Burks bows out of Third Congressional District race

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former Boone County clerk said Thursday that he’s not running after putting his name in for the Third Congressional District seat earlier this month.

Taylor Burks said in a statement Thursday that he will not run in the August Republican primary. Filing for the August election opened Tuesday and Burks was not among the candidates to file in the Republican primary for the congressional seat the first day. He had also earned the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, who represents the Fourth Congressional District.

The Third and Fourth districts cover large sections of Mid-Missouri, with Columbia and Boone County split between them.

“Since I announced my campaign, another strong central Missouri candidate has filed in the Republican primary for this seat,” Burks says in the statement. “With the chances of success for either of us nearly impossible while both of us are in the race, I have decided to suspend my campaign for Congress.”

Former state senator and attorney general candidate Kurt Schaefer filed to run for the seat on the first day of filing.

Burks thanked Alford for his support and said it was Alford who encouraged him to run.

Burks began his work as Boone County clerk in 2017 when then-Governor Eric Greitens appointed him. Burks lost in 2018 to Democrat Brianna Lennon, but got a job with the state a month later. Burks is a Navy veteran.

The Third District seat is up for grabs in the August primary and November general election because longtime incumbent Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer is leaving office.