JEFFERSON CITY — A Springfield Republican who oversees the Missouri Senate’s powerful budget-writing committee is poised to leap into a crowded primary race for lieutenant governor.
Sen. Lincoln Hough, 41, is a cattle rancher who began serving in the Legislature in 2011. He moved from the House to spend a term as commissioner in Greene County before heading back to the Capitol as a senator in 2019.
He was named chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee last year.
Hough told the Post-Dispatch he has been amassing a campaign war chest and testing the waters heading into the election season.
“It’s a pretty incredible opportunity,†Hough said.
On Friday, he was heading to Kansas City where Republicans are gathering this weekend for their annual Lincoln Days gathering.
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“We’ll make an announcement in the next week. I’ve been for the past month or so expanding the political team I’ve already got on the ground,†Hough said.
The lieutenant governor post is currently held by Mike Kehoe, a Republican who is running for governor.
Others seeking the No. 2 spot in state government include embattled House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres; Sen. Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston; Franklin County Clerk Tim Baker; David Wasinger, a Huntleigh attorney who lost a bid for state auditor in 2018; and Paul Berry III of ºüÀêÊÓƵ County.
Rep. Richard Brown of Kansas City is the lone Democrat.
The filing period begins Feb. 27.
Plocher currently has the money lead but is the subject of an ethics investigation by the House.
Plocher faced calls for his resignation after he began paying back nearly $4,000 he was reimbursed for work-related travel that he had actually paid out of his campaign fund.
Plocher also faced criticism after House staff raised concerns about his involvement in an effort by a private company to land an $800,000 software contract with the House without going through standard bidding procedures.
On Jan. 1, Hough reported having more than $405,000 on hand in his personal campaign account. A separate but aligned political action committee has more than $367,000.
In the Senate, Hough is aligned with Republican leadership, which has been warring with members of the Freedom Caucus, a small, hard-line faction of the Senate GOP that is holding up action on a key piece of the budget.
But, he said he’s running on his record and not in an attempt to fend off any of the Freedom Caucus members who also are seeking statewide offices.
“I don’t run reactionary campaigns,†Hough said.
He said his sponsorship of a bill cutting state income taxes and his push to spend state dollars on improving Interstate 70 and other roadways give him a strong message at a time when the Senate has been mired in intraparty gridlock.
“I think I’ve got a good track record to run on,†Hough said.
If elected, Hough will continue to push for bricks and mortar improvements across the state, as well as advocate for seniors and Missouri businesses.
“Things are coming together well,†Hough said.
The primary election is Aug. 6.