JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Upon the departure of Jonathan Ratliff to join Barklage & Knodell, Capitol and campaign staffer Casey Burns has been named the new political director for the House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC).
Burns, a former HRCC field staffer and legislator assistant, will start with the organization, now run by Robert Knodell, on February 1.
“Casey Burns is an up-and-coming political talent with experience in the trenches in some of the toughest Missouri House races,” House Speaker Todd Richardson said. “We are very fortunate to bring her aboard our HRCC team in an expanded and crucial role for the 2016 election cycle.”
HRCC Executive Director Knodell is excited to add Burns on a full-time basis to the HRCC organization.
“Casey knows our House districts, and knows our incumbent members and new candidates well,” he said. “No doubt she will do a tremendous job as we seek to strengthen our majority this campaign cycle.”
The role of political director has traditionally been to assist the executive director in strategic planning and organizational supervision, as well to aid in recruitment, training, equipping, and assisting Republican candidates for the Missouri House.
“HRCC is the strongest, most effective force in Missouri Republican politics,” Burns said. “I am looking forward to working with an outstanding team of young and enthusiastic political staffers dedicated to advancing the conservative cause in our state. While I’ll miss working alongside the caucus daily in the Capitol, I look forward to leading them in their re-election efforts and building upon HRCC’s supermajority victories.”
Republicans currently hold a supermajority of 117 members, alongside 45 Democrats and 1 Independent in the Missouri House.
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.