Retired Naval Commander and Ph.D. Teacher and Professor, Dr. Bill Allen has announced his candidacy for the House of Representatives in the newly-formed District 17, comprising the Kansas City Northland.
Rep. Mark Ellebracht, a lawyer and term-limited politician, will also seek election in the new district. Ellebracht is using a temporary residential waiver (sometimes called the “residential loophole”) to change his district to compete.
The new district is a toss-up in the general election.
“I’ve talked to a lot of Democrats in our area, many of whom are also dear friends; they’ve confided in me that I’m the only Republican they have supported. To them, regardless of party affiliation, they simply don’t like an outsider jumping in and trying to represent them; they are not friendly toward that idea. My friends and neighbors all know that I will always strive to represent this area, not just political interests,” said Allen.
Dr. Bill Allen is the former campus leader and former junior ROTC commander for Jobs Corps Center in Excelsior Springs. Prior to working with at-risk students at Jobs Corps, Dr. Allen worked at Cerner. He also served as an enlisted Air Traffic Controller and as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy (Supply Corps), ultimately retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
“I [think it is vital, and our neighbors very strongly agree, that we need a representative who lives in the community, not an outsider who uses fancy lawyer know-how to jump around to find better political odds during an election cycle” said Allen. “As someone who has lived and worked in the Northland for years, I know how to represent our values and our way of life. I’m a straight shooter, friend, and neighbor in the Northland. I’m about doing the serious work that needs to get done in Jefferson City, not pulling silly shenanigans on the House Floor for political gain,” said Allen.
Speaking on his service, Bill stated, “I believe in putting your community and country first. I was proud to serve over 25 years in the United States Military and I am proud to support higher education and to equip the next generation of students to succeed. Now, I hope to serve my community, friends, and neighbors as their representative and to uphold our Clay County values.”
Bill is an active participant in his community. He and his wife are members of the East Clay County Rotary Club and he was a former President in the Excelsior Springs Rotary club as well as a Rotary District Secretary for Northern Missouri. He is also a member of Knights of Columbus and the Worth Harley-Davidson Owners Group.
Allen’s legislative priorities include maximizing education opportunity in K-12 as well as higher ed, supporting businesses to create and maximize jobs, and ensuring safe neighborhoods by working with police to ensure adequate funding.
Speaking on his priorities, Allen stated, “I want to make sure that Northland employers get the support they need while keeping taxes low for hard-working families. We want businesses to be job-creators and our citizens to be ready for the jobs now and in the future.”
Bill and his wife, Marta, have three adult children: Noah, Ali, and Katie. He actively attends St. James Catholic Church in Liberty, Missouri. In his spare time, Bill enjoys riding his Harley, playing electric bass, and camping and fishing in the Missouri outdoors.
Allen has retained Axiom Strategies to serve as consultants on his campaign.
