| Tim Van Zandt | |
| State House: | Missouri |
| District: | 38th |
| Term Start: | January 1995 |
| Term End: | January 2003 |
| Predecessor: | Karen McCarthy |
| Successor: | Dan Bishop |
| Birth Date: | 17 September 1963 |
| Birth Place: | Lexington, Missouri |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Residence: | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Alma Mater: | University of Central Missouri, University of Missouri–Kansas City, Montgomery College |
| Profession: | Accountant, nurse |
Tim Van Zandt (born September 17, 1963) is a nurse, former accountant and former politician from the U.S. state of Missouri. A Democrat, he served eight years in the Missouri House of Representatives representing Kansas City and became the first openly gay member ever elected to the Missouri General Assembly.[1]
Born in Lexington, Missouri, he graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a B.S.E. in Accounting/Political Science and from the Bloch School at the University of Missouri–Kansas City with an M.P.A. in Health Care Administration.[2] He is now the Vice President for Government and Community Relations for Saint Luke's Health System.
He was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1994. In a reliably Democratic district, he won the primary election held on August 2, 1994 with over 80% of the vote. He then faced only a Libertarian opponent in the general election, winning easily and taking office the following January. He was subsequently re-elected in 1996, 1998, and in 2000.[3] Term limits prevented him from seeking re-election in 2002.
In the legislature, Van Zandt chaired the House Tobacco Settlement Committee and vice-chaired the House Committees on Urban Affairs, and Ways and Means.[4]
Van Zandt served as a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1992, 1996 and 2000. He served on the Rules Committee in 1992 and 2000, and the Platform Committee in 1996.[3]
An openly gay man, Van Zandt won the election with the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which channeled thousands of dollars into his campaign.[5] In the 2009–10 biennium, there are three openly gay members of the Missouri General Assembly: Sen. Jolie Justus (D–Kansas City), Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford (D–St. Louis) and Rep. Mike Colona (D–St. Louis).