Wayne J. Henke is a former coach and high school teacher and retired farmer. He currently serves as a Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 in the Missouri House of Representatives

Missouri House of Representatives

The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...

. He lives in Troy, Missouri

Troy, Missouri

Troy is a city in Lincoln County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 10,540. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.Troy is part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, with his wife, the former Dottie Pinster, and has nine children and eleven grandchildren.

He was born in Chesterfield, Missouri

Chesterfield, Missouri

Chesterfield is a second-ring western suburb of St. Louis and is the largest city in west St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census the population is 47,484. Chesterfield also celebrated its 20th birthday in 2008.- Geography :...

, later moving and graduating from the Lincoln County

Lincoln County, Missouri

As of the census of 2000, there were 38,944 people, 13,851 households, and 10,554 families residing in the county. The population density was 62 people per square mile . There were 15,511 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...

 R-IV High School. He received his bachelor's degree

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...

 in education from University of Missouri

University of Missouri

The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...

. He went on to become a high school teacher and coach for ten years.

In 1986, he was elected the Lincoln County Assessor. He has also served on the Silex R-1 School Board.

He is a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus

Knights of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....

, the Farm Bureau, the Lincoln County Fair Board (serving as chair in 1978), the Lincoln County Memorial Hospital Advisory Board (serving as chair in 1995), and the Lincoln County Democratic Club. He has been recognized for his work by inclusion in Winfield, Missouri

Winfield, Missouri

Winfield is a city in Lincoln County, Missouri, United States. The population was 723 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Winfield is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

's R-IV Wall of Fame and the St. Charles County Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame.

He was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2002, winning reelection in 2004. He serves on the following committees:

• Appropriations - Agriculture and Natural Resources, and
• Transportation.