State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the Arnold Republican spoke about her decision to run for Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District seat.
U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer announced his retirement earlier this month. The district includes parts of Jefferson, St. Charles, Cole, Boone, Callaway and Warren counties.
Here’s what Coleman talked about on Politically Speaking:
- She said she was well positioned in a potentially crowded primary, adding, “When you look at my record, you see that nobody can get to my right.”
- Coleman criticized the way President Joe Biden and Congress have provided military assistance to Ukraine, saying that it doesn’t make sense to give the beleaguered country billions of dollars instead of spending that money on U.S. border security.
- Why she would vote for support for Israel’s war in Gaza. She also addressed questions about whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was too toxic to warrant support from Congress.
- How she would change the country’s immigration policies and whether any plan should include helping boost the economic fortunes of Latin American countries.
Coleman is an attorney who previously served on the Arnold City Council. In 2018, she prevailed in one of the most-watched House contests of the year against Democrat Mike Revis. He had flipped a seat that had previously been held by a Republican.
Her win guaranteed that every state legislative seat that covers Jefferson County would be represented by a Republican. Until relatively recently, Jefferson County residents had historically preferred Democratic candidates.
Coleman won election to the 22nd Senate District in 2022. Like several other potential 3rd District contenders in the Missouri Senate, Coleman can run for Congress this year without vacating her state legislative seat.
St. Louis Public Radio plans to talk with the major Republican and Democratic candidates running for the seat.
