JEFFERSON CITY, Mo – In a surprising move on the first day of filing, state Sen. Dan Brown, R-Solo, filed for State Treasurer challenging his colleague Senator Eric Schmitt, R-St. Glendale, for the Republican nomination.
The move surprised many as Brown hadn’t previously expressed interest in the post and had endorsed Schmitt for the office.
“It has been a pleasure to serve the 16th District in the Missouri Senate for the past six years,” Brown stated in a release. “After prayerful consideration with my wife and children, I have decided to seek the office of State Treasurer. Conservative values are being attacked on all levels of government; the office of State Treasurer is no exception.”
The winner of the August republican primary will face the Democratic candidate either Pat Contreras of former state Representative Judy Baker in the fall.
Brown currently has approximately $136,000 on hand, while Schmitt has over $2,100,000 on hand for the race.
The Senator has served in the General Assembly since 2008, and is a practicing veterinarian in Rolla. He is married with two children, and a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Rachael Herndon was editor of The Missouri Times until 2019. She also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. Herndon joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer. In 2019, she entered Missouri’s cannabis industry, co-founding Greenway Magazine.