U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer threw a bit of a curve to Missouri’s already crowded primary season when he announced he wouldn’t run for another term.
The St. Elizabeth Republican hasn’t been shy about expressing his disdain about high-profile infighting within his party, culminating in Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as speaker and a marathon melodrama to pick his replacement. But Luetkemeyer stressed his decision to retire after 16 years is based on a legitimate desire to stop working.
“I’m going to be 72 years old in May. And so people ask me about my health … is that the reason I'm retiring? I say: ‘No, my health is good. That's why I'm retiring,’” Luetkemeyer said in a wide-ranging interview.
Luetkemeyer’s departure is setting up a potential crowded primary for the 3rd Congressional District, a swath of eastern and central Missouri that includes parts of Jefferson and St. Charles counties. Since congressional seats in Missouri don’t open up often, experts expect a tough contest and, in some respects, one that could be similar to the contentious 2008 race that sent Luetkemeyer to Washington.
Still, Luetkemeyer is hoping the person who replaces him in the GOP-dominated district will understand that being a member of Congress is about more than just winning elections — but also revolves around dealing with complex issues that affect more than 773,000 people.
“If you really want to take care of your district, you want to listen to your constituents and take care of their concerns, because that's why you're there,” Luetkemeyer said.
A long career
Luetkemeyer is a banker and farmer who served in the Missouri House and as state tourism director. He lost a GOP primary for state treasurer in 2004 to then-state Sen. Sarah Steelman, who went on to win the general election.
But Luetkemeyer has noted that loss was a blessing in disguise, as it gave him insight into what it took to run a campaign over a large geographical area. That experience came in handy in a big way in 2008, when he jumped into a GOP primary to represent the now-defunct 9th Congressional District — which took in parts of northeast, central and eastern Missouri.
After he won that race, Luetkemeyer eventually found his niche on the House Financial Services Committee – which he notes has fairly substantial authority and power over important aspects of the American economy.
“It's very, very engaged in almost every financial services aspect,” he said.
One of the reasons Luetkemeyer’s retirement was surprising is that he was potentially in line to become chairman of the Financial Services Committee in 2025 if the GOP kept the House. But he noted that he didn’t want to miss any opportunities to spend time with his family.
“I think being a father or grandfather or husband, those are the most important jobs I'll ever have. That's why I got into politics later in life,” said Luetkemeyer, who turns 72 in May. “You begin to think about life a little differently once you cross that 70 barrier.”
Even though Luetkemeyer pieced together a fairly conservative voting record and has been a backer of former President Donald Trump, he’s been an outspoken critic of some of his GOP colleagues who agitated against Republican leaders like McCarthy. Most notably, he got into a public spat with Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz last year — resulting in Gaetz calling Luetkemeyer a “foolish husk of a human.”
Luetkemeyer stressed that the House GOP has often had major disagreements over the past couple of decades. But he said the recent disputes are probably more high-profile, thanks to the advent of social media and the popularity of C-SPAN.
“So to think that there's never been any turmoil, that everything is hunky-dory all the time just doesn't depict what really goes on,” Luetkemeyer said. “It hasn't been as much fun probably. But this job wasn't supposed to be fun. It's supposed to be a job, and we're supposed to be able to help people and direct policy. And so, we have some folks right now that don't like to work hard and direct policy, all they want to do is throw rocks.”
A crowded primary
While it’s unclear how many candidates could line up to run for Luetkemeyer's seat, a number of Republicans are thinking about getting into the contest, and one has already jumped in.
State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, announced her bid shortly after Luetkemeyer’s announcement.
“I think we've got real problems that need to be solved,” Coleman said, “whether it's the massive flow of illegal immigration that is absolutely overrunning the border and overrunning the country. We’ve got inflation that is out of control, because of Biden economics.”
Other candidates mulling a run include former state Sen. Bob Onder of St. Charles County, state Sen. Travis Fitzwater of Callaway County, former Boone County Clerk Taylor Burks and attorney Mark McCloskey, who brandished a gun at racial justice protesters marching through his neighborhood in 2020.
Some potential candidates, like state Sen. Nick Schroer, are waiting to see if Onder exits the lieutenant governor’s contest and runs for Congress instead.
“I'm kind of waiting to hear from him,” Schroer said. “And we'll roll with the punches from there.”
Onder lost to Luetkemeyer in that bitter GOP primary for the 9th District and in recent days focused some of his messaging on national, instead of state, issues.
He told the Columbia, Missouri-based radio station the Eagle 93.9 that “who we send to Congress during this critical time in our country’s history is very, very important.”
“I’m only one person, and I can only run for one office, but we’re definitely looking at that congressional seat,” Onder said.
The Missouri Senate has been immersed in turmoil for several years because of infighting among the chamber’s Republicans. Asked if dysfunction in the U.S. House could stymie efforts to achieve big policy goals, Coleman replied: “There is always going to be dysfunction. And so wherever you're working, it is imperative that you figure out how you can best serve the people who sent you there.”
The only Democratic candidate so far running to succeed Luetkemeyer is Bethany Mann — who lost her bid for the 3rd District in 2022. The Brentwood resident said in a statement that Luetkemeyer was too deferential to big corporations and “Big Ag” groups — and also chastised him for voting against accepting President Joe Biden’s 2020 election wins in Pennsylvania and Arizona.
“We can build exciting things together — cleaner waterways, fully supported education from pre-K to college and an economy that works for everyone and sets the standard for businesses around the world,” Mann said.
The race ahead
Since most of the candidates running or thinking of entering the race have similar positions on issues, it’s likely the campaign will focus less on policy and more on fundraising and sharp attacks.
U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Battlefield, who was elected to Congress after winning a competitive primary, says it is possible to come out the other side of an intense election without being encased in mud.
“What I would say to those who are involved is, don’t be a sore loser and don’t be a sore winner,” he said.
Luetkemeyer said the race to replace him would likely be contentious, adding that it’s become part of the norm in competitive GOP primaries.
He said whoever wins shouldn’t be focused on Washington, D.C., infighting or winning the next election but on helping the district’s colleges and universities, dealing with complex river issues, and, most important, solving problems for constituents.
“If you don't do that, you're not really elected for the right reason,” Luetkemeyer said.
