JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — After months of hinting at a run, the president of the Missouri Senate jumped into the Republican primary race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt.
State Sen. Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, released an introductory ad Tuesday casting himself as a hands-on candidate who has had success in getting legislation across the finish line as a member of the Senate and the House.
“I’m a real guy who will always shoot you straight,” Schatz said in the video. “Here in Missouri, we’re able to get things done because we’re not afraid of hard work.”
Schatz, 58, joins a primary lineup that includes Attorney General Eric Schmitt, former Gov. Eric Greitens, U.S. Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long, and St. Louis attorney Mark McCloskey.
Schatz, who is term-limited, is vice president of Schatz Underground, which installs utility and communication lines, was elected to the House in 2010 and moved to the Senate in 2014. He was elected to the Senate leadership position in 2018.
In his introductory video, Schatz makes no mention of his support for raising Missouri’s gasoline tax, which is his chief legislative achievement.
His push for a phased-in 12.5-cent-per-gallon increase angered conservative lawmakers but had the strong support of Gov. Mike Parson, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“When you work on problems, as opposed to just talking about them, you can make things better,” Schatz said. “I’ve got a track record of results.”
Schatz also spent the past two years unsuccessfully trying to rid the state of illegal slot machines that have flooded the state. Those efforts have bogged down amid fighting over sports betting and a proposed expansion of legal slot machines.
This summer, Schatz also formed a Senate panel to look at issues affecting the St. Louis region. The focus of that committee has become crime in the city and its effect on outlying suburban areas.
Schatz enters the race with other candidates already well ahead in fundraising.
Hartzler, who has represented Missouri’s 4th Congressional District since 2011, leads the pack with $1.6 million in her war chest.
Schmitt, a former senator from Glendale who is in his first full term as attorney general, reported $1.2 million in his account.
U.S. Rep. Billy Long of Springfield has $540,000, while Greitens reported $200,000.
Schatz is a 1982 graduate of Sullivan High School. He and his wife, Chara, have five children.
The 90-second video shows Schatz driving a company truck.
“I’m not the fanciest guy in the race. I’m definitely not the slickest,” Schatz said.
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