Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) asks concerns throughout a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs & Senate Rules and Administration joint hearing to go over the January sixth attack on the U.S. Capitol on March 3, 2021 in Washington, DC.
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Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri stated Monday that he will not look for reelection in 2022.
“After 14 General Election victories — three to county office, seven to the United States House of Representatives, and four statewide elections — I won’t be a candidate for reelection to the United States Senate next year,” Blunt stated in a video published on Twitter.
Blunt, 71, was chosen to the Senate in 2010 after more than a years in the House.
Political experts anticipate the seat to stay in GOP hands. It’s an important one for Republicans to secure as they press to restore the bulk they lost after the January overflow elections in Georgia.
The Senate is now uniformly divided, however Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote provides Democrats control of the chamber.
“We will hold this seat,” Florida Sen. Rick Scott, chairman National Republican Senatorial Committee, stated in a declaration.
Blunt will be “greatly missed in the Senate,” Scott stated. “The NRSC will work tirelessly to ensure Senator Blunt’s successor will uphold his legacy of free enterprise and small government.”
Republican Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio and Richard Shelby of Alabama likewise revealed this year that they would not run for reelection.
Blunt is the top Republican on the Senate Rules Committee and the chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee.
In his video Monday early morning, Blunt did not provide a particular reason he was not looking for reelection.
“In every job Missourians have allowed me to have, I’ve tried to do my best,” Blunt stated. “In almost 12,000 votes in the Congress, I’m sure I wasn’t right every time, but you really make that decision based on the information you have at the time.”
“There is still a lot to do, and I look forward to every day this year and next year as I continue to work for you in the Senate.”
“Another lesson I learned here: Finish strong. And I intend to,” the senator stated.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in a declaration stated Blunt’s retirement “will be a loss for the Republican conference and the entire Senate.”
McConnell applauded Blunt’s work throughout the coronavirus pandemic, stating, “no individual Senator has done more to drive testing efforts or advance the historic and successful sprint to vaccines.”
“Sen. Blunt has tackled so much important work for Missouri and our country and has been an enormous asset to all his colleagues. I’m very sorry he’ll be stepping away but am glad the country has two more years to keep benefitting from his talent,” McConnell stated.
Blunt won his very first Senate race in 2010 by a large margin, and in 2016 kept his seat versus Democratic opposition Jason Kander.
Multiple Democrats have actually currently revealed their projects for Blunt’s seat in 2022.
After Blunt’s statement, Kander tweeted that he would not run once again for the Senate seat however would support the Democratic candidate.
