Todd Berck

Todd Berck (Republican Party) (also known as Coach) is running for election to the Missouri House of Representatives to represent District 56. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Biography

Todd Berck was born in Columbia, Missouri. He graduated from Centralia High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Southwest Baptist University in 1990, a graduate degree from Southwestern Baptist University in 1999, and a graduate degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia in 2002. His career experience includes working as an educator.^[1]

Elections

2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for Missouri House of Representatives District 56

Incumbent Michael Davis and Todd Berck are running in the general election for Missouri House of Representatives District 56 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Michael Davis (R)
		Todd Berck (R)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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2024

General election

General election for Missouri House of Representatives District 56

Incumbent Michael Davis defeated Pam Jenkins Hatcher in the general election for Missouri House of Representatives District 56 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Michael Davis (R)	54.2	9,871
	Pam Jenkins Hatcher (D)	45.8	8,353

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,224
= 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 House of Representatives District 56

Pam Jenkins Hatcher advanced from the Democratic primary for Missouri House of Representatives District 56 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pam Jenkins Hatcher	100.0	1,716

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,716
= 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 House of Representatives District 56

Incumbent Michael Davis defeated Todd Berck and Ryan Johnson in the Republican primary for Missouri House of Representatives District 56 on August 6, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Michael Davis	41.9	1,474
	Todd Berck	30.4	1,071
	Ryan Johnson	27.7	973

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,518
= 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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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Berck in this election.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

Todd Berck has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Todd Berck asking him to fill out the survey. If you are Todd Berck, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

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You can ask Todd Berck to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing berck562024@gmail.com.

2024

Todd Berck completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Berck's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Coach Berck grew up in Centralia, MO. After high school, he went on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southwest Baptist University while earning all-conference honors playing tight end for the Bearcat football team. He also has a Specialist Degree in Educational Administration from the University of Missouri – Columbia.

Coach Berck spent his career teaching math and serving as an administrator for the Missouri public school system in St. Charles County. After a rewarding teaching career, Coach Berck retired in 2017.

After his retirement, he moved across the state to the Kansas City area to be closer to family. For the last six years, Coach Berck served as a teacher and head football coach at Summit Christian Academy in Lee’s Summit.

Coach Berck currently works with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) as the football rep for the Kansas City Area. He enjoys staying connected to football athletes and coaches as he works to increase the number of FCA huddles sharing Christ in the area.

Todd and his wife Becky live in Raymore, MO and will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary this August. They have three grown children who are all teachers and two grandchildren.

Coach Berck said of living in Raymore, “Becky and I love Raymore, and keeping our community safe, prosperous, and a great place to raise a family is my highest priority.”

When it comes to politics, Coach Berck is a strong law-and-order, small-government common sense conservative.

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?

Faith-Based Leadership A great leader is measured by the success of those he leads. As a Christian leader I will always strive to honor Christ in my decisions and consider the impact on all of my constituents. Making life better for the residents of my district will always be my number-one priority. As we face an ever-changing political landscape, we must remain steadfast in the idea that all our freedoms come from our Creator. Our acknowledgment of that fact and wise use of these freedoms will determine our ability to hold onto them.
Family-Centered Policies I would bet that the well-being of your family is the most important value you hold onto. As I make decisions and cast votes in Jefferson City, this idea will hang heavy on my heart and mind. Education, safety, and economic opportunity for the families of this district will always take precedence over party or self advancement. We must put our community first and find ways to help our neighbors rise together to make a difference for all.
Focused On The Future What do you want this community to look like in the future? We must not assume that we can stay silent and hope for the best. We must fight the woke liberal ideology and not allow them to control the narrative. Protecting our freedom of speech, property rights, and many other freedoms granted to us in the Constitution cannot be taken for granted. I will always fight for these freedoms and stand up for the rights of the residents of this district.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education will be my most passionate area in public policy. As a career educator I have the experience and knowledge to strengthen our public schools and make them a place our parents and communities will be proud of. We have drifted from what is important when it comes to educating our children and need to re-focus our curriculum to prepare our students for adulthood.

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

Being 57 years old, not many people left to look up too! Seriously I always try and often fail to live up to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is an example of what we all should be! My other role model I will mention is Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana. I love his common sense approach to how he talks to people and holds himself and others to high standards.

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

The Bible.

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

This one is simple. Elected officials need to be honest and have a servant's heart. As a head coach and an administrator I learned very quickly that leadership is measured by who is following you. You have to create a vision and be willing to sacrifice self to the greater good.

Leaders also need to be effective communicators. Being open and honest to those you are leading is key to building a culture to trust and empowering your community.

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

Experience as a Husband, Father, Teacher and Coach. I have learned a great deal of knowledge in these roles on how to respect, lead and serve other people.

I have a mathematical mind that understands processes and that while there may be many ways to achieve success, there is usually one best and most efficient way of doing something.

I understand that as a human, we are all flawed and give grace to others as it has been given to me. I am always willing to listen to others and enjoy learning others perspectives.

