Kevin P. Engler (born June 23, 1959) is an American politician. As a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he was elected St. Francois County Clerk in November 2018. He represented District 116 in the

Missouri House of Representatives The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...

from January 2013 to January 2019. He previously represented District 3 in the

Missouri Senate The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...

from 2005 to 2013, becoming

Majority leader In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.

in January 2009. He was also a member of the

from 2003 through 2005.

Background

Engler was born in

Festus, Missouri Festus is a city situated in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States, and is also a suburb of St. Louis. It had a population of 12,706 individuals as of the 2020 census. Festus and its adjacent neighbor Crystal City are often collectively know ...

, and graduated from Festus High School in 1977. He went on to

Southwest Missouri State University Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...

, where he earned degrees in finance/general business and marketing. He served as

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Farmington Farmington may refer to: Places Canada *Farmington, British Columbia * Farmington, Nova Scotia (disambiguation) United States *Farmington, Arkansas *Farmington, California *Farmington, Connecticut *Farmington, Delaware * Farmington, Georgia * ...

for six years, was elected to the

in 2002, and then to the

Missouri State Senate The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...

in 2004 and again to the

in 2012. In 2009, Engler attracted attention by proposing, then withdrawing a bill to make

litter Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. Litter can also be used as a verb; to litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups, ...

ing a

capital offense Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

. In a short speech on the Senate floor, he referred to constituents who litter as "

white trash White trash is a derogatory racial and class-related slur used in American English to refer to poor white people, especially in the rural southern United States. The label signifies a social class inside the white population and especially a ...

" and "dumb rednecks." When criticized for these remarks, Engler said, "the only ones I've called names are the ones doing it. If they are offended, good."Barr, Paula
"Senator Engler gets attention he wanted"
''Park Hills Daily Journal''. February 12, 2009.

Personal life

He is married to Chris Engler, with whom he has four children. He currently resides in

Farmington, Missouri Farmington is a city in St. Francois County located about southwest of St. Louis in the Lead Belt region in Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,217. It is the county seat of St. Francois County. Farmington was established in ...

and is a former registered representative of

Edward Jones Investments Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., (since 1995, d.b.a. Edward Jones Investments), simplified as Edward Jones, is a financial services firm headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It serves investment clients in the U.S. and Canada, throug ...

References

External links

Missouri Senate - Kevin Engler
official government website
Project Vote Smart - Kevin Engler (MO)
profile *''Follow the Money'' - Kevin Engler
200620042002
campaign contributions 1959 births 21st-century American legislators Living people Mayors of places in Missouri Republican Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives Republican Party Missouri state senators Missouri State University alumni People from Farmington, Missouri People from Festus, Missouri 21st-century Missouri politicians {{Missouri-mayor-stub