Freshman legislator cites ‘mental health concerns’ as reason for decision
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — State Rep. Doug Mann, D-Columbia, announced that he will not seek re-election in 2024, due to lingering mental health concerns.
The first-term lawmaker has suffered from chronic treatment-resistant depression for years, but he had typically kept it under control through therapy and medication. However, over the past several months, those treatments have stopped working.
He will remain in the legislature for the 2024 legislative session.
“When I first ran in 2023, I did so because I wanted to ensure the people of the 50th District had a representative who put their needs first. I believe I accomplished that goal in my first year in the Missouri General Assembly, and I will faithfully carry out that duty in 2024,” Mann said. “But after speaking with my doctors, my family and I do not believe it is responsible to myself or my constituents to add the pressures of a contested campaign to my legislative and professional duties during the upcoming year.”
In addition to his role in the statehouse, Mann also works as a civil rights attorney after he spent several years teaching history and civics at the high school level.
The legislator said that despite this step away from politics, he plans to remain active in the Columbia and mid-Missouri communities, continuing his work with local nonprofits like Big Brothers Big Sisters.
“I still feel an obligation to my community, but at this time, I do not believe serving in the statehouse is the best way for me to contribute given my current challenges,” Mann said. “The decision to forgo my future in the legislature while I find a solution to my mental health struggles does not come lightly. I cannot thank the people of southern Columbia enough for placing their trust in me to serve them for two years in the statehouse.”
