Richard Orr

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Richard Orr

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of Missouri, St. Louis, 1982

Personal

Birthplace

St. Louis, Mo.

Religion

Lutheran

Profession

Equipment buyer for retail sporting goods company

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign X

Personal Facebook

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Richard Orr (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Missouri State Senate to represent District 23. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Orr completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Richard Orr was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He obtained a bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1982. His professional experience includes working as an equipment buyer for a retail sporting goods company, an a wildlife biologist assistant, and as an American Canoe Association certified kayak instructor. As of 2020, Orr was the chairman of the Conservation Federation of Missouri's public/private lands committee, a member of the Sierra Club, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Wilderness Society, and the National Rifle Association.

Elections

2020

See also: Missouri State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Missouri State Senate District 23

Incumbent Bill Eigel defeated Richard Orr in the general election for Missouri State Senate District 23 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bill Eigel (R)	57.2	57,988
		Richard Orr (D)	42.8	43,406

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 101,394
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Missouri State Senate District 23

Richard Orr advanced from the Democratic primary for Missouri State Senate District 23 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Richard Orr	100.0	14,370

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 14,370 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Missouri State Senate District 23

Incumbent Bill Eigel defeated Eric Wulff and Dan O'Connell in the Republican primary for Missouri State Senate District 23 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bill Eigel	71.3	15,018
		Eric Wulff	15.7	3,310
		Dan O'Connell	13.0	2,737

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 21,065 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Missouri State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the Missouri State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on August 2, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 29, 2016. The seat was vacant heading into the election. It was previously held by Tom Dempsey (R).

Bill Eigel defeated Richard Orr and Bill Slantz in the Missouri State Senate District 23 general election.

Missouri State Senate, District 23 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Bill Eigel	60.16%	56,870
	Democratic	Richard Orr	36.65%	34,651
	Libertarian	Bill Slantz	3.19%	3,014
Total Votes				94,535
Source: Missouri Secretary of State

Richard Orr defeated Greg Upchurch in the Missouri State Senate District 23 Democratic primary.

Missouri State Senate, District 23 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Richard Orr	60.75%	4,542
	Democratic	Greg Upchurch	39.25%	2,934
Total Votes				7,476

Bill Eigel defeated Anne Zerr and Mike Carter in the Missouri State Senate District 23 Republican primary.

Missouri State Senate, District 23 Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Bill Eigel	40.30%	11,142
	Republican	Anne Zerr	38.91%	10,757
	Republican	Mike Carter	20.78%	5,746
Total Votes				27,645

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Richard Orr completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Orr's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a lifelong Missouri resident who has been active in democratic politics since I was 21 when I first cast my first vote in a national election and I have not missed one since. I have lived in beautiful St. Charles County for the last 20 years with my wife of 28 years and two dogs and two cats. My daughter has been proudly serving her country in the US Army for the the last 16 years. My wife was an educator in a large school district for 27 years. It has become clear to me over the years that the democratic party works to improve the lives of average working people and not just for the benefit of corporations. My professional career has been in purchasing and reselling equipment needed to enjoy Missouri's pristine outdoor environment and I have been active in organizations that further the goals of making sure Missouri has clean air and water and accessible parks and public lands. I have not cared for the direction the republican legislature and governors have been taking in recent years, with such acts as excessive tax cuts for businesses, numerous attempts to outlaw safe and legal abortion, attacks against unions with so-called Right to Work legislation, attempts to sell state parks, and restrict the public's use of our beautiful rivers and waterways. Therefore, when the open senate seat in my district became available I decided to run for it and see if I can help restore common sense to Jefferson City!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Missouri must have Medicaid expansion under the ACA.
• Protect workers rights to organize into unions and stopping attempts to pass Right to Work Legislation.
• While the second amendment should be protected but we should restore permitting and training for those who conceal carry handguns.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Environmental issues such as clean water, air, and the preservation and expansion of parks and public open spaces. Reproductive rights for women and freedom of choice on abortion. The protection of unions and workers rights to organize and stopping "Right to Work" freeloading.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Jimmy Carter-because of his selfless devotion to helping all mankind as much as humanly possible in every way possible.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

All the Presidents Men is one that has had a profound effect on my political philosophy.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity , character, wisdom, and and a clear understanding of right from wrong and a strong desire to leave the residents of the state better off than when you arrived.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

