‘Historic’ all-female board and mayor win Jackson County election
OAK GROVE, Mo. – The city of Oak Grove, Missouri made history Tuesday after an all-female Board of Aldermen and a female mayor won the local election, according to a press release from City Administrator Matthew Randall on Wednesday morning.
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Here are the election results, according to the release:
April 2nd Election Results (unofficial):
Mayor Dana R. Webb – incumbent Mayor first elected in 2020, reelected in 2022 and 2024.
Currently she is the only female Mayor in Jackson County.
Second female Mayor in Oak Grove’s history.
Previously served as Alderwoman Ward III 2017-2020.
Alderwoman Cierra McMichael, newly elected, first term, Ward I
Alderwoman Pam Pope, incumbent, second term, Ward II
Alderwoman Jamie Ballowe Ratliff, newly elected, first term, Ward III
Incumbent Alderwomen:
Alderwoman Rachel Kilmer, Ward I
Alderwoman Kelly Nadeau, Ward II
Alderwoman Tracey Newcomer, Ward III
The soon-to-be appointed women will join a fraction of all locally elected Missouri officials – approximately 29% – who are female, as stated in the release and in the Center for American Women and Politics.
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Oak Grove Mayor Dana Webb is thrilled to be a part of this historic moment. She is set to lead the first governing body made up entirely of women in the history of Oak Grove and Jackson County, leading the way for women in local government.
“It’s a pretty exciting time. It’s an honor to serve alongside them, and so I’m just pretty excited that we will have for the first time actually in Oak Grove history and in Jackson County history. We’re pretty sure it’s only the second time in Missouri history that this has happened where we have an all-female Board of Aldermen,” Webb said.
Webb is set to serve a third term as mayor. She was first elected in 2020 and is currently the only female mayor in Jackson County.
“Well, I’m hopeful that women and young girls will see this as a sign, and they’ll be able to see that they can represent their city, their town, or any type of leadership in the future,” Webb explained.
Two of the six Alderwomen for Oak Grove were newly elected Tuesday.
“I’m really excited about the women that are going to come along and serve as well, and I’m really proud of them,” Webb said. “It is a role that you don’t realize that it can be a thankless job. I’m really glad that these women are going to give up their time and their energy to serve our town.”
“It certainly is exciting and thrilling to be part of history here. On a personal note, as a father of two daughters, It’s exciting for her to be able to see the strong female leadership in the town and the importance of representation in local government,” said Oak Grove City Administrator Matthew Randall.
“I think it’s incredibly powerful for women to be in roles in local government, which hasn’t always been the case throughout history,” Randall said. So here in Oak Grove, we certainly are proud to be making history and to have an all-female board and mayor.”
“This is the first all-female Board of Alderman led by a female mayor in the history of the city of Oak Grove and Jackson County, Missouri,” said Randall. “Oak Grove will join a short list of cities that currently or historically have elected an all-female governing body.”
The City of Oak Grove plans to celebrate the swearing-in and Oath of Office of the all-female board on Tuesday, April 23 at 7 p.m. at the Oak Grove Middle School Commons on 401 SE 12th St.
