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Redmon set to run for SD 18 seat

Rep. Craig Redmon will officially run for the 18th Senate District Seat, even if he has not blared it from the rooftops quite yet. Redmon says the rollout of his coming Senate run so far has been quiet, but it should ramp up in the coming weeks.

“By no means is it a secret, we want everyone to know,” Redmon, R-Canton, said.

SD 18 comprises a vast swath of Northeastern Missouri, including Clark, Lewis, Ralls, Pike, Shelby, Marion, Randolph, Macon, Linn, Adair, Schuyler, Knox, Scotland, and Chariton Counties. Hannibal, Macon, Kirksville, Palmyra and Moberly are also within that district.

Rep. Craig Redmon
Rep. Craig Redmon

Redmon will look to fill the seat that will open up when Sen. Brian Munzlinger leaves the upper chamber due to term limits, which mirrors how he got his start in state politics. Redmon ran for state representative when term-limits also forced Munzlinger out of the House.

Now, with seven years in the General Assembly under his belt, including a soon-to-be six-year stint as the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Conservation, Natural Resources, and Economic Development, Redmon says he wants to transfer those skills over into the upper chamber. Ideally, he wants to focus on boosting agriculture and education, while also examining ways to fund transportation infrastructure.

“I feel I’ve been pretty successful in the House,” Redmon said. “I’ve got some insight into the political stuff, and I feel like I’ve still got more to do… Seeing it from the inside now, I think I can be beneficial to our state.”

Redmon says he has the support of his wife and the rest of his family to make the run, and he has also heard from several members of the community they would like to see him stay in Jefferson City.

“The first thing I did was check with folks back home,” he said. “I’ve run unopposed since my very first election, so I think they think I’m doing a pretty good job and like the way I stand up for them.”

Several Senate campaigns appear to have started kicking off with the end of session, especially with House members angling to become members of the upper chamber. Majority Floor Leader Mike Cierpiot announced yesterday his own bid for Sen. Will Kraus’ soon-to-be vacated Senate seat, and Rep. Diane Franklin officially announced her intention to run for Sen. Dan Brown’s seat in late April.