John Martin Cannot Represent the 44th State House District Because He Doesn’t Live Here

Opinion Letter to the Editor

By: Erick Ichich, Bev Steelman, Brenda Ravenscraft, Judy Dooley

John Martin does not live in the 44th District and has no intention of ever living here. He ran in the 47th District in 2022, where he actually lives. After an embarrassing loss to Adrian Plank in a district that had been republican for many years, Martin wasted no time finding a new district to try again. He lost the 47th District and within two months had decided to run for the 44th undoubtedly because he knew this would once again be an open seat.

However, this time Martin didn’t even bother to think about actually living in the district he is seeking to represent. His early campaign committee filings show that he still lived in the 47th but was already filing to run in the 44th. Then, sometime late in the summer of 2023 he decided to buy a second home in the 44th so that he could deceive people into believing he actually lives in the district. It isn’t hard to see through this sham though. Property records clearly show that he owns a mansion on multiple acres in the 47th and a modest home on a small lot in the 44th. Where do you think he lives? Even his own family members have spoken out and said that John doesn’t actually live in the 44th.

The people of the 44th District deserve a representative that actually lives in the district. A representative who lives in the district is more plugged in to the needs of the citizens they represent and is reachable when the people of the district need something. A representative who lives in the district is what Missouri statutes require. A representative who lives in the district is actually impacted by the decisions they make for the district in Jefferson City. Whether that Representative is Dave Raithel or Bryce Beal is for the voters to decide but we cannot let someone who doesn’t call this district home be our voice in Jefferson City!

Martin defends against accusations

The Boone County Journal reached out to Mr. Martin concerning the above accusations. This was his response:

“My primary residence is in the 44th district, and I provided all the required paperwork when I filed with the Secretary of State’s office to run. While it’s no secret that I own farmland in the 47th district, this is clearly an attempt by my opponent to deflect from the fact that he only recently moved into the county from St. Louis and has no established history of being a member of our Boone County community.”

The Missouri Secretary of State’s office verified to the Journal that Mr. Martin listed his primary residence to be in the 44th district on his candidate declaration form, and the Boone County Clerk’s office verified that Mr. Martin is registered to vote in the 44th district.