Randy D. Dunn is prominent political figure and community leader in Missouri. He is a former member of 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 the 23rd District. Dunn was first elected in 2012 at the age of 29 and was reelected in 2014 and 2016. He formerly worked as a staff member for US Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II and as the Executive Director for the

Missouri Democratic Party The Missouri Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its chair is Russ Carnahan, the vice chair is Yvonne Reeves-Chong, the treasurer is Glenda Bainbridge, and the secretary is Joshua Dunne. ...

. Currently, he is the Community Development Director for a local municipality.

Early life and career

Dunn was born on November 18, 1982, in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

, to Randy Dunn and Janice Dunn. His mother, Janice Dunn, is a former Democratic Committeewoman for the 18th Ward in

Jackson County, Missouri Jackson County is located in the western portion of the U.S. state of Missouri, on the border with Kansas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 717,204. making it the second-most populous county in the state (af ...

. Dunn is the youngest of four brothers and is a distant relative of

Oscar Dunn Oscar James Dunn (1822 – November 22, 1871) served as Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana during the era of Reconstruction and was the first African American to act as lieutenant governor of a U.S. state. He was also the first African-America ...

, the former

Lt. Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

and the first African American elected to statewide office in the Country. Dunn graduated from Raytown South High School where he actively participated in track and served on the student council. In 2021, Dunn was honored with induction into the Raytown Alumni Hall of Fame. He earned his bachelor of arts and master of public administration degrees from the University of Missouri Kansas City where he was also a

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the secretary of housing and u ...

Fellow and attended law school. In 2021 Dunn received a professional certificate in Citizen Politics in America from

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...

. Throughout his life, Dunn has been actively engaged in the community. He serves on various boards, holding positions such as Chair of the Nu World Contemporary Danse Theatre, as well as being a member of the Kansas City Regional Transit Authority and Executive Board member of Freedom, Inc. Dunn is also a member of

Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate List of African-American fraternities, historically African American Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the ...

fraternity and previously served as President of the Omicron Xi Lambda chapter.

Career

Following the completion of his graduate studies, Dunn began his professional career as a city planner for the City of Kansas City, Missouri. Dunn served in this role from 2007 to 2012. In 2007, he also earned his real estate license and obtained a professional certificate in economic development. Additionally, Dunn is the owner and managing partner of Dean & Dunn LLC, a consulting firm based in Kansas City. Dunn previously owned and operated JetKC an online men's clothing boutique. He has extensive experience in community and economic development. In addition to his professional roles, Dunn was elected as Vice-Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and as Democratic Committeeman for the 2nd Ward of Jackson County, Missouri. In 2017, Dunn resigned from the Missouri Legislature to accept a position in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

as founding executive director of a nonprofit community development intermediary. In 2021, Rep. Dunn was named executive director of the Missouri Democratic Party, again making history as the first openly gay person of color to serve in this position. In 2022 Randy recorded and released an electronic dance song titled "You're the One" under the moniker Randy D.

Election history

In early 2012, Dunn declared his candidacy for the office of State Representative for the 23rd District, a newly established district resulting from redistricting. Demonstrating robust community support, Dunn emerged victorious in the 2012 election, prevailing over Derron Black and Erik Stafford in the August 7th primary. With no opposition in the November 6th general election, he assumed office on January 9, 2013. His election marked a historic moment as Dunn became the first openly

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

person of color elected to any office in Missouri's history. In 2014, Dunn sought a second term. Running unopposed in both the Democratic primary and the subsequent general election, he was sworn into office on January 7, 2015. Dunn secured a third term in 2016, defeating Derron Black once again in the primary and facing no opposition in the November general election. He took the oath of office on January 4, 2017.

Elections

Committee assignments

2017–2018

Representative Dunn served on the following committees: *Elections and Elected Officials *Budget *Consent and House Procedure – (Ranking Member) *Subcommittee on Appropriations – Agriculture, Conservation, Natural Resources, and Economic Development- (Ranking Member) *Urban Economic Development – (Chair) "99th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session – 2017. Representative Randy Dunn District 023 (Democrat)". Missouri House of Representatives. house.mo.gov. Retrieved 01/12/2017.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunn, Randy D. 1982 births African-American state legislators in Missouri LGBTQ state legislators in Missouri Living people Democratic Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives Politicians from Kansas City, Missouri University of Missouri–Kansas City alumni 21st-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American politicians 21st-century members of the Missouri General Assembly