A native of De Soto, Missouri, Jay Nixon was raised to believe that faith and family always come first -- and giving back to one's community comes next.

Jay's parents taught him the value of public service and the principle of neighbor helping neighbor. Jay's mother, the late Betty Willson Nixon, served as the president of the De Soto School Board. His father, Jerry Nixon, dedicated his life to serving the public -- including a term as Mayor of De Soto when the town was selected by Life magazine as an "All-American City."

Jay is a proud product of the Missouri public school system and received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Missouri. After practicing law for several years, the people of Jefferson County elected Jay to the State Senate in 1986. As a legislator, Jay quickly built a reputation as a hard-worker who gets results. The people of Missouri elected him to be their Attorney General in 1992 and have since elected him to an unprecedented four terms as the state's chief law enforcer.

As Attorney General, Jay Nixon represents Missouri families by taking on the toughest fights -- and winning. He has a track record of protecting our communities by standing up to the special interests. Jay has demonstrated how innovation and imaginative leadership can help solve problems for everyday Missourians. In 2000, Jay helped found the Missouri Foundation for Health, which provides health care services to needy Missourians throughout the state. The foundation is the result of aggressive action by Jay's office and the creative settlement of a law suit filed against one of Missouri's biggest insurance companies.

In 2006, for every dollar the Missouri legislature allocated to the Office of Attorney General, Jay and his employees saved or generated $19.40 for the taxpayers through settlements, judgments and collections. An aggressive supporter of law enforcement, Jay believes that safe streets and neighborhoods are essential to a good quality of life and important to the success of local communities.

Now running for Governor, Jay Nixon has the experience and integrity needed to lead Missouri in the right direction. As our next Governor, Jay will lead the fight to restore the massive health care cuts that have affected more than 400,000 Missourians, work to make college more affordable for Missouri families, and generate more good-paying jobs.

Jay and his wife, Georganne, have been married for 20 years and are the proud parents of two sons, Jeremiah and Will. The Nixon family attends First United Methodist Church in Jefferson City.