SPRINGFIELD, Mo.- Sen. Roy Blunt held a press briefing at the Springfield-Branson National Airport Monday after announcing he will not run for re-election in the 2022 election.
“I’m grateful for the time I had to serve,” said Sen. Blunt.
Blunt has been a U.S. senator for two terms and believes 2022 will be a great year for Republicans. He says he is not sure what is next for him after 2022.
As for who may replace him, Blunt said it’s all up the voters.
“I wouldn’t want to elevate anybody by talking about who can run, it’s a free country,” said Blunt. “I’ve done my best to serve well, but I think they’re going to have another great person serving them in the senate. We got a great congressional delegation including Billy Long.”
“He has worked tirelessly, for the people, the guy has more energy than anynoe I’ve ever met,” said Congressman Billy Long.
“We need a strong, conservative candidate that helps bring the senate back into republican hands,” said Long. “A lot of us are going to be thinking about that race. I will be seriously considering it, so we’ll just kind of have to see what unfolds.”
Blunt says whoever the Republican nominee is, he feels they will be elected. Blunt says don’t spend time thinking about what you’ll never do.
“The things you think you’ll never do, may be your very best option on the day you have to make a decision,” says Blunt.
Blunt says events that happened at the Capitol on January 6 did not impact his decision to not run.
Blunt also gave out advice for anyone running for public office.
“Too many politicians, saying if you’ll vote for me, I’ll never compromise on anything,” said Blunt. “That’s a philosophy that particularly does not work in a democracy. Democracy’s not for sissies. You don’t get everything you want, every time you want it. Too many politicians have rushed to create this huge list of what they’ll never do, which means when they get there, they never get anything done.”
For his last year, Blunt says he is focused on finishing strong.
“I want to take everything I’ve learned in the last 24 years and make the most of it,” said Blunt.
Blunt says his favorite political positions he’s held was Secretary of State, he did enjoy all of his elected positions.
Original story:
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.- Missouri Senator Roy Blunt announced Monday morning that he will not be running as a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2022.
Blunt says this is ending his career in elected politics not a retirement.
Sen. Blunt shared the announcement on YouTube, saying, “After 14 general election victories, three to county office, seven to the United States House of Representatives, and four state-wide elections, I won’t be a candidate for re-election for the United States Senate next year.”
Blunt has served in the U.S. Senate since 2010. During that time, he has served as and on:
- Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee
- Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
- Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
- Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
“In every job Missourians have allowed me to have, I’ve tried to do my best,” Blunt said. “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.”
Recently, Blunt played a role on Inauguration Day as the chairman of the Inauguration Committee.
While President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were being sworn in, you could see Blunt standing right behind them.
The Missouri senator was responsible for the planning and executing the ceremonies on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.
As recently as last month, a spokesperson for Blunt said the two-term senator was planning on running in 2022.
Blunt is the No. 4 in Senate Republican leadership and is the fifth Senate Republican to decide against running for re-election in 2022.
Senator Blunt will be hosting a press conference in Springfield at 3:15, you can watch that live in this story.
