Luann Ridgeway stands firm for the values that make Missouri great: faith in God, love of family and the defense of freedom. Her strong voice for integrity and conservative common-sense leadership have made her a rising leader in Northland politics.

     Luann is a native Missourian and was born and raised in Moberly. She attended college at William Woods College in Fulton, Missouri, where she graduated at the top of her class with a double major in political science and history. Her studies prepared her for a career in public service and gave her a strong apprecation for the value of education. Luann continues to be an active voice in Missouri education as a state legislator. She teaches legislative and Missouri history classes to elementary students and is frequent guest speaker in Kansas City area classrooms.

     During her college years she spent a semester in Washington, D.C. While attending college full-time, she worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide. The time Luann spent in D.C. gave her an opportunity to serve the public and gain valuable legislative experience.

     Luann graduated from the University of Missouri, Kansas City Law School in 1981. After passing the Missouri Bar Exam, she began practicing law in Kansas City. As a law student, Luann learned the importance of hard work, persistence and integrity. She also learned how liberal activist judges can negatively affect our legal system.

     In 1982, Luann moved to Clay County. In 1983, she met her husband, Richard, at the Country Club Christian Church of Kansas City, Missouri, where they were married in 1984. Following their marriage, Luann and Richard moved to a rural area near Smithville, Missouri, where they currently reside. Luann and Richard are now active leaders in the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, where Luann is a pianist.

     Luann began her own law practice in Smithville in 1987. She handles a wide variety of cases in her general law practice. In addition to operating her own business, Luann serves as a volunteer for many local organizations. As a small business owner and community leader, Luann understands the concerns of small businesses and has worked diligently to address those concerns. For the 2005-2006 year, she was given a 100% National Federation of Independent Business rating.

     In 1992, Luann ran for State Representative in Missouri's 35th Legislative District. She won, gathering 56% of the vote--in a seat that no Republican had ever won. She was easily re-elected in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000.

     Luann also served as a member on the Energy and Environment Committee, the Criminal Law Committee and the Urban Affairs Committee during her time in the House of Representatives. Luann was elected to House Leadership from 1995-1999. She was appointed to Chair the Interim Committee on Crime Prevention and Corrections. In 1997, Luann was appointed to serve on the Joint Interim Committee on Family Law and Domestic Relations.

     Luann's service to her community as an attorney has served her well during her time in office--gaining the confidence of her colleagues to be appointed to many positions of leadership and influence, especially in the area of crime prevention. Luann won the "Outstanding Freshman Legislator for Crime Victims Legislation" Award in 2005.

     After serving ten years in the Missouri House of Representatives, Luann was elected in 2004 to her current position as the 17th district State Senator with almost 53% of the vote. This district was previously represented by a Democrat who consistently won with more than 60% of the vote. Luann was able to use her previous legislative experience, knowlege of the district and grassroots strength to soundly defeat her Democrat opponent in 2004.

     As a State Senator, Luann serves as the Chair of JACAR, as Vice-Chair of the Small Business and Insurance Committee, and as a member of the committee on Commerce, Energy and the Environment.

     Luann is a breast cancer survivor and annually donates her own hair to the Locks of Love foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children under 18 who suffer from long term hair loss.