Blaine Luetkemeyer won’t run for reelection, creating open Missouri congressional seat

Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, a Missouri Republican, won’t run for reelection in 2024, joining a wave of lawmakers retiring from Congress.

Luetkemeyer, who has represented central Missouri in Congress since 2009, announced the decision in a statement that said he will continue serving until the end of his term.

“It has been an honor to serve the great people of the Third Congressional District and state of Missouri for these past several years,” Luetkemeyer said. “However, after a lot of thoughtful discussion with my family, I have decided to not file for re-election and retire at the end of my term in December.”

The retirement will create an open seat in Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District, which stretches from parts of Jefferson City and Columbia in the west to St. Charles County in the east. The district is heavily Republican and Luetkemeyer won reelection in 2022 by more than 30 percentage points.

Missouri is currently represented in the U.S. House by six Republicans and two Democrats.

Luetkemeyer, 71, joins more than 40 representatives who have already resigned or will be retiring by the end of their term. The list includes former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican who was ousted from the speakership after only six months.

More Democrats than Republicans have announced their retirements — as of January 3, at least 25 Democrats announced they would resign or retire, while only 16 Republicans have done the same.

After Rep. Patrick McHenry, a North Carolina Republican, announced his own retirement, Luektemeyer had been considered a potential contender to chair the House Financial Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over monetary policy and oversees the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department.

Luetkemeyer’s legislation in Congress focused primarily on financial policy. He was among the 139 Republican representatives who voted against the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

Before taking office, Luetkemeyer served in the Missouri House of Representatives and was the Missouri Tourism director under former Gov. Matt Blunt.