McCaskill responds to Blunt retiring: ‘I will never run for office again’

Former Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) ruled out the possibility of running to replace Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) on Monday after he announced that he would not seek reelection in 2022.

In a tweet shortly after Blunt’s announcement, McCaskill said that she would not seek public office again. Following her 2018 defeat by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), McCaskill took a job as a political analyst with MSNBC and NBC News.

“To all that are asking: thank you to the many who have said kind things. But I will never run for office again. Nope. Not gonna happen. Never. I am so happy I feel guilty sometimes,” she tweeted.

To all that are asking: thank you to the many who have said kind things. But I will never run for office again. Nope. Not gonna happen. Never. I am so happy I feel guilty sometimes. #RoyBluntRetiring

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) March 8, 2021

McCaskill’s announcement came minutes after a similar remark made by Jason Kander, who previously served as a Democratic member of the Missouri state House as well as the state’s secretary of state.

“Regarding the Senate in ‘22: Always nice to be asked. Thanks. My decision not to run was never about who I’d run against,” Kander tweeted.

“I’m the President of @VCP_HQ and we’re building campuses for vets around the USA,” he added. “Love this work, don’t want a new job. I’ll campaign for the Dem nominee!”

Regarding the Senate in ‘22:

Always nice to be asked. Thanks.

My decision not to run was never about who I’d run against.

I’m the President of @VCP_HQ and we’re building campuses for vets around the USA. Love this work, don’t want a new job.

I’ll campaign for the Dem nominee!

— Jason Kander (@JasonKander) March 8, 2021

Blunt’s retirement raises the prospect of another potential seat pickup for Senate Democrats next year, though his seat has been held by Republicans since the late 1980s. He is the fifth Senate Republican to say he will not seek reelection in 2022.