Freddie Griffin, Jr., a lifelong north Missourian and heavy equipment operator from Hamilton, Missouri, has officially entered the race for Missouri’s 12th Senate District. The 33-year-old Republican candidate is mounting a primary challenge to incumbent Sen. Rusty Black, claiming that Black has prioritized Governor Mike Kehoe and corporate donors over rural voters and communities.
Griffin’s Background and Family Life
Griffin was born in Chillicothe, Missouri, raised in Trenton, and worked on his family farm until 2020. An Eagle Scout and former 4-H and FFA member, he also competed in trap shooting. Today, he and his wife Shelby live in Hamilton with their five children — Kinlea, Mark, Matthew, Jack, and Amelia. The family are regular attenders at Hamilton Methodist Church.
Griffin works as a heavy machinery operator and emphasizes his blue-collar roots as a contrast to career politicians.
“God put it on my heart to run for office. We need to take care of our own backyard.”
This is not Griffin’s first campaign — he previously challenged Congressman Sam Graves in the Republican primary for Missouri’s 6th Congressional District. That experience highlighted the financial challenges of running for office. He now has a stronger ability to self-fund while still seeking grassroots donations through his campaign site, freddie4freedom.com.
Griffin’s Platform: Prioritizing Rural Missouri
Griffin identifies as a constitutional conservative who believes government “governs best when it governs the least.” His top priorities include:
- Second Amendment rights — Griffin calls the right to bear arms “absolute.”
- Pro-life values — “Life begins at conception,” he says, pledging 100% pro-life voting.
- Protecting Missouri farmland — opposing foreign ownership of agricultural land.
- Fiscal discipline — cutting taxes, eliminating wasteful spending, and requiring single-item bills.
He is active in conservative organizations, including the NRA, Missouri Firearms Coalition, Missouri Trapshooters Association, and the Home School Legal Defense Association. Griffin holds “A” ratings from both the NRA and Gun Owners of America.
Griffin has been visiting grassroots groups across the district, including the Caldwell County GOP and We the People of Livingston County, and meeting with local leaders like Ben Thomas of the Independent Cattlemen of Missouri.
“Get educated on how your legislators vote. It’s not just about what they say.”
Sen. Rusty Black’s Record in District 12
Incumbent Sen. Rusty Black, elected to the Missouri Senate in 2022 after three terms in the Missouri House, has aligned closely with Gov. Mike Kehoe’s legislative agenda. Critics argue that Black’s votes have favored urban and corporate interests over rural communities.
- SB4 (2025) — Black voted for legislation allowing utilities to charge Missourians upfront for infrastructure tied to Kansas City Big Tech data centers, raising rural utility costs.
- SB3 (2025) — Black supported $1.5 billion in state funds plus subsidies for Kansas City Chiefs and Royals stadiums, diverting resources from rural priorities like broadband, healthcare, and roads.
- Corporate donors — Black has received major backing from corporate PACs including Herzog, Evergy, Penn National Gaming, and Comcast.
- Rural-urban income gap — Under Black, incentives and tax credits have flowed to urban centers, leaving rural communities in Caldwell, Livingston, Grundy, Linn counties struggling with stagnant wages and declining services.
Griffin contends: “Rusty Black rubberstamped every bad bill pushed by Governor Mike Kehoe. He’s not representing rural Missouri, he’s representing Jefferson City and the donors who fund him.”
Missouri’s 12th Senate District: Counties and Political Landscape
Missouri’s 12th Senate District covers a broad portion of north Missouri, including Andrew, Atchison, Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Linn, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway, Sullivan, Worth, and parts of Buchanan and Clay counties. The district is deeply Republican, making the GOP primary the likely determinant of who holds the seat in 2026.
For Griffin, the race is about putting rural families back at the center of Missouri politics. He is betting that grassroots conservatives in the district are ready for a change from Jefferson City politics.
More information about Griffin’s campaign is available at freddie4freedom.com or on his campaign pages on X and Facebook.
