Republican · Missouri's 4th District · 2026
Mark Alford
For years, Kansas City viewers started their mornings with Mark Alford on Fox 4.
Biography
Mark Alford spent more than two decades anchoring television news in Kansas City before taking a seat in Congress.1 He and his wife, Leslie, have three grown children.2 His working life has also included owning a small business and raising money for local and national charities.2
Before his first swearing in, Alford told KSHB that he and Leslie had been picking apart the calendar to decide which days he would spend in Washington and which at home.1 He said he planned to sleep in his congressional office and described a news diet that included CNN, MSNBC, Fox and Newsmax.1 He compared starting the unfamiliar job with becoming a first time parent, saying books and advice could only take someone so far.1
Alford won the Fourth District seat in 2022 and entered Congress in 2023.3 His first term included assignments on Armed Services, Agriculture and Small Business.2 He now serves on Appropriations and Small Business, chairing a Small Business subcommittee focused on oversight and investigations.2
His published small business agenda emphasizes reducing regulatory burdens and improving support for rural businesses.4 Alford opposes abortion and supports gun rights.3 He has supported the war in Iran and voted to provide assistance to Israel.3 In November, he faces Democrat Jordan Herrera and Libertarian Thomas Holbrook.3
Record and controversies
Newsroom workplace accounts
In November 2022, The Kansas City Star reported that four former Fox 4 colleagues described Alford as bullying, with accounts of demeaning remarks and angry outbursts toward junior staff.5 The critical sources spoke anonymously because they feared professional consequences.5 Alford called the reporting one sided, criticized what he saw as media dishonesty and said he was proud of his journalism career.5 Two former colleagues recommended by his campaign described positive working experiences, including one who defended his commitment to presenting different sides of stories.5
A later formal personnel or court determination concerning these accounts was not verified in this review.