On the latest edition of the Politically Speaking podcast, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies are pleased to welcome Democrat Mark Boyko to the show for the first time.
The Democrat is running for the 15th Senatorial District seat, which is open since Sen. Eric Schmitt is leaving due to term limits. The two Republicans for the seat -- state Rep. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, and former state Rep. Rick Stream, R-Kirkwood -- were on the podcast last month. Boyko's opponent, Steve Eagleton, recorded a show that should be posted later this week.
Boyko is an attorney who represents clients who bring suit under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, better known as ERISA. He received his law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master's in law from New York University.
This is the first time Boyko has run for office. He’s emphasized his experience in legal-dispute resolution, which he says could help him bridge ideological divides in the Missouri Senate.
Here’s what he had to say during the show:
- Boyko received encouragement to run for the Senate from such political figures as state Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Kirkwood, and Attorney General Chris Koster. He says for Democrats to make headway in the legislature, they need to seriously contend for Republican-held seats.
- Boyko expects either Stream or Koenig to have significantly more money on hand, especially since the 15th District leans toward the GOP. "This is not the first time that someone's going to spend a million dollars trying to prevent me from doing what I think is right," he said. "And hopefully it's not the last time in my life that that happens either."
- When asked why 15th District Democrats should support him over Eagleton, Boyko replied: "I'm the one that has a chance to win in November, that's the reason." He also emphasized his longstanding ties to the 15th District, including taking his children to soccer games.
- He said that he supports abortion rights and has been critical of efforts to implement abortion restrictions.
Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Follow Jo Mannies on Twitter: @jmannies
Follow Mark Boyko on Twitter: @boyko_mark
Music: "Vices" by Brand New
