Eric Burlison emerges from crowded field in 7th Congressional District Republican primary

State Sen. Eric Burlison claimed the GOP nomination in the heavily Republican 7th Congressional District on Tuesday, beating beating out seven other contenders in the Republican primary. 

He will take on Kristen Radaker-Sheafer, who emerged from the Democratic primary, and Libertarian Kevin Craig.

The GOP race attracted a big field of candidates after the longtime incumbent, U.S. Rep. Billy Long, decided to run for Senate. 

Both Burlison and former state Sen. Jay Wasson benefited from massive spending in the race, bolstering their campaigns and attacking their rivals. The pair were considered the frontrunners in the race because of name recognition and outside spending. 

Burlison won his first term in the state Senate four years ago. He’s a member of the Senate’s conservative caucus, which has battled with party leadership for the better part of the last two years, often grinding progress to a halt. 

Before joining the Senate, he served eight years in the Missouri House. Among his highest-profile legislative achievements was sponsoring the “Second Amendment Preservation Act,” which seeks to  nullify some federal gun statutes in Missouri.