Andrew Koenig (politician)

Andrew P. Koenig (born December 21, 1982) is an American politician who has served in the Missouri Senate since 2017.[1] Koenig, a Republican, is a former member of the Missouri House of Representatives and a small business owner.[2] From 2009 to 2012, he represented the 88th district of Missouri. From 2013 to 2017, he represented the 99th district, which includes Manchester, Twin Oaks, Valley Park, and parts of Fenton, from .[3] Koenig was elected to serve as the State Senator from the 15th district in 2017 and re-elected in 2020.

Andrew Koenig
Member of the Missouri Senate
from the 15th district
Assumed office
January 4, 2017
Preceded byEric Schmitt
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
from the 99th district
In office
January 9, 2013 – January 4, 2017
Preceded byMike Sutherland
Succeeded byJean Evans
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
from the 88th district
In office
January 7, 2009 – January 9, 2013
Preceded byNeal St. Onge
Succeeded byJill Schupp
Personal details
Born
Andrew P. Koenig

(1982-12-21) December 21, 1982
Political partyRepublican
SpouseBrooke Koenig
Children3
Residence(s)Manchester, Missouri, U.S.
Alma materLindenwood University
Occupation
WebsiteCampaign website

Personal life

Koenig graduated from Marquette High School, which is in Chesterfield, in 2001.[3] He later went to Lindenwood University with a scholarship in cross country.[4] He majored in Business Administration and minored in philosophy.[4]

He has co-owned a paint company with his father since 1997.[4] He is also the owner of a construction company which focuses on roofing and painting. In addition, he is a licensed insurance adjuster.[3]

Political career

In 2008, after winning his primary, Koenig ran unopposed to represent the 88th district in the Missouri House of Representatives.[5] In his 2010 reelection campaign, he again won his primary and ran opposed in the general election.[6] In 2010, he was one of 35 state representatives to sign a "no new taxes" pledge.[7] In both 2012 and 2014, Koenig maintained his seat by defeating Democrat William Pinkston in the general election.[8][9] In 2016, he was elected as State Senator from the 15th District, defeating Democrat Stephen Eagleton in the general election 61.1% to 38.9%.[10]

Committee assignments
  • Health and Pensions (Vice-Chairman)
  • Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence
  • Seniors, Families and Children
  • Small Business and Industry
  • Ways and Means (Chairman)
  • Joint Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Joint Committee on Education
  • Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement (Vice-Chairman)
  • Joint Committee on Tax Policy

Abortion restrictions

As a state senator, Koenig has sponsored or co-sponsored a bills to restrict legal abortions, including 7 in the 2019 session.[11][12][13] Koenig is opposed to exceptions for rape or incest. Koenig sponsored "heartbeat bills", which ban early-term abortion.[14][15] He sponsored a blanket ban on abortions after 8 weeks, which additionally would prohibit abortion sought solely because of the sex, race, or Down syndrome diagnosis of the fetus.[16] In the 2019 session, Koenig was responsible for handling the passage of HB 126 in the State Senate,[17] a bill banning abortions after 8 weeks in all cases except medical emergency, with penalties of 5–15 years in prison.[18]

Promotion of creationism in schools

As a representative, Koenig made several legislative attempts to add the pseudoscientific arguments of creationism and intelligent design to the public school science curricula, specifically in the fields of biology and chemistry.

In 2015, Koenig sponsored a bill, HB 486, that proposed allowing teachers the freedom to introduce "differences of opinion about controversial issues, including biological and chemical evolution."[19] The bill did not pass committee.

According to the National Center for Science Education, Koenig was also the sponsor of similar bills: HB 195 in 2011, HB 1276 in 2012, HB 179 in 2013, and HB 1587 in 2014. All of those bills failed. He cosponsored HB 1227 in 2012 and HB 291 in 2013, which would require public schools, including introductory courses at colleges and universities, to teach intelligent design in equal measure to evolution; both failed. Koenig also cosponsored HB 1472 in 2013, which would require schools to notify parents if they had "instruction relating to the theory of evolution by natural selection".[20]

Electoral history

State Senate
2020 General Election for Missouri's 15th District Senate[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Andrew Koenig 61,172 53.99 -7.06
Democratic Deb Lavender 52,132 46.01 +7.06
2016 General Election for Missouri's 15th District Senate[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Andrew Koenig 62,988 61.05
Democratic Stephen Eagleton 40,193 38.95

State representative
2014 General Election for Missouri's 99th District House of Representatives[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Andrew Koenig 6,961 63.53 +4.31
Democratic William Pinkston 3,996 36.47 -4.31
2012 General Election for Missouri's 99th District House of Representatives[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Andrew Koenig 10,755 59.22
Democratic William Pinkston 7,405 40.78
2010 General Election for Missouri's 88th District House of Representatives[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Andrew Koenig 10,582 100.0
2010 Republican Primary Election for Missouri's 88th District House of Representatives[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Andrew Koenig 3,984 88.42 +43.98
Republican Bryan Myer 522 11.58 N/A
2008 General Election for Missouri's 88th District House of Representatives[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Andrew Koenig 14,814 100.00 N/A
2008 Republican Primary Election for Missouri's 88th District House of Representatives[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Andrew Koenig 1,750 44.44 N/A
Republican Shamed Dogan 1,317 33.44 N/A
Republican Chris Howard 871 22.12 N/A

References
  1. "Senator Andrew Koenig – Missouri Senate".
  2. "Find and Contact Your Legislator".
  3. "Missouri House of Representatives - Error".
  4. "About Andrew P. Koenig". Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  5. "St. Louis County, Missouri".
  6. "St. Louis County, Missouri".
  7. "Minority of state lawmakers sign 'no-new-taxes' pledge". Archived from the original on 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
  8. "Nov 6, 2012 General Election: Election Night Reporting: Missouri Secretary of State". enr.sos.mo.gov. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  9. "State of Missouri - Election Night Results".
  10. "Missouri State Senate District 15".
  11. "Sponsored by List".
  12. "Sponsored by List".
  13. "Sponsored by List".
  14. "SB714 - Requires the use of a fetal heartbeat detection test prior to an abortion and prohibits an abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected".
  15. "SB408 - Requires the use of a fetal heartbeat detection test prior to an abortion and prohibits an abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected".
  16. "SB279 - Modifies several provisions relating to abortion".
  17. Network, Missouri News. "Abortion debate: Timeline of filibuster, uneasy compromise that led to Senate approval". Columbia Missourian.
  18. "Missouri HB126 | 2019 | Regular Session".
  19. "Searchable News List | NCSE". Archived from the original on 2016-12-21. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  20. "Antievolution legislation in Missouri | National Center for Science Education". ncse.ngo. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  21. "Missouri State Senate District 15".
  22. "Missouri State Senate District 15".
  23. "St. Louis County, Missouri". Archived from the original on 2011-01-07. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
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