Local banker and current mayor Randy Pogue has announced he is running for reelection as Mayor of Kearney. First elected in 2019, Randy is up for reelection in the April 2023 municipal election.
“I’m a homegrown mayor, I grew up in Kearney and attended school in Kearney,” said Randy. “It’s an honor to be mayor of the town I love and the town I’m raising my family in. I hope to continue our plan of growing Kearney and ensuring this is not only one of the best towns in the state, but in the country.”
A graduate of Kearney High School, Randy has worked as a banker since 2006. He has worked at First Missouri Bank in Kearney since 2015. “I love my job,” said Randy. “It gives me the ability to strengthen our community financially, to help people save for their goals, and to invest in our local businesses and families. I see my job as an extension of my continued service to the community.”
In addition to his work, Randy is active in his community. In the past, he has served as a Director of the Kearney Chamber of Commerce, as a Volunteer FireFighter for over seven years, and even a volunteer T-Ball coach. Before becoming mayor, Randy served as a member of the Park Board and was appointed Alderman.
Randy seeks to continue his “Live Smart, Run Smart, Grow Smart” platform he ran on in 2019. Elaborating on his platform, Randy stated, “Live Smart means that we make local government more accessible to the people, and to make it more transparent. Run Smart looks at making sure our city is fiscally responsible and efficient. It means prioritizing the essential services first: water, wastewater, roads, and law enforcement. These services form the core of our community, so we need to make sure they are adequately funded. Finally, Grow Smart means looking to our city’s long-term future. We want our community to grow and to attract new families and businesses, which means looking towards city-planning of the future.”
Randy is married to his high school sweetheart, Kristin. The couple has one son, Karter (12), who attends Kearney Middle School. The family hosts a foreign exchange student, Alexander Schmid, who attends Kearney High School. The family enjoys staying active at the local CrossFit gym and outdoor activities: travel, hiking, fishing, and BBQ-ing.
Randy has retained Axiom Strategies to serve as consultants on his campaign.