Claire McCaskill (D) is running for re-election for her third term in the U.S. Senate.
Background and Achievements
- Elected to the U. S. Senate in 2006.
- McCaskill won a seat in the Missouri State Legislature in 1982, making her the only woman attorney in the Missouri General Assembly.
- In 1993 McCaskill became the first female prosecutor for Jackson County, the largest prosecutor’s office in the state. She headed the office until she became Missouri Auditor in 1999.
- McCaskill lost the Missouri Governor’s race in 2004 after defeating the incumbent governor in a primary.
- Senior member on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
- Named the top ranking Democrat on the old “Truman Committee,” the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
- Chairman of the Senate’s Consumer Protection panel.
- Top-ranking democrat on the Senate’s Aging Committee.
Positions on Key Issues
- Senator McCaskill is 100% a supporter of women’s rights
- She has been a strong yes vote on reproductive rights and family planning issues
- Committed to pay equity and women's rights issues
- Strong supporter of education including Pell grants and Head Start
- Supports upholding and enforcing the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts
- Supports a top-to-bottom review of the criminal justice system
- Supports LGBT rights
Prospects & Opponents
Senator McCaskill won her re-election primary on August 7. In the general election, she will run against Republican primary winner and State Attorney General Josh Hawley, who has been backed by Republican party leaders. As Missouri is a red state, it could be a tough race for McCaskill, who is also considered a formidable campaigner. The race is rated a toss up by the Cook Report.