St. Louis, Mo. – Sen. Scott Sifton (D-St. Louis) will announce Monday that he will be running for attorney general in 2016 to replace Chris Koster, who will be reaching the end of his term and seeking a bid for governor.
“My legal career began in the Attorney General’s office, where I worked on special prosecutions in cases of public corruption, senior fraud, nursing home patient neglect and methamphetamine manufacturing,” Sifton’s wrote in a message on Sunday to colleagues. “I also defended against criminal appeals, keeping murderers, drug dealers, rapists, child abusers, and drunk drivers where juries sent them: behind bars. As a senator, I have championed strong ethics rules for lawmakers and refused to accept lobbyist gifts. I have pushed to expand the use of DNA evidence in criminal investigations, reform Missouri’s school transfer law, protect consumers and help keep seniors from getting taxed out of their homes.”
The message continues on to direct supporters to his website to assist his bid.
Sifton has gained a bipartisan reputation as a calm, judicious presence in the state senate, leading compromises in the upper chamber to deter filibusters. This past session, he led a deal between parties to end a filibuster-caused stalemate regarding the 72-hour wait period and right-to-work legislation.
The senator was elected to the state senate after serving one term in the state house, knocking out incumbent Republican Jim Lembke in a tight race in 2012.
Sifton’s announcement leads both state parties to discussions regarding what will happen to SD1 in 2016, which has been eyed by a couple Democratic House members while being considered a potential gain for Republicans.
He is expected to meet colleague Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia) in a close general election. Former Speaker of the House Tim Jones announced this past week that he will not be seeking statewide office in 2016, snuffing higher office rumors. No other contenders for the seat have arisen.
Sifton is a partner at the Husch Blackwell law firm. Sen. Sifton graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from Truman State University in 1996 and he received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School in 1999. He resides in Affton with his son, Stephen, and his daughter, Madelyn.
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.
