Maria Chappelle-Nadal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria Chappelle-Nadal
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| Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 86th district |
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| In office January 9, 2019 – January 6, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Joe Adams |
| Succeeded by | Joe Adams |
| Member of the Missouri Senate from the 14th district |
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| In office January 5, 2011 – January 9, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Rita Heard Days |
| Succeeded by | Brian Williams |
| Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 72nd district |
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| In office January 5, 2005 – January 5, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Betty Thompson |
| Succeeded by | Rory Ellinger |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 3, 1974 University City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Georgia State University (BA) |
Maria Chappelle-Nadal, born on October 3, 1974, is an American politician. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Maria Chappelle-Nadal served in the Missouri House of Representatives for the 86th district from 2019 to 2021. Before that, she represented district 14 in the Missouri Senate from 2011 to 2019. She also served in the Missouri House of Representatives for district 72 from 2005 to 2011.
As a state senator, Maria Chappelle-Nadal spoke out about the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014. In 2017, she faced calls for her resignation after making a controversial comment on social media. This led to her being removed from all Senate committee assignments. On September 13, 2017, the Missouri State Senate officially criticized her for her comments.
Maria Chappelle-Nadal ran for the United States House of Representatives in 2024. She competed against Cori Bush and Wesley Bell. She stated that she had more experience in lawmaking than both of them combined. However, she and Cori Bush were both defeated by Wesley Bell in the Democratic Primary election on August 6, 2024.
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Early Life and Education
Maria Chappelle-Nadal grew up in University City, Missouri. She earned two degrees from Georgia State University. She studied political science, which is about how governments work, and sociology, which is about how people live in groups.
In 2002, she was one of only sixteen people chosen for a special program. This program was for women in public policy and politics. It was held at Rutgers University. She also took part in other leadership programs in Missouri. Her grandfather on her mother's side came from Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Political Career
Serving in the Missouri House of Representatives
Maria Chappelle-Nadal was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2004. She represented District 72. She was re-elected two more times, serving until 2010. During her time in the House, she worked on committees. These committees focused on topics like taxes, small businesses, and helping senior citizens.
Serving in the Missouri Senate
In 2010, Maria Chappelle-Nadal was elected as a state senator for District 14. She won re-election in 2014. She decided not to run again in 2018. Brian Williams then took her place.
Using Filibusters to Stop Bills
Maria Chappelle-Nadal is known for using a tactic called a filibuster. A filibuster is when a senator gives a very long speech to delay or stop a vote on a bill.
- In February 2012, she led a 14-hour filibuster. This was to stop a bill that would have made it harder to fight against unfair treatment in workplaces. She spoke for nearly 11 hours herself. Because of her efforts, the bill was changed. It removed a part that would have made a judge, not a jury, decide facts in worker discrimination cases.
- In March 2016, she led an even longer filibuster, lasting 39 hours. This was to stop a bill that could have allowed unfair treatment against gay couples.
- In April 2016, she used another filibuster to delay a bill about sales tax. She read from a book during this time. She did this because she felt that the police department in Ferguson had not agreed to important changes after using too much force during protests.
Working on Radioactive Waste Issues
Maria Chappelle-Nadal has worked to make people aware of radioactive waste in the St. Louis area. People living near places like the West Lake Landfill and Coldwater Creek have reported many health problems. These include cancer and other illnesses.
- In 2012, she wrote an article criticizing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She said they were not cleaning up the waste and not recognizing the danger it caused.
- She proposed ideas in 2013 and 2014 to move the cleanup of the West Lake Landfill from the EPA to another group, the Corps of Engineers.
- In 2016 and 2017, she proposed bills to create a program. This program would buy homes that were contaminated with radioactive waste near the Bridgeton Landfill. Her bill, Senate Bill 22, was approved by the Missouri Senate in April 2017.
Holding Town Hall Meetings
On September 6, 2015, Maria Chappelle-Nadal held her first town hall meeting in St. Louis. This meeting was about the radioactive waste left over from processing uranium for World War II. She has held many more meetings since then. She believes that a special group in Congress should investigate why the EPA has not acted on this contamination.
Controversial Social Media Comment
On August 17, 2017, Maria Chappelle-Nadal made a controversial comment on social media. She later deleted the comment and apologized. The U.S. Secret Service investigated the comment.
Many politicians, including U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill and Congressman Lacy Clay, asked her to resign. The leader of the Senate Democrats, Senator Gina Walsh, removed Maria Chappelle-Nadal from all her Senate committee jobs because of the comment. The Missouri State Senate also formally criticized her for what she said.
Other Public Roles
Maria Chappelle-Nadal was a member of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. She also worked for Lt. Governor Joe Maxwell in 2010. In this role, she helped with laws that protected senior citizens. She was also a "superdelegate" for Missouri at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Currently, she serves as a director on the University City School Board.
From 2020 to 2022, she worked as a legislative aide for Rita Heard Days. She later settled a claim related to her dismissal from that role.
Role in Ferguson Unrest
Maria Chappelle-Nadal was involved in the protests in Ferguson, Missouri in August 2014. These protests happened after the shooting of Michael Brown. She spoke out against how the police handled the situation. She also criticized how the community crisis was managed. During the protests, she was among those who were affected by tear gas used by law enforcement.
She stated that unfairness in the system was a big reason for the unrest in Ferguson. She said it caused tension between the police and the angry community. Maria Chappelle-Nadal proposed new laws in 2015. These laws would look at how police use force and what legal steps should follow when someone dies during an officer-involved incident.
During the unrest, she also sent strong messages to the Governor at the time, Jay Nixon. She criticized his response to the protests.
