JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Rep. Jay Barnes will not be seeking a seat in the Missouri Senate in 2018.
In a Facebook Live video posted Thursday morning, Barnes spoke about his family, saying that he had children that had never known what it was to have a father who was not a member of the General Assembly.
“When you’re really into it and giving it your all, it can be an all-consuming thing,” Barnes said. “I want to be able to dedicate my time to my family.”
The Jefferson City state representative announced his decision, withdrawing his name as a potential candidate to fill the seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Mike Kehoe, both of whom are term-limited in their respective offices at the end of 2018.
During his time in the Missouri Legislature, Barnes has been one of the top legal minds amongst legislators, working hard to craft legislation that is both effective and able to stand up to judicial scrutiny.
In 2017, Barnes played pivotal roles in the passage of two special session bills, effectively chopping the initial language for the proposed “steel mill bill” in half in order to guarantee its passage through the Senate. As for the other special session concerning abortion laws, Barnes once again played a significant role, in essence running the committee and re-working the language so that it might withstand the tests of the courts.
His reputation for being fair, principled and hard-working eventually led to the decision of him being chosen to lead the investigation into the failed $56 million Mamtek deal in Moberly.
He’s served as Chairman of the House Committee on Government Oversight and Accountability, Vice-Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on General Administration, and is a member of the Judiciary, Education, Insurance, and Children & Families committees. In addition to that, he’s also served on the Joint Committees for Administrative Rules, Child Abuse & Neglect, and the Missouri Criminal Code. In total, Barnes served on more legislative committees in the past session than any other member of the General Assembly.
If Barnes had run, he would have faced a tough primary race against fellow state representative Mike Bernskoetter.
Bernskoetter’s campaign kickoff, coincidentally, takes place in the same week that Barnes issued his decision.
As for the seat that will be left vacant by Barnes, two candidates have been announced so far: Jane Beetem, the wife of Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem, and Pat Rowe Kerr, a former ombudsman for the Missouri Veterans Commission.
Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.
