Republican · Missouri's 1st District · 2026
Paul Berry
Berry III went to Pattonville High School and played wide receiver at Bakersfield College in California.
Biography
Paul Berry III graduated from Pattonville High School and played wide receiver at Bakersfield College in California.1 His working life has included small business ownership and an internship with Clear Channel radio, now part of iHeart.1 A 2018 public radio profile also described his work as a bail bondsman and business consultant.2
Berry's first campaign was a 2012 Democratic bid for a state House seat based in Maryland Heights.2 He switched to the Republican Party in 2014 and ran for the same seat that year, followed by a 2016 congressional primary campaign.2
He became the Republican nominee for St. Louis County executive in 2018 and ran for that office again in 2020.2.1 During that 2018 race, he joked, "I'm not running for supreme allied commander of eastern Missouri."2 He also called for removing nuclear waste from the West Lake Landfill and shipping it out of Missouri.2 His later campaigns included Missouri's Second Congressional District in 2022 and lieutenant governor in 2024.1 He is now the certified Republican candidate for the First District.3
His current campaign emphasizes uniting Missouri Republicans and organizing phone banks and letter writing around the First District.4 He supports Missouri's 2026 Amendment 3.4 That proposal would repeal the state's 2024 constitutional protections for reproductive care, permit abortion restrictions with specified exceptions, and prohibit gender transition procedures for minors.5
Record and controversies
Campaign finance order
In November 2024, the Missouri Ethics Commission entered a consent order finding probable cause of campaign finance violations by Berry and his former county executive campaign committee, including reporting failures and an impermissible corporate contribution.6 It assessed a $58,297 fee plus a $10 late fee; most of the larger fee could be stayed if $5,829 was paid within sixty days.6 The balance could become due if a final ruling found probable cause of further violations within two years.6 The commission explicitly did not find that campaign funds were misappropriated for personal use.6 The order said the reports had been filed and the committee terminated in March 2024.6 Berry and the committee attributed reporting delays to conflicts with a consultant and vendors, and signed the agreement.6 Subsequent payment or appeal outcomes were not verified in this review.