This is an article from the June 2025 Civitas Examiner (Volume 2, No. 3) and was written by one of our students, Ruthvi T. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue. To read more Civitas Examiner stories or to submit your own, click here.
Missouri House of Representatives candidate Claire Heinrich did not have an ordinary path to politics. With a background in computer science, Heinrich has pivoted to run for the House of Representatives in District 110, containing parts of Wildwood, Eureka and Clarkson Valley in Missouri. Her name will be on the ballot in November of 2026, where she will run against the incumbent Republican Representative Justin Sparks. Sparks has served in office for three years, standing on a conservative platform.
“Our current incumbent doesn’t respect the way that our district votes on issues. [He’s] not representative of us, and I don’t think that that’s a good way to lead. It’s not truly representing
our community. It’s representing self-interests, and we could use less of that in public offices,”
Heinrich said.
Heinrich grew up in nearby Washington, MO, raised by her mother, a public school teacher, and father, an electrical engineer. In her small town, Heinrich attended Washington High School, where she participated in color guard, math competitions and ran track for her school’s team. Next, Heinrich attended Washington University in St. Louis, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in computer science. Afterward, Heinrich worked as a software engineer for three years at Epsilon3 and FreeWheel. Currently, she is attending the University of Maine, on track to earn her Master of Business Administration, specialized in non-profit, public and organizational management, in 2026.
“[As a] software engineer, a lot of my job was problem-solving and optimizing, which has already come up with campaigning and will come up should I get elected to office. That’s what you’re doing all day there as well,” Heinrich said.
Beyond her education and current campaigning, Heinrich volunteers for a food pantry, Circle of Concern. Additionally, she serves as a summer staff member for a civic youth organization, Civitas. Most of Heinrich’s campaigning will begin in the fall of 2025, when she hopes to connect with voters on a personal level. Additionally, her campaign team is composed of her stepfather and campaign manager, Michael Cooper, as well as her siblings and their significant others and local community leaders who occupy a variety of roles.
“We’re running a campaign that’s aiming to get my name out there and meet people in the community. In introducing me, I hope people will feel strongly enough to vote for me,”
Heinrich said. “In terms of campaigning tactics, we’re buying ads and ran our first commercial
two weeks ago. We’re also working heavily with social media and planning to start canvassing.
The goal is for me to knock on every door.”
Heinrich was inspired to run for office because of the many issues she witnessed in the community and the actions of Rep. Sparks. For example, the incumbent representative has supported pro-voucher programs, which use taxpayer money to fund private schools, rather than solely public schools. Also, the representative has fought against Amendment Three in Missouri, which removed restrictions on abortions. This amendment had originally passed in District 110 when it was placed on the ballot in the November presidential election. Heinrich opposes his stance voting against his own constituents.
“As a public official, you should listen to constituents, be present in the community, and show up at events. I attend city council meetings, coffee with the mayor, and talk to people, even if they don’t agree with me. We need people who are willing to be a moderate, sensible
candidate, meet in the middle, and see things from all sides,” Heinrich said.
As a member of the Missouri House, Heinrich hopes to make local changes, especially concerning schools and Amendment Three. For youth, she hopes they get involved by showing up to community events, as well as expressing passion for issues they care about.
“I go to different meetings in the area一local clubs and organizations who are talking about issues that would be addressed by state or local legislatures一I don’t see a lot of young people there. A lot of our young people have been made to feel that maybe there’s not a lot of hope, or they can’t do anything because they don’t already hold positions of power, but that’s not true,” Heinrich said.
When she was younger, Heinrich wanted to interact with people and knew she wanted to run for office. Heinrich’s career may just be getting started, but she hopes to leave a legacy of serving her community.
“My path hasn’t been guided by who I want to be, so much as what my community needs. That’s the legacy I’d like to leave一somebody who did right by their community, by neighbors, by my friends, and by my family. I’d like to think that I could do something good for a lot of people,” Heinrich said.
