State Sen. Mike Moon, a Republican from Ash Grove, was among GOP lawmakers who helped sink the nomination of Donald Kauerauf as state health director (photo by Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications).
State Sen. Mike Moon has jumped into what promises to be a crowded race for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Billy Long.
Moon, a former state representative elected to the Senate last year, unsuccessfully ran against Long in 2010 and 2012.
Long is leaving Congress to run for the U.S. Senate seat of Roy Blunt, who is retiring.
In a web ad announcing his candidacy, Moon touts his conservative legislative record and vows to fight for former President Donald Trump’s legacy.
“That means fighting for life and finally defunding Planned Parenthood so they can never kill again,” Moon says in the ad.
Opposition to abortion has been a cornerstone of Moon’s legislative career. This year, he sponsored a bill that would have redefined a fertilized egg as a person with all the constitutional rights of any other citizen and required police and the courts to “affirmatively enforce” the Missouri constitution’s due process clause which guarantees legal rights to people, effectively turning any attempt to terminate a pregnancy into murder.
He introduced a bill to create an abortion exhibit at the Missouri state museum, one that would be required to be shown alongside exhibits on slavery. And he has regularly drawn comparisons between abortion and the Holocaust.
In addition to abortion, Moon vows in his ad to take on issues like critical race theory and election fraud, and promises to “punish the Chinese communists and Fauci for their lies about COVID.”
“I’m a rancher who believes in Jesus Christ, the Constitution and a government so small you can’t see it,” Moon said.
Long’s departure from the race, and the heavily Republican tilt of the southwest Missouri district, is expected to inspire a crowded GOP primary next year.
Sam Alexander, a doctor from Springfield, joined the primary earlier this month.
State Sen. Eric Burlison, former Blunt aide Joelle Cannon and former state Sen. Jay Wasson are openly considering joining the race as well.
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