Sen. Rick Brattin, a member of the Conservative Caucus, launched a bid for the 4th congressional district Monday.
In his announcement from Columbia, Brattin criticized the leadership of President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“I truly fear that if they are not stopped, our children and grandchildren will not have the same freedom to pursue the American Dream that we have enjoyed,” Brattin said.
Brattin was elected to represent SD 31, which encompasses Barton, Bates, Cass, Henry, and Vernon counties, in 2020 after a tight primary. He served four terms in the lower chamber where he also served as majority floor whip and chair of the Special Committee on Government Oversight.
In the Senate, Brattin is a member of the Conservative Caucus and is the vice-chairman of the Education Committee. He also serves on the General Laws, Local Government and Elections, and Seniors, Families, Veterans and Military Affairs committees.
Brattin is a vocal opponent of federal vaccine mandates and large spending bills. He sponsored legislation last session that would make it a class E felony for someone to block a public street, highway, or interstate while “part of an unlawful assembly.”
Brattin is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and is the owner and operator of a small construction company. Additionally, he maintains a 40-acre farm in Cass County just north of Harrisonville where he lives.
“I am running for Congress because I believe we need to elect conservatives who will stand up and put America first,” Brattin said. “We need to secure our border, hold China accountable for dishonest trade practices — including outright theft of American intellectual property — and for their cyber warfare against our nation, and stop liberals from using [critical race theory] and other ‘woke’ policies to brainwash our children into hating America.”
“This is the greatest country in the world, and it is worth fighting like heck to save it,” Brattin said.
Although Senate Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden recently ended speculation he would run for the seat, the GOP field is still quite crowded. State Rep. Sara Walsh, Kansas City news anchor Mark Alford, cattle farmer Kalena Bruce, and veteran Taylor Burks are all vying for the seat.
Former state Sen. Ed Emery had also been a GOP contender but he died in August after collapsing at a campaign event.
Missouri’s 4th congressional district — as it stands now — is a large and diverse expanse of the state, from Columbia sweeping west to just below Kansas City, stretching down to Pittsburg and Lebanon, and settling north of Springfield. It includes both Whiteman Air Force Base in Johnson County and Fort Leonard Wood in Pulaski County.
Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler, who is running for U.S. Senate, was the second Republican woman to be elected to Congress from Missouri. She defeated longtime incumbent Congressman Ike Skelton to win the seat in 2010.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
