Jefferson City, Mo. — At 23 years old, Mazzie Boyd is running for State representative. She’s also running in the newly-drawn House District (HD) 2.
It’s also a district that she had to move a couple-of-miles east to run in. She thus far hasn’t been able to hire a political consultant.
Oh — and she’s running against an incumbent.
So why should Missourians be paying attention?
Let’s start with her resume.
Boyd attended college at Missouri Western State University (MWSU), the same college former House Speaker Elijah Haahr attended. Haahr rose up the ranks of Missouri politics quickly, serving as the youngest Speaker in the country.
While at MWSU, Boyd was selected for an internship working in the office of Missouri’s U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt. She explained how she enjoyed working for Blunt and how much he cared about Missouri.
From there she was on staff working for former President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. That led to a job with high-profile conservative Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia. Boyd noted how down-to-earth Greene was with her staff.
At 23 she has worked with as many high-profile conservatives as anyone running in 2022.
Boyd will be 24 by election time, just barely meeting the constitutionally mandated age to hold the office. If elected, she would be one of the youngest representatives in the history of the Missouri House. She describes herself as a lifelong Republican.
Despite her age, Boyd has some notable endorsements. Starting with former Rep. Casey Guernsey, a legislator who represented Northwest Missouri from 2008-2014.
Guernsey is expected to give Boyd a political ally with roots in her area.
“I have had the honor of representing this district and having gotten to know Mazzie, I can say this: she is the real deal and I’m very excited for this campaign,” Guernsey said. “I know Mazzie is the best choice for the people of Caldwell, Daviess, Grundy, Harrison, and Worth Counties.”
“In this climate, we need someone who won’t compromise on rural issues for the sake of special interests. Mazzie is tough and won’t buckle to pressure from Jefferson City,” Guernsey added.
Boyd also has an another endorsement, this time from Rep. Jim Neely. Rep. Neely represented House District 8 from 2013-2021.
“Primaries matter, I believe Mazzie Boyd, is the right person to be District 2’s next state representative. She’s honest and will always vote for our conservative values” Rep. Neely said
If elected, Boyd says she will support legislation offering support for cattle farmers, protections for the unborn, fully funding law enforcement, fighting Critical Race Theory in schools, and opposing any efforts to limit First and Second Amendment rights.
“It’s time we start electing people who are not afraid to stand up. The only way to continue President Trump’s America First agenda is to start putting our local government first,” Boyd said. “I’m making it my mission to return power back to the people and hold the federal and state government accountable as our checks and balances were originally designed to do. Right now, our farmers need a fighter in Jefferson City and I’m ready to do just that.”
This election will not be an easy one for Boyd. After the redistricting process took place in mid-March, HD 2 underwent significant changes. Switching to include Trenton and no longer include Albany.
Rep. Randy Railsback is running as an incumbent in the district after changes to the boundaries.
Railsback won his primary in 2020 with nearly half the vote and has been representing House District 8 since. More importantly he has the backing of the House Republican leadership, which will likely come with significant financial resources.
Boyd has out-raised the incumbent despite expected House backing. At the end of the first quarter, Boyd had $30,066 in cash-on-hand compared to Railsback’s $20,100. Railsback took out a $10,000 loan during the fourth quarter of 2022.
Boyd had taken out no loans as of the end of the first quarter.
The winner between Boyd and Railsback will go on to face Luis Pontius, a Democrat and the Chair of the Harrison County Democrats. Pontius is running unopposed in the primaries and hasn’t filed any contributions with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
Featured Image: Mazzie Boyd is running for House District 2 in 2022. If elected, she would be one of Missouri’s youngest Representative. (Provided)
Kelton is a 2023 graduate of the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies. He is a native of mid-Missouri and likes to write politics at both the state and federal levels. Kelton joined the Missouri Times in April 2022