ST. LOUIS (AP) – Republican Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has made it official: He’s running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill in 2018.
Hawley, a 37-year-old in his first year of elected office, will release a video Tuesday morning announcing his candidacy. His campaign made the video available to The Associated Press.
He said he wasn’t planning to run for Senate. “But we believe we have to do all we can to win a better future for our country,” Hawley said on the video.
“It’s time to do something new,” Hawley said. “America is an exceptional place, and it’s still a young country. Its future is worth fighting for. So let’s get ready and do our part.”
McCaskill and Missouri Democrats have anticipated the announcement for months. The Missouri Democrat in July launched a digital ad accusing Hawley of using the attorney general’s office as a stepping stone to higher office.