Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Legislator joins Democratic primary hoping to oust Josh Hawley in Missouri Senate race


By Jason Hancock

State Sen. Karla May is the latest Democrat to jump into the U.S. Senate primary in the hopes of taking on Republican incumbent Josh Hawley next year.

May joins Marine veteran Lucas Kunce and St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell in the primary field.

(Photo- State Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis, talks with Gov. Mike Parson at a 2021 bill signing ceremony- Missouri Governor's Office)






 

After serving eight years in the Missouri House, May was elected to the state Senate in 2018, representing portions of St. Louis and St. Louis County. She cruised to reelection last year, winning in November with 74% of the vote.

She announced her intentions over the weekend at the Mound City Bar Association, then confirmed her candidacy on social media. A formal announcement is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

“As a long-standing champion for the rights and welfare of the citizens of Missouri, Sen. May has consistently demonstrated her dedication to serving the public,” her campaign said on social media.

Kunce, who has a huge fundraising advantage over his two likely Democratic rivals, welcomed May into the race.








“The state senator and I spoke on the phone ahead of the announcement,” Kunce said, “and we had a great conversation. I’m happy to welcome her to the race and look forward to seeing her on the trail.”

Whichever Democrat emerges from the primary faces an uphill fight against Hawley. Democrats currently hold no statewide elected office in Missouri and have won only once statewide since 2012.

Last year, Republican Eric Schmitt defeated Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine by 13 percentage points to capture Missouri’s open U.S. Senate seat.

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