Senior Senate Republican Roy Blunt announces he won’t seek reelection

On Location: March 8, 2021

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In a surprise move, a top Senate Republican, Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, announced Monday that he will not run for reelection in 2022.

Blunt has served in the Senate since 2011 and in the House of Representatives previously.

He’s currently the No. 4 Republican in the Senate.

Blunt announced his plans in a two-minute video released Monday morning.

“After 14 General Election victories — three to county office, seven to the United States House of Representatives, and four statewide elections — I won’t be a candidate for reelection to the United States Senate next year,” Blunt said in the video.

© Alex Wong/Getty Images, FILE Sen. Roy Blunt speaks during a news conference at the Capitol, March 5, 2021 in Washington, D.C.

He didn’t explicitly explain why he’s chosen not to run again.

Blunt joins a growing list of veteran Republican incumbents who have announced they will not return the Senate in 2022. He joins Sens. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Richard Burr, R-NC. who have all said they will not seek to keep their seats.

© Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images, FILE

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.