Biography
Tanya Lakins is the Democratic candidate for Missouri House of Representatives District 39 in the November 3, 2026 general election, running against incumbent Republican Mark Meirath.[1] A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and small-business owner from Liberty, she lists public education and veterans' benefits among her priorities.[1][2]
Tanya Lakins served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1990 to 2001 and graduated from LaVille Jr. Sr. High School.[1] In a Ballotpedia survey, she said she grew up in a small farm town in Indiana, has lived in Missouri since 1996 and has lived in Liberty since 2012.[2] She said she volunteers with veteran and first responder organizations, belongs to the Fleet Reserve Association, DAV and American Legion, serves as vice president of the board of the Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary and sits on the Starfish Foundation board.[2]
Lakins said she wants to be the voice of the people of District 39, to support public education and to push for better veterans' benefits in Missouri.[2]
- 1.Tanya Lakins - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Tanya Lakins - Candidate Connection survey responses (2026) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Missouri House District 39
Tanya Lakins is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Missouri House District 39 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.