Power Profile: Cindy O’Laughlin, Missouri State Senator

Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin (R-18, covering 14 northeast Missouri counties) says she is not a politician. She wasn’t one when she first ran for public office four years ago and she isn’t one now, despite being elected to a leadership role in the Missouri Senate. A businesswoman by trade, O’Laughlin is working to move the state forward.

“I am hoping to use my time to help future generations after I am gone,” said O’Laughlin. “While there are political realities I am aware of, I am not a politician. I don’t spend a lot of time wordsmithing, I am willing to tell people things they don’t want to hear, and I know not all solutions lie within the legislature.”

Prior to being elected to the state Senate in 2018, O’Laughlin served as a school bus driver, an administrator at a local Christian school, and a member of her local school board. She also co-owns a trucking and ready-mix concrete company with her husband with locations in Shelbina, Macon, Marceline, and LaBelle.

She knew the transition from the private sector to public office would be hard and, at times, frustrating. O’Laughlin is used to running a company – making tough decisions and taking quick action. But she has adjusted to the process of the General Assembly while maintaining her straightforward businesswoman approach.

“I think people appreciate honesty as long as you can deliver it in a way that is understanding,” said O’Laughlin. She was recently selected by her Republican colleagues to serve as Senate Floor Leader starting in January and will be the first woman from the majority party to hold the position.

“Respect and a little bit of humility go a long way…We all are just human beings, and we are just trying to do the right thing,” said O’Laughlin. “We are only here for a limited time. While we might fight passionately for our district, we need to recognize that there have been a lot of people before us and that there will be people after us.”

After a few contentious years marked by infighting within the Senate, she is looking to bring the caucus together to work collaboratively as a group. Transparency and an honest, open dialogue are two tactics O’Laughlin plans to deploy. She noted that lawmakers should work to find common ground whenever achievable and that many problems can be solved by having discussions with fellow Senators and stakeholders.

That strategy has proved successful for O’Laughlin so far. Despite the challenges of the 2022 session, she was able to bring together the Senate Education Committee, which she chaired, on literacy education legislation. The bill passed the Senate with a unanimous vote. 

In the same session, the General Assembly extended and expanded the legislation enabling Ameren Missouri’s Smart Energy Plan. Part of having a reliable power grid is having the updated energy infrastructure to provide reliable power, which O'Laughlin notes is something that is often overlooked.

“Power is something we don’t think about – we flip a switch, and the lights come on. But it is something we need to think about,” said O’Laughlin. “Without power, we can’t do anything. You can’t go to the bank, you can’t buy gas, you can’t heat your house, you can’t run your business. It all takes power.”

Outside of her community involvement, work, and public service, O’Laughlin enjoys spending time with her family, including her seven grandchildren and seven dogs. It may be a busy life, but she says she wouldn’t have it any other way.