State Sen. Jill Schupp has announced she is running for U.S. Congress in the 2nd district, a seat held by Republican Congresswoman Ann Wagner.
Schupp, a Democrat, officially announced her candidacy Tuesday after weeks of speculation.
“Suburban St. Louis deserves a representative in Washington who will put our families first – not the lobbyists and the special interests who are currently running the show,” Schupp said. “I will work across the aisle to find common ground to solve issues our families deal with every day — to ensure our schools are safe, our tax code prioritizes families, and that people are able to afford the medicine they need. The special interests have plenty of lobbyists in Washington, it’s time my neighbors finally have someone fighting for them.”
Schupp has represented SD 24, which includes St. Louis County, since 2014. Term limits prevent her from re-election to the seat again.
Prior to her time in the Senate, Schupp served as a state representative and on the Ladue School Board and Creve Coeur City Council. She is a former public elementary school teacher.
“People are tired of name-calling in DC,” Schupp said on social media. “Since my school board days, people have elected me [because] they trust me to work on their behalf [and] find common ground to get things done.”
In the General Assembly, Schupp founded the Missouri Veterans History Project and has pushed for legislation pertaining to education, health care, and senior citizens.
Wagner has represented the 2nd district since 2013. She is a former U.S. ambassador and chairwoman of the Missouri Republican Party.
Wagner defeated Democratic candidate Cort VanOstran by about 4 percentage points in the 2018 midterm elections.
Both women have championed efforts to increase access to rape kits.
Schupp received early support from her Democratic colleagues on social media soon after announcing:
Jill Schupp is a proven champion for better health care, higher wages, and safer streets for all our communities. She will make an excellent Congresswoman, & I can’t wait to see her restore some Missouri common sense to Washington DC! @JillSchupp for #MO02
— Gina Walsh (@walshgina) December 4, 2019
As her colleague and roommate, I've witnessed firsthand how @JillSchupp works tirelessly in #moleg on behalf of all Missourians. She'll work tirelessly to win this race. And, she'll work tirelessly to represent #MO02 well in Congress. Thank you for running, Jill! Help her out ⬇️ https://t.co/0IE8R5zLow
— Lauren Arthur (@LaurenArthurMO) December 4, 2019
I am so excited to hear this news!!! https://t.co/0LGGI8d1Zb
— Martha Stevens (@Martha4MO) December 3, 2019
https://twitter.com/TracyMcCreery/status/1202004962169020416
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.