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Wagner on possible US Senate run: ‘We’re taking a look at it’

While she hasn’t officially announced a bid for outgoing U.S. Senator Roy Blunt’s seat in 2022, Congresswoman Ann Wagner said it’s something she’s exploring. 

“We’re taking a look at it very seriously. I have to say I love my district — it’s home, it’s where I raised my family, and we’ve worked hard here,” Wagner said. “You have to have the support of your constituents, but what you really have to do is talk to Missourians and that’s what we’re in the process of doing now, talking to everyday Missourians from across the state. …  There’s plenty of time for politics and making decisions about the future.”

Thus far, former Gov. Eric Greitens and Attorney General Eric Schmitt are in the running for the Republican primary with various possible contenders still exploring. Former state Sen. Scott Sifton and attorney Lucas Kunce have thrown their hats in the ring to compete for the Democratic nomination. 

Wagner appeared on Sunday’s episode of “This Week in Missouri Politics” to discuss policy, the southern border, and Capitol Hill. She also highlighted her effort to progress the Born-Alive Survivors Abortion Survivors Act through Congress where a vote on the bill has been blocked dozens of times. 

“Whether that child is born prematurely or whether that child is born as the result of a botched abortion, I have fought for this legislation cycle after cycle,” she said. “Every single American, every single Missourian, should know how their member of Congress would vote on something like that, and I’m not going to stop. I’ve been a champion for the unborn my entire life it feels like, and I’m not going to stop until this is the law.”

US Senate race

State Reps. LaKeySha Bosley and Mary Elizabeth Coleman joined this week’s panel alongside David Barklage and Mark Dalton to discuss next year’s Senate race. Bosley addressed a possible run from Mark McCloskey, who gained notoriety last year for his gun-wielding response to a protest in St. Louis

“I don’t think with the climate being so polarized that we need to go back there; we don’t need to go back to the era of Donald Trump,” she said. “We need to move forward. We need to have more moderate, forward-thinking Republicans in positions like that if that’s going to continue being a Republican seat.”

With session wrapping up and three weeks left to pass the budget, Medicaid expansion remains a topic of debate and speculation around the statehouse. Coleman said the Missouri Constitution requires such items to include a funding source and speculated the issue would ultimately fall to the courts. 

“What happens when there are two discrepancies in the law is the courts are going to fight it out — but I don’t think that one branch of the government can order the other branch of the government how to spend money when we have the authority to decide,” she said. 

Watch the full episode of “This Week in Missouri Politics” below, or listen to the audio version here.