A sincere desire to help others and see that my fellow citizens are provided for in as many areas as the state can be effective in. I have great interpersonal skills and can work with people of disparate backgrounds and beliefs.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Listening to my constituents and trying to address their concerns as much as is practicable. Ensuring that the state is run in a fiscally responsible manner ensuring essential government services are able to be performed for citizens and schools and universities are fully funded. Working to ensure healthcare is affordable and easily accessible for all citizen, including reproductive health services.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like for Missouri to have a much higher minimum wage and a greater percentage of union jobs. I want to leave the state with improved race relations by fostering a better understanding of the needs and differences between people of different milieus and colors. I want to leave behind a cleaner environment with more parks and public open spaces.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Assassination of John F. Kennedy. I was 12 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Cave guide-taking tourists through Meramec Caverns. About one year.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The River and I by john C. Niehardt. A humorous travelogue of a canoe trip down the Missouri River from it's headwaters to Council Bluffs.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Closing time.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Learning to be a good husband and father and listening to others. I think after many years of effort and some mistakes, I have succeeding in overcoming these struggles.

Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?

State house representative districts are drawn to give citizens easier access to a legislator that understands and is concerned with the needs of those that live close to him in the district. State senate districts are of necessity larger and a senator has to concern himself with the needs of a larger and often disparate group of people. A senator has to concern himself more with the welfare of the entire state since in may cases, as the state goes, so goes the district. While it's not always the case, the senate should be a more informed, measured, and deliberative body than the historically more boisterous house, and it should be able to rein in excesses of hastily designed bills sent over by the house.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do believe it to be beneficial. Too many young people are entering politics that are clueless as to how the systems of government works, leaving important decisions left to aides and lobbyists.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Fiscal responsibility must be restored after numerous unwise and poorly designed corporate tax cuts have left the state dangerously underfunded. Ensuring affordable healthcare for all Missouri citizens is a must as is bringing more good paying jobs into the state, with an emphasis on union and professional jobs paying $15.00 per hour or more. Stopping efforts at eliminating abortion rights and the rights of LGBTQ citizens is a top priority.
Ensuring Missouri's veterans are provided for with job opportunities and adequate and well run retirement facilities.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?

Ideally the governor is of the same party as the legislature but even if not, the governor should consult the leaders of the house and senate frequently about what direction he would like to see the state go and listen to their concerns. Above all he should be willing to use the power of the veto and explain to the legislators effectively about why he is doing it to prevent overrides.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Beneficial and essential. Relationships with fellow legislators in both parties is the cornerstone of what makes our system function well or poorly, depending on the ability of legislators to work with their fellows.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

The Clean Missouri process is the best system I've ever heard of. Having a non-partisan demographer draw districts based on population and demographics is the ideal system.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Education, veterans affairs, jobs economic development, and local government.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the legislature, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

Yes, I would like to be in leadership in the areas of education, environment, and veterans affairs.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Although he was federal and not state, my ideal would be Speaker of the House Champ Clark of Bowling Green, Missouri. He worked so well with both parties, he was the only speaker ever elected to the job by the opposite party in the history of the US.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No, not at this time. I think my age would preclude staying in politics after 8 years.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

The saddest and most profound was the story of a man who needed treatment for a kidney condition but since he had no insurance he had to suffer and wait until his kidney failed and then had to be removed leaving him with a high debt and lacking a kidney. This is an intolerable situation that I want to work to see never happens to anyone again.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

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External links

Suggest a link

• Official campaign website
• Missouri Legislature

Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Missouri State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Tony Luetkemeyer

Minority Leader:Doug Beck

Senators

District 1

Doug Beck (D)

District 2

Nick Schroer (R)

District 3

Mike Henderson (R)

District 4

Karla May (D)

District 5

Steve Roberts (D)

District 6

Mike Bernskoetter (R)

District 7

Patty Lewis (D)

District 8

Mike Cierpiot (R)

District 9

Barbara Washington (D)

District 10

Travis Fitzwater (R)

District 11

Joe Nicola (R)

District 12

Rusty Black (R)

District 13

Angela Mosley (D)

District 14

Brian Williams (D)

District 15

David Gregory (R)

District 16

Justin Brown (R)

District 17

Maggie Nurrenbern (D)

District 18

Cindy O'Laughlin (R)

District 19

Stephen Webber (D)

District 20

Curtis Trent (R)

District 21

Kurtis Gregory (R)

District 22

Mary Coleman (R)

District 23

Adam Schnelting (R)

District 24

Tracy McCreery (D)

District 25

Jason Bean (R)

District 26

Ben Brown (R)

District 27

Jamie Burger (R)

District 28

Sandy Crawford (R)

District 29

Mike Moon (R)

District 30

Lincoln Hough (R)

District 31

Rick Brattin (R)

District 32

Jill Carter (R)

District 33

Brad Hudson (R)

District 34

Tony Luetkemeyer (R)

Republican Party (24)

Democratic Party (10)