Former state Sen. Bob Onder said Friday he’s quitting the race for lieutenant governor and will instead seek the Republican nomination in the 3rd Congressional District.
“We need a proven leader who will hold Joe Biden and the Democrats accountable for enabling the drug dealers and human traffickers,†Onder, 62, said in a statement. “We must force the D.C. politicians to close the border.â€
He joins Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, who announced her candidacy to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, earlier this month.
The 3rd Congressional District covers a large swath of mid-Missouri, reaching east to take in portions of Jefferson County and St. Charles County.
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Onder, of Lake Saint Louis, has been hinting at a possible run for Congress — his second — since Luetkemeyer announced his plans to step down.
“Who we send to Congress at this critical time ... is very important,†Onder said last week, during an interview on KSSZ (93.9 FM), a conservative talk station in Columbia.
Onder said the solution to the problems he sees in the country can be changed “by taking back the White House or by sending the right people to Congress.â€
During his two terms in state Senate, Onder was among leaders of the Conservative Caucus, a group of hard-line Republican lawmakers often at odds with GOP leadership. He also has been a vocal supporter of the newly formed Missouri Freedom Caucus, which currently includes six Senate members.
Why do we need the Missouri Freedom Caucus? My remarks from the â¦â© kickoff at the First Missouri State Capitol in St. Charles, MO. 🇺🇸
— Dr. Bob Onder (@BobOnderMO)
Other names mentioned as possible contenders have included state Sens. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance, and Travis Fitzwater of Callaway County; and former state Senate President Dave Schatz.
Fitzwater he wouldn’t run. And Schroer has said he wouldn’t run if Onder declares his candidacy.
As for the lieutenant governor’s race, GOP candidates include Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher, state Sen. Holly Rehder, Franklin County Clerk Tim Baker and Paul Berry III of ºüÀêÊÓƵ County.
Onder last ran for Congress in 2008 but lost in a crowded GOP primary to Luetkemeyer.