Adeyinka Faleti (born June 20, 1976) is a Nigerian-American politician and United States Army veteran who was the Democratic candidate for Missouri Secretary of State in the 2020 election. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point and with a Juris Doctor from Washington University in St. Louis. He has previously worked as the executive director of the nonprofit Forward Through Ferguson, the senior vice president of United Way of Greater St. Louis, a state prosecutor at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office, and a litigation attorney at international law firm Bryan Cave. Faleti lives with his wife, Ronke, and their four children in St. Louis, Missouri. Early life and education Faleti was born in Lagos, Nigeria. In the mid-1970s, his father immigrated to the United States and moved to New York City. His mother left three years after and left Faleti with his grandparents until he was able to get a Visa. 7 years after his father's move, Faleti arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York and met his dad and two younger siblings for the first time. Growing up, his family lived in New York, Virginia, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas. Faleti graduated from the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Sciences with a high school diploma. He went on to study human factors engineering at the United States Military Academy and graduated in 1998. In 2007, he earned his J.D. degree from Washington University School of Law. Career Military service (1998–2004) After graduating from West Point, Faleti served in the U.S. Army for six years as an active-duty officer from 1998 to 2004. He served two tours in Kuwait: the first tour was as a part of Operation Desert Spring and his second tour was as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was also a tank platoon leader in Fort Hood and trained with 15 soldiers in M1A2 tanks. At the time of his departure from the military, he had reached the ranks of Captain and Company commander. Law school (2004–2007) In 2004, Faleti left the military and moved to St. Louis to begin law school at the Washington University School of Law. While attending law school, he was the president of the WashU Law Black Law Students Association. He also competed in the Trial Advocacy Team, earned Best Advocate in 2005, and served as team captain on