked for PROMO under a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health, working to end health care disparities among LGBT Missourians.
“When I think of the people who supported me both financially and with boots on the ground, it’s the non-profits I have worked with for the last 25 years,” McCreery said.
As for going back to the Capitol, McCreery says among her top legislative priorities are campaign finance reform, job creation, consumer purchasing issues, and at the top of her list — medicaid expansion.
“I am more confident about being a legislator and being an effective part of the process,” McCreery said. “I am excited to focus on the things both sides of the aisle can work together to get accomplished.”
McCreery, originally from a rural community in Ohio, moved to Missouri after graduating from Ohio State University with a B.S. in Business Administration. She and her husband, Thom Wham, reside in the Olivette.
Kelsey Wingo is the multimedia reporter for The Missouri Times, and a senior at the University of Missouri. She will be graduating in Spring 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. Readers can contact Kelsey by calling her cell phone at 417-343-0508 or via Twitter @kels_wingo.
