Missouri attorney general aims to bring resistance against Biden in Senate run

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt vows to lead the Biden resistance if he is elected to the U.S. Senate.

Mr. Schmitt is running his campaign on his efforts to roadblock policies of the Democratic administration, which he says has pushed unconstitutional mandates and overreached states’ authority.

“We need proven conservative fighters to take on their radical agenda,” Mr. Schmitt said.

Mr. Schmitt sued the administration on its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, border policies and climate change initiatives.

The attorney general has also joined other red states in filing a lawsuit against Mr. Biden for “colluding” with Big Tech to censor conservatives.

In Missouri, Mr. Schmitt has sued dozens of local school districts over their pandemic measures, focusing on the need to stop mask mandates for students.

Mr. Schmitt said he wants to take the fight for his state to Washington, making mitigating inflation, hardening voting laws and holding China accountable some of his top priorities.

“Missouri, like a lot of other places in the country, are seeing everything that’s going on in Washington, D.C., and they can’t believe this is their country,” Mr. Schmitt said.

Mr. Schmitt began his political career as an alderman for Glendale, outside of St. Louis. He later served as a state senator from 2009 to 2017, state treasurer in 2017, and has been the state attorney general since 2019.

His motivation for running for public office was to make a difference for his son, Stephen, who was born with a rare genetic condition that causes tumors on his organs. His son also suffers from epilepsy, is nonverbal, and is on the autism spectrum.

While in office, Mr. Schmitt has been an advocate for adults and children with disabilities.

But the candidate faces steep competition in his bid to succeed retiring Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican, next year.

Several Republicans, including former scandal-ridden Gov. Eric Greitens; U.S. Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long; and attorney Mark McCloskey, whose claim to fame involved pointing guns at unruly protesters in 2020, are battling for the seat. More than a dozen Democrats are also vying for the seat.

A recent Emerson College/The Hill poll found that more than a quarter of GOP primary voters are undecided about who to vote for, though Mr. Greitens carries the lead among those who are decided.

The poll, conducted between June 2-5, had Mr. Greitens having 26% support, followed by Mr. Schmitt with 20% support.

Ms. Hartzler, who received the endorsement of Sen. Josh Hawley, had 16%, followed by Mr. Long with 8%. Twenty-seven percent of voters remain undecided.

The poll had an error margin of plus or minus 3%.

Mr. Schmitt said he has the record to prove he can do the job better than the other candidates, zeroing in on Ms. Hartzler’s record in office and Mr. Greitens’ resignation amid a sexual misconduct and blackmail scandal in 2018.

Ms. Hartzler, who voted more than 90% of the time with former President Donald Trump while he was in office, has ranked lower than other GOP delegation members with the American Conservative Union and Club for Growth.

Her campaign did not immediately respond to comment.

“You’ve got someone who has been in Congress for a long time who doesn’t have a conservative record and you’ve got a governor who quit on this state,” Mr. Schmitt said. “I’m never going to quit on Missouri, and the people are given a choice between a quitter and a fighter.”