Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri said Monday that he will not seek reelection in 2022.<\/p>\n
“After 14 General Election victories \u2014 three to county office, seven to the United States House of Representatives, and four statewide elections \u2014 I won’t be a candidate for reelection to the United States Senate next year,” Blunt said in a video posted to Twitter.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n Blunt, 71, was elected to the Senate in 2010 after more than a decade in the House.<\/p>\n Political analysts expect the seat to remain in GOP hands. It’s a crucial one for Republicans to protect as they push to regain the majority they lost after the January runoff elections in Georgia<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Senate is now evenly divided<\/a>, but Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote gives Democrats control of the chamber.<\/p>\n “We will hold this seat,” Florida Sen. Rick Scott, the chairman National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Blunt will be “greatly missed in the Senate,” Scott said. “The NRSC will work tirelessly to ensure Senator Blunt’s successor will uphold his legacy of free enterprise and small government.”<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Republican Sens. Rob Portman<\/a> of Ohio and Richard Shelby<\/a> of Alabama also announced this year that they would not run for reelection.<\/p>\n Blunt<\/a> is the top Republican on the Senate Rules Committee and the chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee.<\/p>\n In his video Monday morning, Blunt did not offer a specific reason why he was not seeking reelection.<\/p>\n “In every job Missourians have allowed me to have, I’ve tried to do my best,” Blunt said. “In almost 12,000 votes in the Congress, I’m sure I wasn’t right every time, but you really make that decision based on the information you have at the time.”<\/p>\n “There is still a lot to do, and I look forward to every day this year and next year as I continue to work for you in the Senate.”<\/p>\n “Another lesson I learned here: Finish strong. And I intend to,” the senator said.<\/p>\n Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in a statement<\/a> said Blunt’s retirement “will be a loss for the Republican conference and the entire Senate.”<\/p>\n McConnell praised Blunt’s work during the coronavirus pandemic<\/a>, saying, “no individual Senator has done more to drive testing efforts or advance the historic and successful sprint to vaccines.”<\/p>\n “Sen. Blunt has tackled so much important work for Missouri and our country and has been an enormous asset to all his colleagues. I’m very sorry he’ll be stepping away but am glad the country has two more years to keep benefitting from his talent,” McConnell said.<\/p>\n Blunt won his first Senate race in 2010 by a wide margin<\/a>, and in 2016 held onto his seat<\/a> against Democratic challenger Jason Kander.<\/p>\n