I’m Jewel Kelly—an Air Force veteran, small‑business owner, and Missouri Democrat running to represent the communities of House District 106 in St. Charles County.

 

I’m the oldest of 18 and grew up in a single‑wide trailer; a union job kept our family afloat and helped my youngest sister—born with serious disabilities—get care.

 

I worked factory shifts to pay for school, served after 9/11 as an aircraft‑maintenance officer, led teams in health care, and built a real‑estate business with my wife, Caren.

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​I bring a practical education to the work: a master’s degree in Legal Studies from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, an M.B.A. from Olivet Nazarene University, and a B.A. in Speech Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign. That training—combined with leadership responsibilities in the military and hands‑on small‑business experience—means I read the fine print, watch the numbers, and stay focused on outcomes.

 

In 2018, after losing my bonus daughter to suicide, we started A Fighting Chance Foundation to fight stigma and teach Mental Health First Aid. These experiences are why I’m focused on results you can feel: lower costs, better care, safer streets, and honest schools.