Kevin P. Engler (born June 23, 1959) is an American politician. As a Republican, 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 181,000. 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 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. Geography Festus is situated just west of the Mississippi River. The cit ...

, 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, United States. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second-largest u ...

, 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 corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

of Farmington 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 181,000. 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. The waste is objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups, food wrappers, cardboard boxes or plastic bottles, but ...

ing a

capital offense Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence (law), sentence ordering that an offender b ...

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

white trash White trash is a derogatory term in American English for poor white people, especially in the rural areas of the southern United States. The label signifies a social class within the white population, especially those perceived to have 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 and the county seat of St. Francois County, Missouri, United States. It is in the Lead Belt region in Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 18,217. Farmington was established in 1822 a ...

and is a former registered representative of

Edward Jones Investments Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., (Doing business as, d.b.a. Edward Jones Investments), simplified as Edward Jones, is a financial services firm headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1922, Edward Jones pioneered the branch-office brokerage ...

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 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 members of the Missouri General Assembly {{Missouri-mayor-stub