Mark Alford

Alford Sr. was born in Baytown, Texas.{{cite web|author=ABC 17 News Team |url=https://abc17news.com/video/election-videos/2022/10/28/interview-with-fourth-congressional-district-candidate-mark-alford/ |title=Interview with Fourth Congressional District candidate Mark Alford |publisher=ABC17NEWS |date=October 28, 2022 |accessdate=November 12, 2022}}{{cite web |title=Rep. Mark Alford - R Missouri, 4th, In Office - Biography {{!}} LegiStorm |url=https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/416993/Mark_Allen_Alford_Sr_.html |website=www.legistorm.com |access-date=6 March 2023 |language=en}} He attended Sterling High School and the University of Texas at Austin, but left college without graduating.{{cite news |last1=Recchia |first1=Charlie |title=Three vying for open 4th Congressional District seat |url=https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/elections/three-vying-for-open-4th-congressional-district-seat/article_f8d02728-4305-11ed-8593-0b0f996fbd6f.html |access-date=6 March 2023 |work=Columbia Missourian |language=en}}

Alford Sr. worked for KPRC-TV in Houston as a reporter and weekend anchor for News 2 Houston from 1995 and 1998. Before that, he was anchor for KDFW-TV in Dallas and a reporter with WPTV-TV in West Palm Beach; KWTX-TV in Waco; and KXAN-TV in Austin.{{cite web|date=April 10, 2016|title=Thank You Mark Alfred for be our Rotary guest, bio below |url=https://portal.clubrunner.ca/4659/stories/thank-you-mark-alfred-for-be-our-rotary-guest-bio-below|access-date=November 9, 2022|work=Rotary Club of Independence|language=en-US}} In 1998, he went to WDAF-TV in Kansas City as an anchor for Fox 4 News and stayed there for 23 years. He announced his resignation on October 8, 2021.{{cite web|author=Your name(required) |url=https://fox4kc.com/news/mark-alford-gives-a-special-jobs-report/ |title=Anchor Mark Alford leaving FOX4 Kansas City after 23 years |publisher=Fox4kc.com |date=October 8, 2021 |accessdate=August 3, 2022}}

{{see also|2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Missouri#District 4}}

On October 27, 2021, Alford Sr. announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in {{ushr|MO|4}} as a Republican in the 2022 elections.{{cite web|url=https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article255325596.html |title=Former Fox 4 anchor enters race for Congress. 'I just feel like God's calling me' |first=Jonathan|last=Shorman|work=The Kansas City Star|date=October 27, 2021|accessdate=August 3, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-27/former-kansas-city-news-anchor-mark-alford-announces-bid-for-congress|title=Former Kansas City news anchor Mark Alford announces bid for Congress|date=October 27, 2021|website=KCUR 89.3 - NPR in Kansas City}} He won the Republican nomination in the August 2 primary election{{cite web |url=https://www.komu.com/news/elections/mark-alford-wins-gop-nomination-for-missouris-4th-congressional-district/article_0b309e92-12d8-11ed-a85f-cbde97feaad4.html|title=Mark Alford wins GOP nomination for Missouri's 4th Congressional District|first=Andreas Busse, KOMU 8 Digital |last=Producer|website=KOMU 8|date=August 2, 2022 }} and won the November 8 general election.{{cite web |url=https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/former-kansas-city-tv-anchor-mark-alford-wins-congressional-seat|title=Former Kansas City TV anchor Mark Alford wins congressional seat |date=November 9, 2022|website=KSHB 41 Kansas City News}}

Alford Sr. was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4029522-republicans-and-democrats-who-bucked-party-leaders-by-voting-no/|title=Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no|first=Jared|last=Gans|date=May 31, 2023|access-date=June 6, 2023|work=The Hill}}

He voted to provide Israel with support following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.{{Cite news |last=Demirjian |first=Karoun |date=2023-10-25 |title=House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/25/us/politics/house-israel-vote.html |access-date=2023-10-30 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Washington |first=U. S. Capitol Room H154 |last2=p:225-7000 |first2=DC 20515-6601 |date=2023-10-25 |title=Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023528 |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |language=en}}

Alford supported the 2025 United States federal mass layoffs, telling fired federal employees at an event in Belton, Missouri that "God has a plan and purpose for your life."{{Cite web |last=Shorman |first=Jonathan |date=2025-02-25 |title=‘God has a plan,’ Missouri congressman tells angry fired KC federal workers |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/article_f091c014-f396-11ef-a33b-330e71b5e458.html |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |language=en}}

Alford supported proposed tariffs on Canadian trade, arguing that he and American consumers are willing to accept higher costs to "get America right again."{{Cite web |last=McHardy |first=Martha |date=2025-03-04 |title=Republicans say Americans are willing to suffer higher prices for Trump |url=https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-tariffs-higher-prices-inflation-2039190 |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}

For the 118th Congress:{{cite web |title=Mark Alford |url=https://clerk.house.gov/members/A000379 |publisher=Clerk of the United States House of Representatives |access-date=September 3, 2023}}

• Committee on Agriculture
• Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology
• Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit
• Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
• Committee on Armed Services
• Subcommittee on Military Personnel
• Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
• Committee on Small Business
• Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access
• Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Regulations

• Congressional Western Caucus{{cite web|title= Caucus Memberships|author=|url=https://westerncaucus.house.gov/about/membership.htm|format=|publisher=Congressional Western Caucus|date=|accessdate=11 April 2025}}

Alford Sr. and his wife, Leslie, have three children, Mark Allen Alford Jr., Alexandria Naomi Francis, and Spencer "Jasper" Adkins Alford.{{cite web|url=https://metrovoicenews.com/former-news-anchor-mark-alford-gods-calling-me-to-run-for-congress/ |title=Former news anchor Mark Alford: "God's calling me" to run for Congress |publisher=Metro Voice News |date=2021-10-28 |accessdate=2022-12-30}} They live in Lake Winnebago, a suburb of Kansas City. Alford is a member of Evangel Church, an Assemblies of God megachurch in Kansas City.

{{reflist}}

• [https://alford.house.gov/ Congressman Mark Alford] official U.S. House website
• [https://www.alfordforcongress.com/ Mark Alford for Congress] campaign website
• {{CongLinks |congbio=A000379 |fec=H2MO04207 |votesmart=205858 |congress=mark-alford/A000379 }}
• {{C-SPAN|9279002}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|us-hs}}

{{s-bef|before=Vicky Hartzler}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Missouri's 4th congressional district|years=2023–present}}

{{s-inc}}

|-

{{s-prec|usa}}

{{s-bef|before=Cleo Fields}}

{{s-ttl|title=United States representatives by seniority|years=300th}}

{{s-aft|after=Becca Balint}}

{{s-end}}

{{MO-FedRep}}

{{Current members of the U.S. House of Representatives}}

{{USCongRep-start|congresses= 118th–present United States Congress |state=Missouri}}

{{USCongRep/MO/118}}

{{USCongRep/MO/119}}

{{USCongRep-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alford, Mark}}

Category:1963 births

Category:Living people

Category:Missouri Republicans

Category:People from Baytown, Texas

Category:Protestants from Missouri

Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri

Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni

Category:21st-century Missouri politicians

Category:21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives