JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Ashley Burke, legislative assistant for Rep. Jeff Grisamore, R-Lee’s Summit, didn’t know exactly what the Capitol had in store for her. The Benedictine College graduate knew she was interested in politics, but that’s as specific as it got.
Not long before the 2012 elections, Burke, 23, decided her history major wasn’t steering her in the right direction. She had a minor in political science and an interest in politics. One week, she came down to Jefferson City with copies of her resume and walked the building.
“I didn’t have a lot of guidance or anything, I just knew I was interested in the work and I brought a bunch of resumes,” Burke said. “And I just gave them out to people. I happened to walk by HRCC, and I came in with my resume and they followed up with me and it all sort of worked out.
Burke spent the campaign cycle working for the HRCC in North Kansas City, Gladstone and Liberty. She by the end of the work, she’d learned just how much she enjoyed campaigning.
“I like to campaign, I like going out into the field and approaching voters,” Burke said. “You have to deal with a lot of stress and people slamming a door in your face, but you also have people who embrace you and then on election night, there’s no better feeling than seeing someone win and knowing you were a part of that.”
Burke had no campaign experience before joining the HRCC, but said she was pushed right into the deep end.
“They immediately told me, ‘Ok, go here and organize this thing, go talk to this person, go knock on these doors,’ and it was kind of exciting to just dive in,” Burke said.
The best part of the work, Burke said, was how she was allowed to learn the ins and outs of local campaigns the hard way.
“Jonathan Ratliff and Scott Dieckhaus, they really were great about giving me an opportunity and then telling me what the best way to do things was,” Burke said. “I’m very grateful they were there to help me.”
After campaign season ended, Burke was looking to continue her political work. So, she came to Jefferson City and spent a few short weeks as an intern to get her feet wet. After a few weeks of internships, Burke started applying for paid positions and, not long after, she was hired by incumbent Rep. Jeff Grisamore.
“He is the Chairman of the Committee for Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, so it’s kind of cool because a lot of the work we do goes to helping the neediest people,” Burke said. “It’s satisfying work, being able to help people so much.”
Burke is weighing law school, or grad school, but money is a factor, as is time. Rep. Grisamore, a senior, will keep her busy for almost another year, and after that, she’ll have to make some choices about her future.
Donning a Chiefs jersey and a self-described Kansas City sports fan, the western-Missouri native says she’s not yet ruled anything out and she wouldn’t be opposed to returning to her roots.
“I enjoy campaigning, if [Rep. Grisamore] was running again, I’d go work on that campaign absolutely,” Burke said. “I feel lucky because I think there are a lot of possibilities for me, I just have to figure out which is right for me.”
Collin Reischman was the Managing Editor for The Missouri Times, and a graduate of Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
