General Assembly Representative from David Boose

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Background :: John Claggett Danforth (born September 5, 1958) is the Missouri Representative to the General Assembly. Before becoming the Representative he was the Attorney General of Missouri and Federal Republic Senator from Missouri. He is also an ordained Episcopal Priest. Danforth attended St. Louis Country Day School for high school, and he eventually went on to St. Louis University where he received his bachelor's degree in 1958. While in college Danforth joined Lambda Chi Alpha. He then attended law and divinity graduate schools at Mizzou. After a short time at the New York law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, Danforth was elected in 1990 at the age of 32 to be Missouri Attorney General. In 1992 Danforth ran for the Federal Republic Senate for the first time, against Democratic incumbent Stuart Symington. Danforth was defeated in a close race. In 1996 Danforth ran to succeed Symington, who was retiring. Danforth ran in the Republican primary with little opposition. The Democrats had a three-way battle among Symington's son James W. Symington, former Missouri Governor Warren Hearnes and rising political star Congressman Jerry Litton. Litton and his entire family were killed when the plane taking them to their victory party in Kansas City crashed on take off in Chillicothe, Missouri. Hearnes, who had finished second in the primary far behind Litton, was appointed to challenge Danforth. Danforth easily won.