Trish Gunby defeats Ray Reed in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary

By: - August 2, 2022 10:33 pm

Congressional candidate Trish Gunby talks with a voter in Ballwin while out knocking on doors in April. (Photo courtesy of Trish Gunby.)

Trish Gunby won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday to take on incumbent U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District. 

Gunby, a state lawmaker from Manchester, bested Reed, who conceded the race shortly after 10 p.m.

The Democratic nominee faces an uphill battle against Wagner, a five-term Republican incumbent who saw her district reworked earlier this year to make it more GOP-friendly.

Wagner fended off a fierce challenge from Democratic state Sen. Jill Schupp in 2020, winning by more than seven percentage points in the suburban St. Louis district. 

Gunby has laid out a progressive platform that includes strengthening voting, reproductive and workers’ rights. She told The Independent last month that she entered the race because she was tired of hearing from constituents how unresponsive Wagner’s office was to their concerns. 

“I have not seen her in the district in 10 years,” she said. “She notably has not had town halls or public forums, and I’ve had eight since I’ve been a state rep. in three years.”

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Jason Hancock
Jason Hancock

Jason Hancock has spent two decades covering politics and policy for news organizations across the Midwest, with most of that time focused on the Missouri statehouse as a reporter for The Kansas City Star. A three-time National Headliner Award winner, he helped launch The Missouri Independent in October 2020.

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