Stephen Webber will be the next senator to represent Missouri District 19 after beating Republican James Coyne.
Webber served as state representative for House District 46 from 2009 to 2017. In the House, Webber championed health care access, sponsored Medicaid expansion, worked to fund the University of Missouri and fought for women’s rights to reproductive health care decisions, according to his campaign website.
He was not immediately available for comment.
Born and raised in Columbia, Webber graduated from Hickman High School and received his bachelor’s degree from Saint Louis University. He later received his law degree from the University of Missouri School of Law. Webber also served in the U.S. Marine Corps and completed two tours of duty in Iraq.
In 2022, redistricting changed District 19 from encompassing both Boone County and Cooper County to include solely Boone County. Webber is the first Democrat in 20 years to represent the county in the Missouri Senate.
Coyne, a Republican, entered the race after former Rep. Chuck Basye dropped out following a cancer diagnosis. Coyne ran for District 19 in 2020 as an Independent write-in candidate but came short after receiving only 72 votes.
“I feel like I was able to do some wonderful things — praise God — in forwarding a message of honesty, transparency and a return to the principles of our system of government,” Coyne said. “And I’m very gratified by that. I knew that this was an uphill battle, and I have no regrets whatsoever.”
Webber formerly ran for the seat but lost to Sen. Caleb Rowden by less than 3 percentage points. Rowden was limited from seeking another term in 2024.
Webber championed Amendment 3 throughout his campaign and encouraged voters to also support candidates who would protect it in the legislature. Amendment 3, which voters approved on Tuesday, overturned Missouri’s abortion ban and restored reproductive rights in the state. Coyne opposed the amendment and said that the issue of abortion should be decided in the legislature.
