Barbara Phifer

Born in Washington, D.C., Phifer is a graduate of Cornell College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and history in 1977. She then attended St. Paul School of Theology at Oklahoma City University, where she received a master's degree in theology in 1980.{{cite news |last1=Lingo |first1=Emma |title=Meet the candidate: Barbara Phifer |url=https://www.thekirkwoodcall.com/uncategorized/2020/03/19/meet-the-candidate-barbara-phifer/ |access-date=31 July 2021 |publisher=The Kirkwood Call}}{{cite web |url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/193356/barbara-phifer|title=Barbara Phifer's Biography|publisher=Vote Smart|access-date=October 3, 2024}}

Phfier has served as a United Methodist pastor for over 40 years.{{cite web |title=Representative Barbara Phifer District 090 |url=https://www.house.mo.gov/MemberDetails.aspx?year=2021&district=090 |website=house.mo.gov |access-date=31 July 2021}} Her preaching career included a five-year stint in Montevideo, Uruguay under a dictatorship, an experience which she said gave her "an understanding of the dangers of authoritarianism, which is what I see in the [Republican] party right now". Along with her criticism of Donald Trump, Phifer ran on a platform of expanding Medicaid, improving public education, and supporting gun control and social justice issues such as women's and LGBTQ rights.{{cite web |title=Barbara Phifer On the Issues |url=https://www.upballot.com/barbara-phifer/issues/ |website=UpBallot |access-date=6 December 2021 |language=en}}

Phifer had not thought about entering politics until after retiring from preaching, but decided to run for the seat vacated by Deb Lavender who was running for state Senate. In 2020, Phifer defeated her Republican opponent in the general election for Missouri's 90th state House district.{{cite web |title=Barbara Phifer |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Barbara_Phifer |website=ballotpedia |access-date=31 July 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Rosenbaum |first1=Jason |title=Rep. Barbara Phifer Provides First Impressions Of Missouri House |url=https://news.stlpublicradio.org/podcast/politically-speaking/2021-01-20/rep-barbara-phifer-provides-first-impressions-of-missouri-house |access-date=31 July 2021 |publisher=St Louis Public Radio}}

In March 2024, Phifer announced her candidacy for Missouri Secretary of State in front of the Jefferson City Missouri River Regional Library. She criticized book banning efforts in Missouri and expressed a commitment to neutral ballot language.{{Cite web |last=Suntrup |first=Jack |date=2024-03-12 |title=Kirkwood Democrat blasts ‘book banning’ in kickoff for secretary of state campaign |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/kirkwood-democrat-blasts-book-banning-in-kickoff-for-secretary-of-state-campaign/article_388e148a-e07e-11ee-9ce5-7b3dd9bdd949.html |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=STLtoday.com |language=en}} She lost the race to Denny Hoskins.{{cite news |title=Missouri state office elections swept by Republicans Bailey, Hoskins, Malek and Wasinger |url=https://www.kcur.org/2024-11-06/republicans-bailey-hoskins-malek-wasinger-win-missouri-state-office-elections |work=KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR |date=6 November 2024 |language=en}}

Phifer lives in Kirkwood, Missouri with her husband Thomas, and has five children and seven grandchildren.{{cite web |title=Representative Barbara Phifer, District 90 |url=https://www.molegdems.com/barbara-phifer |website=molegdems |access-date=31 July 2021}}

Phifer had no opponents in the Democratic primary elections for the Missouri House of Representatives, winning the party nomination by default each time.

{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 3, 2020, District 90{{cite web|title=Election Results; Official Election Returns|publisher= Missouri Secretary of State|url=https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/ElectionResultsStatistics/November3_2020GeneralElection.pdf|accessdate=January 16, 2023}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (US)

|candidate = Barbara Phifer

|votes = 13,858

|percentage = 56.72%

|change = -43.28}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (US)

|candidate = Anne Landers

|votes = 10,575

|percentage = 43.28%

|change = +43.28}}

{{Election box total no change|

|votes = 24,433

|percentage = 100.00%}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 8, 2022, District 90{{cite web|title=Election Results; Official Election Returns|date=December 9, 2022|url=https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/ElectionResultsStatistics/2022GeneralElection.pdf|publisher=Missouri Secretary of State|accessdate=January 16, 2023}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (US)

|candidate = Barbara Phifer

|votes = 11,355

|percentage = 62.56%

|change = +5.84}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (US)

|candidate = Gary Albert Bokermann, Jr.

|votes = 6,795

|percentage = 37.44%

|change = -5.84}}

{{Election box total no change|

|votes = 18,150

|percentage = 100.00%}}

{{Election box end}}

[[File:Missouri_Secretary_of_State_Democratic_Primary,_2024.svg|thumb|250px|2024 Missouri Secretary of State election Democratic Primary Results by County

{{collapsible list

| title = {{legend|#7996E2|Phifer}}

|{{legend|#BDD3FF|30–40%}}

|{{legend|#A5B0FF|40–50%}}}}

{{collapsible list

| title = {{legend|#51C2C2|Williams}}

|{{legend|#ACF2F2|30–40%}}

|{{legend|#7DDDDD|40–50%}}}}

{{collapsible list

| title = {{legend|#CD3700|Jacobsen}}

|{{legend|#FF7644|30–40%}}

|{{legend|#F8581E|40–50%}}

|{{legend|#CD3700|50–60%}}}}

{{collapsible list

| title = {{legend|#AE8BB1|Tie}}

|{{legend|#DECDE6|30–40%}}}}

]]

{{Election box begin no change|title= 2024 Missouri Secretary of State Election, Democratic primary, August 6, 2024{{Cite web|url=https://enr.sos.mo.gov/PickaRace.aspx|title=State of Missouri - State of Missouri - Primary Election, August 06, 2024|author=Missouri Secretary of State|website=enr.sos.mo.gov/|date=August 6, 2024|access-date=August 7, 2024}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|candidate=Barbara Phifer|party=Democratic Party (United States)|votes=146,284|percentage=40.86}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Monique Williams|votes=123,270|percentage=34.43}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|candidate=Haley Jacobsen|party=Democratic Party (United States)|votes=88,491|percentage=24.72}}

{{Election box total no change|votes=358,045|percentage=100.00}}

{{Election box end}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://votephifer.com/ Phifer for Missouri] campaign website
• [https://house.mo.gov/MemberDetails.aspx?year=2024&code=R&district=090 Representative Barbara Phifer] legislative website

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Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American women politicians

Category:Women state legislators in Missouri

Category:Cornell College alumni

Category:Democratic Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:American United Methodists

Category:Candidates in the 2024 United States elections

Category:21st-century members of the Missouri General Assembly