ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO – Entrepreneur and small business owner Cijo Mathews has officially announced his campaign for state representative in St. Louis County. Running as a Republican, he will appear on the August 6 primary ballot, and, if successful there, will continue his campaign into the general election to challenge the Democratic incumbent in November.
“I’m so excited to share with you the news of my candidacy for State Representative! I have spent my life as an entrepreneur trying to make St. Louis County a better place,” stated Mathews. “I believe our district deserves more than the empty promises and political point-scoring we are currently enduring. It’s not about ‘Democrats vs. Republicans.’ It’s about putting aside personal gain for the sake of helping your community. There’s plenty of politicians on both sides who are failing to stand up and do the right things in the state capitol. But that can change if voters choose a new path for our district.”
An embodiment of the American Dream, Cijo’s story of success was made possible by the boundless opportunities that a vibrant free enterprise economy can bring to families across Missouri. Starting at the age of 15 working at various fast-food and retail jobs, he was able to pay his way through college to earn a finance degree.
After a year of working in sales during the Great Recession, Mathews pursued a business opportunity at Garner’s Market. He applied his entrepreneurial spirit, revamped the business model, and built it up to be the largest Bosnian grocer in the St. Louis area. Since then, Mathews has entered into numerous successful business endeavors, including operating several gas stations, real estate redevelopment, and opening a boat and RV storage business on Tesson Ferry.
“We need men and women serving in Jefferson City who have proven they have what it takes to be successful by their own merits. We need people who know what personal risk feels like and understand the struggle to make ends meet. As someone who worked my way through high school and college and is now a father, I know firsthand what it feels like to roll up my sleeves and be proud of the work I do to provide for myself and my family.”
Mathews continued to outline his priorities, saying that we must work with law enforcement and community stakeholders to make sure that our streets, schools, and homes are safer. Likewise, supporting local businesses and keeping taxes low for hardworking families remain top issues of concern.
“I will work to provide adequate funding for our teachers so they can better prepare and educate the next generation. We need leaders who will prioritize our district’s families and small businesses, not pander to special interests and large corporations. We need fewer suits and more blue collars in the Missouri Capitol.”
Cijo Mathews resides in St. Louis with his two sons. He attends Queen of All Saints Church and enjoys spending time as a volunteer youth athletics coach.
