As Missouri’s Republican-led legislature heads into the 2026 session, a representative from Columbia is likely to be one of the most progressive voices in the state House.
Since being elected in 2021 to serve District 46 north of Interstate 70, Democrat Rep. David Tyson Smith is one of four representatives from Columbia.
Last year, he proposed legislation to protect anesthesia services after Anthem denied health insurance in 2024, and he sponsored another bill to support rehabilitation for those with DUI arrests.
He has advocated for gun safety laws and took an issue to the House floor to prevent teenagers from buying semi-automatic weapons.
He also successfully worked with veteran Elizabeth Herrera on legislation to establish Women Veterans Appreciation Day. That achievement held sentimental value for him.
“My grandmother had been in the Navy, and I looked up to her," he said. "She was a role model of mine."
As a lawmaker from Columbia, Smith said he intends to stay committed to the people he represents when the legislature reconvenes Jan. 7.
“People want someone to fight for them,” he said. “We may lose a vote, we may not. But even if we lose, nobody wants us to take it lying down.”
Fighting for a reason
Raised in Columbia, Smith said his dedicated support for progressive legislation and reform comes from his roots in the community.
He recalled when the legislature considered Senate Bill 727 to establish charter schools in Boone County. Sen. Andrew Koenig, the bill sponsor, didn't grow up in the county, and Smith, with his strong ties to the community and the school district, didn’t want the bill to pass.
“I remember being in the parking garage and legislators were coming out, and I was basically stopping almost everyone asking, ‘How are you going to vote on this? What are you going to do?’” he said.
Smith was disappointed when the bill passed, but he has continued to fight. He filed House Bills 297 and 298 in an effort to keep charter schools out of Boone County.
Smith also put up a fight in the recent special session when he argued against a gerrymandered map and changes to the initiative petition process.
“What we saw recently was the redistricting issue and the initiative petition issue, which they are basically trying to kill,” Smith said. “And then they called a special session. That's where our gears shifted, and that became the most important thing, really the paramount issue.”
The new map and the resolution on the initiative petition process were approved in the special session, but not without strong challenges from Smith.
“When it comes to the foundation of our democracy, he's not persuadable, and that's exactly what we need in Jefferson City,” said Rep. Gregg Bush, D-Columbia.
Using his legal skills
As an attorney, Smith knows being a Democratic voice in a Republican-led House is an opportunity to advocate for progressive policies, but it also means listening to Republicans and working together on a resolution.
Smith collaborates most often with Republican representatives during committee hearings and meetings. Rep. Peggy McGaugh, R-Carrollton, is vice-chair of the Elections Committee and said she appreciates his contributions during their meetings.
“He always brings solid knowledge as an attorney and gives feedback in such a way that’s respectful,” McGaugh said. “We need more of us on opposite ends of the spectrum working together, especially on elections, and he is certainly someone who can do that.”
He also uses his skills as an attorney to analyze bills and address issues he cares about. His expertise in interpreting statutes helps him analyze legislation, he said.
“I'll show up in court and have a very dramatic hearing, cross-examining somebody, and those skills help me go on the House floor because that carries over when you're trying to expose someone for not telling the truth,” Smith said.
He has built his credibility with fellow lawmakers such as Columbia Rep. Kathy Steinhoff, who said she counts on his legal experience for constructive feedback.
“When you have those experts, it is going to produce better legislation in the end,” Steinhoff said. “It also is so efficient when you couple the expertise with trust.”
Steinhoff said Smith acknowledges that fellow lawmakers are human beings first and acknowledged that both can work with people they disagree with.
Effective communication with people across the political spectrum is another area where Smith's skills as an attorney can be useful.
“Being an attorney isx a profession where you have two people on opposite sides of an issue," Bush said. "And in order to effectively advocate for his client, he has to listen to the other side.”
The need to speak up
Because his party does not have a majority, Smith said he and other Democrats believe they have a responsibility to speak up.
“What's that going to look like if no Democrat says anything?" he asked. "You basically have to be on all the time, and it's exhausting. But that's OK because that's what we're here for. I'm here to fight.”
Smith said he wants to be an advocate for the Columbia community, but as a state representative, he has also become an advocate for the Black community in Columbia and beyond.
“So many people have embraced me as their representative, even if I'm not in their district,” he said. “At a parade, I’ll see mothers with their children, saying ‘That's our representative.’”
Smith was the first person of color to ever win in his district, and he’s often reminded that the role means a great deal to people.
“I remember someone posted a picture of a kid, he was an African American little boy and he was leaning up against a pillar, watching me on the House floor," he said. “That inspired me. You don't think people are really watching you, and you don't realize sometimes the impact you have.”
Smith cited Barack Obama's victory in the 2008 election as an inspiration for his own work in the legislature.
“Someone was interviewing him, and they were just showing his hands," Smith said. "It was a weird thing, but I thought, ‘His hands look like my hands. You can say that people of color can do anything, but if no one looks like you, there's something in the back of your mind that you may not even be conscious of.”
Leaders like Malcolm X and Alan Wheat sparked Smith's early interest in politics. Wheat served in the Missouri General Assembly before he was elected to six terms in Congress.
Smith recalled approaching Wheat, who was surrounded by reporters, to ask him a question.
“He just seemed like Superman to me,” Smith said. “He was talking about crime and violence in inner cities, and that inspired me because I care about fighting injustice.”
Smith expressed concern about actions taken by the Trump administration and encouraged voters to participate in the 2026 midterm elections.
“Those efforts designed to kill the initiative petition process, to redistrict mid-cycle, that's just a taste of the things that he's doing,” Smith said.
During the upcoming election year and Missouri's legislative session, Smith hopes he can continue to protect democracy.
“People sometimes may think I'm grandstanding or exaggerating, but I really believe in my heart of hearts that our democracy is at stake,” he said.
