Former Missouri Sen. Scott Sifton announced his bid Monday for the U.S. Senate in 2022, challenging U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt. A former Affton school board member, Missouri state representative and senator representing South County, Sifton’s campaign said in the announcement that he “has a record of winning tough campaigns and delivering for working families.”

Sifton unveiled his decision in a launch video he shared on social media. The video highlights the struggles his family faced when his father lost his job and the family lost their home in Kansas City, and how this drove Sifton to “dedicate his life to helping working families,” the campaign said. After working his way through college and law school, Sifton became a state legislator where he took on corruption and stood up for anti-discrimination laws, women’s health and workers’ rights.

“Our country is at a critical point in its history,” Sifton said in the announcement. “We just saw what happens when our leaders don’t stand up for truth and when they don’t put the good of our country over their own political ambitions. Josh Hawley’s dangerous conspiracy theories and attempts to overturn the election helped lead to a deadly insurrection, and Roy Blunt — the ultimate insider — was once again too weak to speak out. I’m running for Senate because Missouri deserves better. I’ve always been willing to take on the toughest fights to do right by Missouri families. We need a lot more of that in Washington.”

Sifton is an attorney who represented South County, Brentwood and Maplewood in the Missouri Senate for eight years before he was term-limited out of office, departing this January when Rep. Doug Beck, D-Affton, took over the seat.

Early Endorsements: 

Sifton’s campaign said the candidate is “proud to have already earned the support of some of Missouri’s most influential political leaders.”

Those include, according to a list provided by the campaign:

Nicole Galloway, Missouri State Auditor: “Scott Sifton is the right candidate for the United States Senate from Missouri in 2022. Twice elected to the state Senate in a closely contested district, Scott knows how to run and win a campaign focused on working families. Throughout his career, he’s taken on the corruption of our politics, fought against so-called right-to-work, supported healthcare expansion and strengthening public schools. I fully support him leading our 2022 statewide ticket. He gives us the best opportunity to win, adding to our U.S. Senate majority, and advancing policies for everyday Missourians.”

Alan Green, former Missouri Legislative Black Caucus Chairman: “I am supporting Scott Sifton for U.S. Senate because he has stood up against discrimination, defended voting rights and is the candidate I trust to work hard to grow our economy and create good-paying jobs right here in Missouri.”

Gina Walsh, former President of the Missouri Building Trades, former Democratic Senate Leader: “Working families deserve a U.S. Senator who will fight for them. Scott fought on the Senate floor to defeat Right to Work, defend public sector collective bargaining and stop cuts to the minimum wage and unemployment benefits. I know he will always be a champion for working families.”