State Sen. Bill Eigel is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Weldon Spring Republican talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about his priorities if he's reelected on Nov. 3 and whether St. Charles County will remain a GOP stronghold.
Eigel represents a portion of the county in the 23rd District. He is running for a second term against Democrat Richard Orr.
Orr’s episode of Politically Speaking will be posted later this week.
Here’s what Eigel had to say during the show:
- Democrats have been talking about making inroads in St. Charles County for years, saying the fast-growing suburb’s population of organized labor members would swing in their party's direction. Eigel, though, says the conservative mindset of the county bodes well for the GOP this election cycle.
- He talked about efforts to place most, if not all, of St. Charles County in one congressional district. That could be a major priority for Republicans during next year’s congressional redistricting process.
- Eigel, a member of the Conservative Caucus, discussed some of his members’ priorities. They include expanding charter schools, which has often run into bipartisan opposition.
- He talked about two high-profile state Senate contests. The 15th District race is between Republican Sen. Andrew Koenig and Democratic state Rep. Deb Lavender, and the 19th District matchup is between GOP Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden and former Democratic state Rep. Judy Baker. Both of those races have major implications for the 2021 Senate session.
Eigel was first elected to the Senate in 2016, after emerging out of a competitive primary against then-state Rep. Ann Zerr and longtime municipal Judge Mike Carter. He went on to defeat Orr in the general election by a comfortable margin.
As a member of the Conservative Caucus, Eigel has differed with GOP leadership on a number of fronts. They include a prescription drug monitoring program and an incentive package to get General Motors to expand in Wentzville.
If Eigel wins, he will serve in the Senate through 2024 before term limits bar him from running for that chamber again.
Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Follow Bill Eigel on Twitter: @billeigel
Music: “Yulia” by Wolf Parade
