Senator Karla May is a Democratic member of the Missouri Senate representing District 4, which includes parts of St. Louis City and St. Louis County, such as Richmond Heights, Shrewsbury, portions of Maplewood, and townships of Clayton, Hadley, Jefferson, and Gravois.

Born June 12, 1970, Karla May serves as Minority Caucus Chair in the Missouri Senate, where she was sworn in on January 9, 2019, after defeating incumbent Jacob Hummel in the 2018 Democratic primary. She previously represented Missouri House District 84 from 2010 to 2018. Notable positions include service on committees like Appropriations, Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment, and Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence, as well as joint committees on child abuse, justice system, and public assistance. She ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in the 2024 Democratic primary and was the only Democrat to vote against repealing Missouri's 2001 same-sex marriage ban in 2025. Prior to politics, she worked at AT&T as a shop steward for Communications Workers of America Local 6300.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration from Saint Louis University; master's degree in education from Lindenwood University.
• Political Experience:
  • Missouri State Representative, District 84 ; served on Budget and Transportation committees; ranking minority member on Appropriations subcommittees and Special Committee on Employment.
  • Missouri State Senator, District 4 .
  • Region XI Chair, National Black Caucus of State Legislators ; current Executive Committee Chaplain.
  • Member, Budget & Revenue Committee, National Conference of State Legislatures.