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

I believe your two most important responsibilities are constituent services and voting on legislation in a manner that would represent the desires of your district.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would want my community to say that it was obvious that I cared about them by the way I worked for them and treated others. I would like to be thought of as effective and able to make our community and state a better place.

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

When the Americans beat the Russians in hockey in the 1980 Winter Olympics! I would have been 13 years old.

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

I hauled hay and worked for a farmer in Mexico, MO. Did this each summer during high school from 1983-1986.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Other than the Bible because it is my life's playbook, I would say my favorite book would be any of John Grisham's early books.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

John McClane - Die Hard

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

Zach Williams - There Was Jesus

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

I have always felt I could make a situation better so I would often take on challenging jobs. I think I left those positions in a better place then they were when I got there, but many times it was very difficult to change the culture to make that happen.

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

I believe the state elects a governor to lead the state. They are the chief elected official and should be given the power to set the agenda of the state. The state legislature has the responsibility to support and/or check the Governor when needed.

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

We have to return our public schools back into places where learning the basics are the most important aspect of their education. I think we have to rethink how we do education at both the secondary and college levels.

We must also get a handle on illegal immigration across our nation. The increased stress it puts on our government services and schools only takes away services from Missourians that need them.

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

I think life experience and a career is far more important than political experience. A state representative is kind of our states entry level position in state government. Those that excel and emerge as leaders should continue into other elected roles in our government.

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

It is all about relationships! Being in the state legislature is being a part of a team trying to accomplish the goals of the Missouri citizens. This is why elections matter. When deciding who to vote for you must consider who will be able to build relationships and be effective. To many candidates run for the wrong reason and aren't good team members. Be smart when you vote!

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

Kent Haden, currently in the MO State House. A statesmen, a man of integrity and a friend!

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

No, I feel those are positions you earn and are asked to do by your constituents.

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?

I lived through a story in my district where a couple of investors wanted to put a landfill across the street from our district. Getting involved with the fight it took to stop this from happening has helped me learn a lot of how the legislature operates. It is because we had a representative that served us so poorly is what made me decide to run for state government.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Only because my daughter made it up when she was 4 years old: What do you do with a hot dog on your head? You eat it!

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

I think there could be a situation where this might be necessary, but very rare.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

I will introduce a bill that will create a path for our public schools to teach creationism along side eveloution as theories by making it one of the topics tested during testing each year.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Local 42 - International Association of Fire Fighters

Missouri State Teachers Association

What committees interest you?

I definitely would like to put my experience to work on the education committee, after that wherever I am needed.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe transparency is very important. We need to respect our electorate and tell them the truth even when it is hard and may not be received well. With this transparency, accountability will also be achieved because information will be readily available and voters will be able to make decisions based on the facts.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

I think it is to easy to change the MO Constitution. I favor the idea of raising the threshold to change the constitution to 50%+1 of ALL registered voters, instead of 50%+1 of just those who voted.

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.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Todd Berck campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Missouri House of Representatives District 56	Lost primary	$15,921	$13,377
Grand total			$15,921	$13,377
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

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Candidate

Missouri House of Representatives District 56

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 27, 2024

[show]

Current members of the Missouri House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Jon Patterson

Minority Leader:Ashley Aune

Representatives

District 1

Jeff Farnan (R)

District 2

Mazzie Christensen (R)

District 3

Danny Busick (R)

District 4

Greg Sharpe (R)

District 5

Louis Riggs (R)

District 6

Ed Lewis (R)

District 7

Peggy McGaugh (R)

District 8

Josh Hurlbert (R)

District 9

Dean VanSchoiack (R)

District 10

Bill Falkner (R)

District 11

Brenda Shields (R)

District 12

Mike Jones (R)

District 13

Sean Pouche (R)

District 14

Ashley Aune (D)

District 15

Kenneth Jamison (D)

District 16

Chris Brown (R)

District 17

Bill Allen (R)

District 18

Eric Woods (D)

District 19

Wick Thomas (D)

District 20

Mike Steinmeyer (R)

District 21

Will Jobe (D)

District 22

Yolanda Young (D)

District 23

Michael Johnson (D)

District 24

Emily Weber (D)

District 25

Patricia Mansur (D)

District 26

Tiffany Price (D)

District 27

Melissa Douglas (D)

District 28

Donna Barnes (D)

District 29

Aaron Crossley (D)

District 30

Jon Patterson (R)

District 31

Ron Fowler (R)

District 32

Jeff Coleman (R)

District 33

Carolyn Caton (R)

District 34

Kemp Strickler (D)

District 35

Keri Ingle (D)

District 36

Anthony Ealy (D)

District 37

Mark Sharp (D)

District 38

Martin Jacobs (D)

District 39

Mark Meirath (R)

District 40

Chad Perkins (R)

District 41

Doyle Justus (R)

District 42

Jeff Myers (R)

District 43

Kent Haden (R)

