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Onder drops out of County Executive race in home county

St. Charles County, Mo. — Sen. Bob Onder ended his campaign for St. Charles County Executive Tuesday morning. 

Onder, who represents Senate District 2 but is term-limited, declared his candidacy for the race in February. 

“While I will continue to engage in public policy in order to serve our great county and our great country, after lengthy discussion, reflection and prayer, my wife Allison and I have concluded that it is not in the best interests of our family that I continue the race for St. Charles County Executive,” Onder said in a statement Tuesday morning. 

The position is currently held by Steve Ehlmann who was first elected in 2007. Ehlmann is a former State Representative and State Senator where he served as the Republican floor leader for two years. 

Ehlmann is running in the race as the incumbent, seeking a fifth term as county executive. There is no Democrat running in the County Executive race.   

Onder, a member of the Senate’s conservative caucus, was heavily critical of Ehlmann during his short campaign. Onder went on to say he would now have more time to focus his attention on the race to replace him in the Senate, endorsing Rep. Nick Schroer. 

Schroer represents House District 107, which includes parts of St. Charles County. Schroer faces Speaker Pro Tempore John Wiemann, who represents House District 103, in the Republican primary.

The winner of the Republican Senate primary will face Michael Sinclair, a Democrat who is running unopposed in his primary.


Onder’s full statement can be read below:

Dear Friends and Supporters,
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the people of St. Charles County and the state of Missouri in the Missouri Senate for the past eight years. During this time my family has sacrificed much to allow me to serve.
While I will continue to engage in public policy in order to serve our great county and our great country, after lengthy discussion, reflection and prayer, my wife Allison and I have concluded that it is not in the best interests of our family that I continue the race for St. Charles County Executive. This decision, I believe, is best for my family, and will also allow me to focus on elections deeply important to the future of our state, including the race for my own replacement in Senate District 2. In this race I have endorsed State Representative Nick Schroer. It is also critically important that we defeat the deceptive power grab by out of state billionaires known as “Ranked Choice Voting” this November.
I apologize to those of you who are disappointed by this decision. I am deeply appreciative and will forever be grateful for your outpouring of hard work and effort in my run for County Executive. But we will continue to fight together to save this great country.
May God bless the great state of Missouri.
Very Sincerely,
Dr. Robert F. (Bob) Onder, Jr.
Missouri State Senator District 2
Serving Western St. Charles County

Featured Image: Sen. Bob Onder speaks in support of a 7-1 congressional redistricting map in Jefferson City, Mo on Feb. 7. Onder called the proposal that passed out of the House and a Senate committee a “Nancy Pelosi map.” (THE MISSOURI TIMES/KAITLYN SCHALLHORN)