Dean Plocher
Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives
Assumed office
January 4, 2023
Preceded byRob Vescovo
Majority Leader of the Missouri House of Representatives
In office
January 6, 2021 – January 4, 2023
Preceded byRob Vescovo
Succeeded byJonathan Patterson
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
from the 89th district
Assumed office
January 6, 2016
Preceded byJohn Diehl
Personal details
Born (1970-03-11) March 11, 1970
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationMiddlebury College (BA)
Saint Louis University (JD)

Dean Plocher (born March 11, 1970) is an American politician who has served in the Missouri House of Representatives from the 89th district since 2016.[1][2] He was elected speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives on January 4, 2023.[3]

Criticism

In October 2023, Missouri senators, including fellow Republicans, called for Plocher's resignation following revelations that he had filed false expense reports. He began repaying reimbursements following media requests for his expense reports. Within calls to resign were concerns of Plocher's push to enter a $800,000 contract with a private company to handle constituent information.[4] A congressional staff member who raised ethical questions about the contracts reported feeling threatened by Plocher, and the chief of staff who had served three previous speakers of the house was abruptly fired.[5]

In November 2023, Plocher announced that he had hired Rod Jetton, previous speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives, as chief of staff. The action was criticized as insulting towards victims of domestic violence, as Jetton previously admitted to beating a woman following sexual encounter.[6]

Plocher has also been criticized for a $60,000 in the Missouri State Capitol which involved $29,000 in furniture and repurposing office space for what he has referred to as a "butler's pantry," primarily stocked with alcohol. Criticisms reference the shortage of ADA compliant work spaces in the building, a lack of transparency in use of House operating funds, and expensive custom furnishings.[7]

Democrats in the House questioned Plocher's motivations in appointing representative Sarah Unsicker to the Special Committee on Government Accountability following her ejection from the Democrat Caucus and committee assignments due to promoting Antisemitism.[8]

Electoral history

Missouri House of Representatives Special Election, November 3, 2015, District 89[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dean Plocher 3,462 60.20% -6.14
Democratic Al Gerber 2,289 39.80% +6.14
Total votes 5,751 100.00%
Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 8, 2016, District 89[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dean Plocher 15,310 65.10% +4.90
Democratic Jack Schilligo 8,207 34.90% -4.90
Total votes 23,517 100.00%
Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 6, 2018, District 89[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dean Plocher 12,922 58.38% -6.72
Democratic Kevin FitzGerald 9,212 41.62% +6.72
Total votes 22,134 100.00%
Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 3, 2020, District 89[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dean Plocher 15,200 59.65% +1.27
Democratic Luke Barber 10,283 40.35% -1.27
Total votes 25,483 100.00%
Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 8, 2022, District 89[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dean Plocher 10,559 60.13% +0.48
Democratic Luke Barber 7,002 39.87% -0.48
Total votes 17,561 100.00%

References

  1. ↑ Mark Schlinkmann (2015-11-03). "GOP's Dean Plocher wins race to succeed Diehl". Stltoday.com. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  2. ↑ "Representative Dean Plocher". House.mo.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  3. ↑ (PDF) https://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills231/jrnpdf/jrn001.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ↑ Hancock, Jason (2023-10-26). "Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher dismisses calls for his resignation". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  5. ↑ Hancock, Jason (October 17, 2023). "Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher fires his chief of staff". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  6. ↑ Hancock, Jason (2023-11-09). "Rod Jetton's political career ended in scandal. Now he's Dean Plocher's chief of staff". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  7. ↑ Hancock, Jason (2023-12-20). "In a statehouse short on space, Dean Plocher converted an office into a liquor 'pantry'". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  8. ↑ Suntrup, Jack (2024-01-11). "Republican Missouri House Speaker names embattled Democrat to government accountability panel". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2024-01-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ "All Results; Official Results". Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  10. ↑ "All Results; Official Results". Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  11. ↑ "All Results; Official Results". Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Election Results; Official Election Returns" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Election Results; Official Election Returns" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. December 9, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
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