The Missouri House of Representatives District 36 represents the Martin City and Grandview areas in the state legislature. The seat is currently held by Democratic State Rep. Anthony Ealy, who was first elected in 2022 and is seeking reelection in 2026.
In the Missouri House District 36 race, Rep. Ealy of Grandview faces Republican Dave Thomas. Raised in a California family of Democrats, the former International House of Prayer ministry staff member now also lives in Grandview.
Dave Thomas spoke with the Telegraph about his campaign for the Missouri House of Representatives. Rep. Ealy did not respond to multiple requests for an interview. Here are the candidates:
Dave Thomas (R)
Raised as a Democrat, Thomas later became a Republican and moved his family to Kansas City after hearing about prayer movements in the area. He began an internship with the International House of Prayer and settled in Grandview.
Thomas began a journey into politics in 2015. He has served as a Republican Committeeman for Jackson County. Thomas was previously nominated to fill a vacant Grandview committeeman seat and won as a write-in candidate. He is now serving his third term as he sets his eyes on Jefferson City. He chose to run to share his message of faith and encourage more civic engagement.
“I really want the people to understand the truth about our representative form of government and how much it matters that they participate,” Thomas said.
Faith is the number one motivator for Thomas not only in life, but also in local politics. He said he believes in the “sanctity of life” and “marriage between a man and a woman.” That said, he urges voters to make their own decisions that align with their values.
Referring to Missouri’s congressional districts, Thomas added that equal-population districts are essential to true representative government. He said statewide ballot measures can bypass local representation. He wants to address such issues through statutory changes — not constitutional amendments.
Rep. Anthony Ealy (D)
Rep. Anthony Ealy is a licensed attorney and a partner of Ealy Law, Notary & Consulting. He is the first Black state house representative for the city of Grandview and the youngest representative the district has ever elected.
Ealy was born in Pennsylvania but moved to Grandview with his family and was raised there. He attended Grandview High School and studied political science at Northwest Missouri State University. In 2020, he earned his Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Missouri School of Law and became a licensed attorney in Missouri. The following year he ran for state congress and was elected in 2022 at the age of 27.
He is now running for a third term. According to statistics, Ealy sponsored 81 bills and co-sponsored 57 in his full term. Approximately 56% of the time he did not vote at roll call, however the absences were excused, according to a Capitol Lens report. (Ealy did not return our phone calls or emails for feedback.)
In 2024, Ealy achieved results in his first term in the House. He secured $1 million from the 2025 State Budget for the Community Assistance Council near Ruskin High School and $250,000 for the Arts Asylum in Brookside that had begun a non-profit performance initiative for south Kansas City high school students.
Overall, Ealy has secured nearly $3.3 million in the House Budget for community services, local businesses, public safety, and substance abuse recovery homes in his district. Like many Democrats in a Republican majority House, Ealy has struggled to get sponsored bills passed but has had success with co-sponsored bills.
