Who is Karen Edge?
My name is Karen Edge, and I am a Democrat running for the Missouri House of Representatives in District 106. I would like to provide a little background about who I am and why I will be the Missouri House Representative that votes for your values.
I was born and raised a Democrat. The values I was taught growing up align with democratic values. My mother and father both were raised in the South during the Jim Crow era. They taught their children all human beings are created equal.
My great-grandfather was a union organizer for the railroad. My father was enthralled with his grandfather’s exciting stories of the early day of union organizing. “Babba”, as he was called, would exclaim in his thick Irish accent that unions were the salvation of the working man.
On both sides of my family tree there are union activists and public-school teachers. Fighting for good public education and union provided jobs for working families is literally in my DNA.
These democratic values, civil rights, strong workers’ rights through organized labor, and pro-public schools, have been passed down to me through multiple generations. I am proud to be a Democrat.
Ready to make calls? Click HERE. Want to know more? Scroll down to see where Karen Edge stands on the issues.
Reproductive Freedom
Reproductive rights are under attack in Missouri. Since Roe v Wade was overturned in June 2022, women have been denied safe abortions. Without laws guaranteeing reproductive rights, with no exceptions for rape or incest, women are being forced to endure unimaginable pain, suffering, and sometimes death. Women’s lives are literally at risk without access to a safe, medically performed abortion, with trained doctors and nurses.
Missouri was one of the first states to immediately sign into law an abortion ban for essentially all cases. This extreme, draconian reproductive law is not the majority view of Missourians. I promise as state representative, I will work to bring sensible reproductive rights back to Missourians.
Excellent Public Schools
We Missourians want the best schools for all our children, not just for those who can afford it. Funds are being transferred out of our public schools directly into private schools. This is a concerted and unprecedented attack on our public school system that must be reversed for our children’s sake. Currently, Missouri is ranked at the bottom when it comes to teachers’ pay. We can and must do better for our teachers and our children.
I believe every child deserves a top-notch education in a safe environment. I promise to fight for fully funded public schools and an increase in teachers’ pay.
Flourishing Working Families
One of great things about our community is the many thriving, middle-class families that call St Charles their home. These families rely on good paying union jobs. We Missourians have declared ourselves pro-union and we have rejected the attempts by the minority to institute Right-to-Work laws. Missourians want a living wage that enables Missouri families to thrive. That’s what unions do. They lift the standard for all of us, union and non-union alike.
As your state representative, I will always fight for the freedom to organize and collective bargain for our hardworking Missourian work force. I will fight all attempts to weaken our great union organizations.
Support our Military and Veterans
I grew up moving around the country with my military family. My father was a pilot in the United States Air Force (USAF) for over 20 years.
I am proud of my father’s military career. In 1968, he was sent to Vietnam for a one-year tour in the Forward Air Control, flying small planes at 1500 feet, marking the enemy locations for airstrikes. When he returned from combat duty, he was a different person, suffering from PTSD, although no one knew that at the time. Even my nine-year-old self could perceive the difference in my daddy.
Those who have given so much to our country and the families of these veterans and current service members, deserve the very best Missouri can offer them. They should have the best healthcare, post-military employment opportunities, and community support for their families. I am inspired by their sacrifice for our nation and I promise to work across the aisle to ensure that military families and our veterans have access to all the tools they need for a healthy, bright future.
