Paul Lentz is running as a Democrat for Missouri House of Representatives District 101 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Republican Ben Keathley and Libertarian Jeff Coleman.

Lentz won the Democratic primary on Aug. 4, 2026, defeating Richard Smreker with 60% of the vote, 2,851 to 1,899, according to Ballotpedia.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Education: High school diploma, Parkway West High School; bachelor's degree, University of Missouri (2009)

Experience and public service

Lentz worked as a solution designer at Cerner Corporation from 2013 to 2020 and as a data engineer at Anheuser-Busch in 2024, according to BallotReady. He has served as manager at Dunchemin Family Trust since 2022. On his campaign website, Lentz said he has also worked as a corporate revenue accountant and volunteered with differently-abled and unhoused populations in Missouri.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Lentz's responses to Ballotpedia and BallotReady questionnaires and from his campaign website.

Healthcare: Lentz said he would fight for a "Patient's Bill of Rights" that caps out-of-pocket costs for essential medications like insulin and ensures primary care access for all Missourians.

Education: Lentz said he supports fully funding public schools, universal pre-K and vocational "Innovation Pathways" that let high schoolers earn college credits in tech and healthcare at no cost. He said he wants to end school lunch debt.

Labor and wages: Lentz said he supports a living wage, paid sick leave and lowering the cost of groceries and healthcare. He said the state should implement the minimum wage increase and paid sick leave that voters already approved.

Infrastructure and transportation: Lentz said he would invest in safer roads, pedestrian infrastructure, expanded public transit and clean energy. He also said he supports expanding municipal fiber for affordable high-speed internet and taking on tech monopolies to protect consumer data, privacy and utility bills.

Taxes and budget: Lentz said he supports a state-level paid family leave program and maintaining the income tax to avoid ballooning the deficit and harming working families.

Endorsements

Lentz has been endorsed by Access MO, according to BallotReady.