Cindy Berne, a Democrat, narrowly lost an election to a St. Charles County House seat last year —but she’s vying for it again in 2022.
In a campaign ad released this week, Berne said she would focus on prescription drug prices, investments into public schools, and workforce development if elected to the statehouse.
“I’m here to give working families a fair shot, like mine, and make Missouri a better place to live,” Berne said in an interview with The Missouri Times.
A horticulturist from St. Charles, Berne grew up in Overland and has lived in Saint James. She said no matter where she has lived or traveled in Missouri, friends and acquaintances have all expressed the same set of concerns: security, jobs, and taxes.
JUST IN: I'm running for State Representative to help give working families like mine a fair shot.
Let’s show this country that Missouri can do so much better. pic.twitter.com/jxdat9J94c
— Cindy Berne (@CindyBerneMO) November 9, 2021
Berne lost the 2020 election to the HD 106 seat to Republican Rep. Adam Schwadron by 541 votes. The district, as it stands now, encompasses part of St. Charles County and was previously represented by GOP Rep. Chrissy Sommer.
This time around, Berne said she plans to go door-to-door to meet with constituents and register others to vote — a process she said was hindered in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Berne brought in more than $84,7000 during her 2020 bid for the General Assembly. In comparison, Schwadron raised more than $15,200.
During the 2020 cycle, The Missouri Times rated the seat as Lean Republican but noted Democrats intended to make it competitive. EMILY’s List, the national PAC that supports pro-choice Democratic women running for office, backed Berne in the 2020 race.
Berne is an alumna of Meramec Community College as well as what is now Missouri S&T. She lives in St. Charles with her husband who is a pipefitter and longtime member of Local 562.
As a horticulturist, Berne has had multiple jobs from landscaping to research — although she prefers to work outside. She is a merchandiser for a local Lowe’s Garden Center where she has won multiple awards.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
