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Yinka Faleti’s campaign for secretary of state attracts national attention

Yinka Faleti’s bid for secretary of state, challenging Republican incumbent Jay Ashcroft, has attracted national attention. 

The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State (DASS) has waded into the Missouri race with support through radio and digital ads, texting campaigns, and other GOTV measures. The group is actively registered with the Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC). 

Faleti, born in Nigeria, is a U.S. Army veteran and a former senior vice president at United Way. Although Ashcroft is favored to win re-election, Faleti has emerged as a rising star in Missouri politics as the Democratic nominee for secretary of state. 

“The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State is proud to support Yinka Faleti for secretary of state in Missouri. His opponent, current Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, has systematically worked to strip Missourians of their voting rights by making unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud,” Christopher Guerrero, DASS executive director, said in a statement. 

“Unlike his opponent, Yinka Faleti will protect and expand voting access across Missouri,” Guerrero said, adding that Faleti’s background has boosted him with enough experience “to protect against election interference and expand voting access to traditionally disenfranchised communities.”

Faleti has lived in St. Louis since 2004 and was the second executive director of Forward Through Ferguson, a nonprofit formed after a police officer fatally shot Michael Brown in 2014. 

DASS features four candidates on its website aside from Faleti: Bryce Bennett of Montana, Natalie Tennant of West Virginia, Shemia Fagan of Oregon, and Gael Tarleton of Washington. 

Aside from DASS, Faleti has also garnered support from VoteVets.org and Fight for Reform, a local End Citizens United Group. 

Faleti reported more than $165,000 cash on hand in the latest filings and has raised more than $885,000 this election. Ashcroft boasted more than $472,000 while having raised more than $629,000 this cycle. 

Ashcroft, a Repubican, has served as Missouri’s secretary of state since 2017; he was elected to the position