District 44

John Martin (R)

District 45

Mary Steinhoff (D)

District 46

David Smith (D)

District 47

Adrian Plank (D)

District 48

Tim Taylor (R)

District 49

Jim Schulte (R)

District 50

Gregg Bush (D)

District 51

Mark Nolte (R)

District 52

Bradley Pollitt (R)

District 53

Terry Thompson (R)

District 54

Brandon Phelps (R)

District 55

William Irwin (R)

District 56

Michael Davis (R)

District 57

Rodger Reedy (R)

District 58

Willard Haley (R)

District 59

Rudy Veit (R)

District 60

Dave Griffith (R)

District 61

Bruce Sassmann (R)

District 62

Sherri Gallick (R)

District 63

Tricia Byrnes (R)

District 64

Deanna Self (R)

District 65

Wendy Hausman (R)

District 66

Marlene Terry (D)

District 67

Tonya Rush (D)

District 68

Kem Smith (D)

District 69

Scott Miller (R)

District 70

Stephanie Boykin (D)

District 71

LaDonna Appelbaum (D)

District 72

Doug Clemens (D)

District 73

Raychel Proudie (D)

District 74

Marla Smith (D)

District 75

Chanel Mosley (D)

District 76

Marlon Anderson (D)

District 77

Kimberly-Ann Collins (D)

District 78

Marty Murray (D)

District 79

LaKeySha Bosley (D)

District 80

Elizabeth Fuchs (D)

District 81

Steve Butz (D)

District 82

Nick Kimble (D)

District 83

Raymond Reed (D)

District 84

Del Taylor (D)

District 85

Yolonda Fountain Henderson (D)

District 86

Jeff Hales (D)

District 87

Connie Steinmetz (D)

District 88

Holly Jones (R)

District 89

George Hruza (R)

District 90

Mark Boyko (D)

District 91

Jo Doll (D)

District 92

Michael Burton (D)

District 93

Bridget Moore (D)

District 94

Jim Murphy (R)

District 95

Vacant

District 96

Brad Christ (R)

District 97

David Casteel (R)

District 98

Jaclyn Zimmermann (D)

District 99

Ian Mackey (D)

District 100

Philip Oehlerking (R)

District 101

Ben Keathley (R)

District 102

Richard West (R)

District 103

Dave Hinman (R)

District 104

Terri Violet (R)

District 105

Colin Wellenkamp (R)

District 106

Travis Wilson (R)

District 107

Mark Matthiesen (R)

District 108

Mike Costlow (R)

District 109

John Simmons (R)

District 110

Justin Sparks (R)

District 111

Cecelie Williams (R)

District 112

Renee Reuter (R)

District 113

Phil Amato (R)

District 114

Vacant

District 115

Bill Lucas (R)

District 116

Dale Wright (R)

District 117

Becky Laubinger (R)

District 118

Mike McGirl (R)

District 119

Brad Banderman (R)

District 120

John Hewkin (R)

District 121

Bill Hardwick (R)

District 122

Tara Peters (R)

District 123

Jeff Vernetti (R)

District 124

Don Mayhew (R)

District 125

Dane Diehl (R)

District 126

Jim Kalberloh (R)

District 127

Ann Kelley (R)

District 128

Christopher Warwick (R)

District 129

John Black (R)

District 130

Bishop Davidson (R)

District 131

Bill Owen (R)

District 132

Jeremy Dean (D)

District 133

Melanie Stinnett (R)

District 134

Alex Riley (R)

District 135

Betsy Fogle (D)

District 136

Stephanie Hein (D)

District 137

Darin Chappell (R)

District 138

Burt Whaley (R)

District 139

Bob Titus (R)

District 140

Jamie Gragg (R)

District 141

Melissa Schmidt (R)

District 142

Jeff Knight (R)

District 143

Bennie Cook (R)

District 144

Tony Harbison (R)

District 145

Bryant Wolfin (R)

District 146

Barry Hovis (R)

District 147

John Voss (R)

District 148

David Dolan (R)

District 149

Donnie Brown (R)

District 150

Cameron Bunting Parker (R)

District 151

Steven Jordan (R)

District 152

Hardy Billington (R)

District 153

Keith Elliott (R)

District 154

Lisa Durnell (R)

District 155

Matthew Overcast (R)

District 156

Brian Seitz (R)

District 157

Mitch Boggs (R)

District 158

Scott Cupps (R)

District 159

Dirk Deaton (R)

District 160

Vacant

District 161

Lane Roberts (R)

District 162

Robert Bromley (R)

District 163

Cathy Loy (R)

Republican Party (108)

Democratic Party (52)

Vacancies (3)

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 27, 2024

[1]

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Todd Berck

Contents

Biography

Elections

2026

General election

General election for Missouri House of Representatives District 56

Endorsements

2024

General election

General election for Missouri House of Representatives District 56

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Missouri House of Representatives District 56

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Missouri House of Representatives District 56

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

2024

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

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