{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Use American English|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Barbara Phifer | state_house = Missouri | district = 90th | term_start = January 6, 2021 | term_end = January 8, 2025 | predecessor = Deb Lavender | successor = Mark Boyko | birth_date = | birth_place = Washington, D.C., U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | spouse = Thomas | children = 5 | education = Cornell College (BA)<br>Oklahoma City University (MDiv) | website = {{URL|votephifer.com|Campaign website}} }} '''Barbara Phifer''' is an American politician and former United Methodist pastor who was a Democratic member of the Missouri House of Representatives from 2021 to 2025, representing the 90th district.<ref name="Schallhorn">{{cite news |last1=Schallhorn |first1=Kaitlyn |title=Freshmen to Watch: Barbara Phifer |url=https://themissouritimes.com/freshmen-to-watch-barbara-phifer/ |access-date=31 July 2021 |publisher=Missouri Times |date=April 26, 2021}}</ref> She was the Democratic candidate in the 2024 Missouri Secretary of State election.
==Early life and education== 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.<ref name="Lingo">{{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}}</ref><ref name="PVS">{{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}}</ref>
==Career== Phfier has served as a United Methodist pastor for over 40 years.<ref name="housewebsite">{{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}}</ref> 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".<ref name="Lingo"/> 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.<ref name="Lingo"/><ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref name="Lingo"/> In 2020, Phifer defeated her Republican opponent in the general election for Missouri's 90th state House district.<ref name="ballotpedia">{{cite web |title=Barbara Phifer |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Barbara_Phifer |website=ballotpedia |access-date=31 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="Rosenbaum">{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> She lost the race to Denny Hoskins.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==Personal life== Phifer lives in Kirkwood, Missouri with her husband Thomas, and has five children and seven grandchildren.<ref name="Lingo"/><ref name="housewebsite"/><ref name="modems">{{cite web |title=Representative Barbara Phifer, District 90 |url=https://www.molegdems.com/barbara-phifer |website=molegdems |access-date=31 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="PVS"/>
== Electoral history == 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<ref>{{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}}</ref>}} {{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<ref>{{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}}</ref>}} {{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}}
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<ref name="results">{{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}}</ref>}} {{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}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[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 {{CongLinks|votesmart=193356}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-mo-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Deb Lavender}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Missouri House of Representatives<br>from the 90th district|years=2021–present}} {{s-inc}} |- {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Yinka Faleti}} {{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for Secretary of State of Missouri|years=2024}} {{s-inc|recent}} {{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Phifer, Barbara}} 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 Category:Politicians from Washington, D.C. Category:People from Kirkwood, Missouri Category:Saint Paul School of Theology alumni