Missouri politicians look to make bids for US Senate

JEFFERSON CITY — Another Republican is poised to enter the race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the long-serving Kit Bond.

State Sen. Chuck Purgason scheduled an announcement Thursday afternoon at a cafe in West Plains, located in his southern Missouri district.

U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt is already running for next year's GOP nomination to succeed Bond. Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan is the lone Democrat in the race so far.

Blunt and Carnahan have both raised more than $1 million while campaigning for nearly six months.

Purgason would enter the Republican race with little money and scant name recognition outside his district. But he hopes a message of fiscal conservatism can resonate with voters worried about federal deficit spending.