Meet Chris Koster

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Chris serves in the Missouri State Senate, where he represents Missouri’s 31st District counties of Cass, Johnson, Bates and Vernon. During his time in the General Assembly, Koster has played key roles in the debates over stem cell research, tort reform, and the elimination of Medicaid fraud. Additionally, in 2006 Chris successfully carried legislation in the Senate to dramatically over-haul Missouri’s eminent domain laws.

Chris also practices law with the Law Firm of Tim Dollar in Kansas City, Missouri, where he specializes in the area of civil litigation.

On August 1, 2007, Chris made Missouri political history when he announced that he was leaving the Missouri Republican Party and becoming a Democrat. Citing his longstanding differences with the Republican Party on issues like stem cell research, workers’ rights, and the non-partisan court plan, Chris said that the Missouri Republican Party had become too beholden to the extreme right wing to lead the state of Missouri forward. He is the first high-profile elected official in Missouri EVER to have taken such a leap.

Prior to his election to the Missouri Senate in 2004, Chris served as Prosecuting Attorney of Cass County, Missouri for ten years. He was first elected prosecutor in 1994 and was subsequently re-elected in 1998 and 2002 by wide margins.

As prosecutor, Chris supervised a staff of twenty individuals dedicated to enforcing Missouri’s criminal laws in Cass County. Additionally, his office served as the civil counsel for all non-criminal matters before the county government.

During his tenure, Chris supervised litigation in approximately 20,000 cases. He led investigations into many of Kansas City’s most notorious criminal cases, including the investigation against serial killer John E. Robinson. He has developed extensive trial experience and has argued and won cases before the Missouri Supreme Court.

Prior to becoming prosecuting attorney, Koster practiced law with the Kansas City law firm of Blackwell Sanders from 1993 to 1994. He also served as an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Missouri Attorney General from 1991 to 1993.

Koster was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He received a liberal arts degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 1987 and his law degree from University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law in 1991. Additionally, Chris earned a Masters in Business Administration from Washington University – St. Louis in 2002.