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Roberts says Bush hasn’t been representing the interests of the 1st District

State Sen. Steve Roberts Jr. (D-St. Louis) on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at St. Louis Public Radio’s headquarters in Grand Center.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
State Sen. Steven Roberts, D-St. Louis, on June 28 at St. Louis Public Radio’s office. Roberts is running against incumbent Cori Bush to represent Missouri's 1st Congressional District.

In the race to represent Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, the Democrat who comes out victorious in the Aug. 2 primary is likely to win in November.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, state Sen. Steven Roberts joins the show to talk about why he would make a better U.S. representative than incumbent Cori Bush.

Roberts was elected to the Missouri Senate in 2020 and says his initial focus was to serve the allotted two terms there. But a series of votes and decisions by Bush spurred him to run against her.

Here’s what Roberts talked about on the show:

  • Accusations, which he denied, of sexual assault against him, including one by the late Cora Faith Walker.
  • What he would do to advocate for abortion rights. While Roberts says Congress needs to codify Roe v. Wade into law, he is more hesitant on the call to expand the Supreme Court.
  • Inflation and rising gas prices. Roberts is a fan of the gas tax holiday proposed by President Joe Biden and would have voted for the Build Back Better Act.
  • How the country can implement stricter gun control measures. Roberts says at minimum, the country should implement red flag laws, enhanced background checks and raising the age to buy a gun from 18 to 21.

Before serving in the Missouri Senate, Roberts served two terms in the House. He is an attorney and also serves as a captain with the Missouri Air National Guard.

Follow Sarah Kellogg on Twitter: @sarahkkellogg

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Steve Roberts on Twitter: @RobertsforSTL

Sarah Kellogg is a Missouri Statehouse and Politics Reporter for St. Louis Public Radio and other public radio stations across the state.
Jason is the politics correspondent for St. Louis Public Radio.