Eric Schmitt

Eric Schmitt (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Missouri. He assumed office on January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 3, 2029.

Schmitt (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Missouri. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

He was appointed as Attorney General of Missouri by Gov. Mike Parson (R) on November 13, 2018, following former Attorney General Josh Hawley's (R) election to the U.S. Senate.^[1]^[2] Schmitt took office in January 2019. Schmitt resigned as attorney general after he assumed office in the U.S. Senate.

Schmitt previously served as the Republican treasurer of Missouri from 2017 to 2019.^[3] He also previously served as a member of the Missouri State Senate, representing District 15. He was first elected to the state senate in 2008. He did not seek re-election to the Missouri State Senate in 2016 because he was term-limited. Instead, Schmitt filed to run for treasurer of Missouri in the 2016 elections.

Biography

Eric Schmitt earned a degree from Truman State University and a juris doctor from Saint Louis University. Schmitt's career experience includes working as an attorney.^[4]^[5]

Political career

Attorney General of Missouri (2019-2023)

On November 13, 2018, Gov. Mike Parson (R) appointed Schmitt as the attorney general of Missouri to succeed Josh Hawley.^[1] He assumed office in January 2019.

Missouri Treasurer (2017-2019)

Schmitt was elected Missouri treasurer on November 8, 2016. He assumed office on January 9, 2017.^[6] He served until January 2019, when he became attorney general of Missouri.

Missouri State Senate (2009-2017)

Schmitt represented District 15 in the Missouri State Senate from 2009 to 2017.

Committee assignments

2023-2024

Schmitt was assigned to the following committees:

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Schmitt served on the following committees:

Missouri committee assignments, 2015
• Gubernatorial Appointments, Chair
• Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government
• Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence
• Veterans' Affairs and Health
• Joint Committee on Administrative Rules
• Joint Committee on Government Accountability
• Joint Committee on the Justice System
• Joint Committee on MO Health Net
• Joint Committee on Missouri's Promise
• Joint Committee on Solid Waste Management District Operations

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Schmitt served on the following committees:

Missouri committee assignments, 2013
• Gubernatorial Appointments
• Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government, Chair
• Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence
• Veterans' Affairs and Health
• Ways and Means
• Joint Committee on Administrative Rules
• Joint Committee on Missouri's Promise
• Joint Committee on MO Health Net

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Schmitt served on the following committees:

Missouri committee assignments, 2011
• Joint Committee on Administrative Rules
• Joint Committee on Missouri's Promise
• Joint Committee on MO Health Net
• Gubernatorial Appointments
• Health, Mental Health, Seniors and Families
• Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government, Chair
• Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence, Vice chair

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Schmitt served on the following committees:

Missouri committee assignments, 2009
• Gubernatorial Appointments
• Health, Mental Health, Seniors and Families
• Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government
• Veterans' Affairs, Pensions and Urban Affairs
• Ways and Means

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, at which point Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023

Vote

Bill and description

Status

Yea

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 22, 2023, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2024. The bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.^[7]

Passed (87-13)

Nay

Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024

The Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024 (H.R. 6363) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 17, 2023, providing for the funding of federal agencies through January 19, 2024. The bill prevented a government shutdown that would have taken place if funding was not approved by November 17, 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.^[8]

Passed (87-11)

Nay

Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act

The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act (H.R. 5860) was a bill approved by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2023, providing for the funding of federal agencies through November 17, 2023. The bill prevented a government shutdown that would have taken place if funding was not approved by October 1, 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.^[9]

Passed (88-9)

Nay

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023

The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 3, 2023. The bill raised the federal debt limit until January 2025. The bill also capped non-defense spending in fiscal year 2024, rescinded unspent coronavirus relief funding, rescinded some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding, enhanced work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), simplified environmental reviews for energy projects, and ended the student loan debt repayment pause in August 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.^[10] Click here to read more.

Passed (63-36)

Yea

Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.

H.J.Res. 7 (Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 10, 2023. The resolution ended the national coronavirus state of emergency, which began on March 13, 2020. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate.^[11] Click here to read more.

Passed (68-23)

Yea

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'".

H.J.Res. 44 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate. The bill sought to nullify a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) rule establishing criteria to determine whether firearms equipped with stabilizing braces that facilitate shoulder fire were subject to regulation under the National Firearms Act. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate.^[12]

Failed (50-49)

Yea

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".

H.J.Res. 30 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and vetoed by President Joe Biden (D) on March 20, 2023. This was Biden's first veto of his presidency. The resolution sought to nullify a Department of Labor rule that amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow retirement plans to consider certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in investment-related decisions. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate.^[13] Click here to read more.

Passed (50-46)

Elections

2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Missouri

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate Missouri on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Eric Schmitt (R)	55.4	1,146,966
	Trudy Busch Valentine (D)	42.2	872,694
	Jonathan Dine (L)	1.7	34,821
	Paul Venable (Constitution Party)	0.7	14,608
	Nathan Mooney (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	14
	Steve Price (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	9
	Rik Combs (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	6
	Gina Bufe (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	5
	Theodis Brown Sr. (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	4
	David Kirk (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	3
	Martin Lindstedt (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	0

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,069,130
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Nicholas Strauss (Independent)
Ronald Deets (Independent)
John Wood (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Missouri on August 2, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Trudy Busch Valentine	43.2	158,957
	Lucas Kunce	38.3	141,203
	Spencer Toder	4.7	17,465
	Carla Wright	3.9	14,438
	Gena Ross	2.4	8,749
	Jewel Kelly, Jr.	1.8	6,464
	Lewis Rolen	1.4	5,247
	Pat Kelly	1.4	5,002
	Ronald William Harris	1.1	4,074
	Joshua Shipp	0.9	3,334
	Clarence Taylor	0.9	3,322

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 368,255
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Missouri on August 2, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Eric Schmitt	45.6	299,282
	Vicky Hartzler	22.1	144,903
	Eric Greitens	18.9	124,155
	Billy Long	5.0	32,603
	Mark McCloskey	3.0	19,540
	Dave Schatz	1.1	7,509
	Patrick Lewis	0.9	6,085
	Curtis D. Vaughn	0.5	3,451
	Eric McElroy	0.4	2,805
	Robert Allen	0.3	2,111
	C.W. Gardner	0.3	2,044
	Dave Sims	0.3	1,949
	Bernie Mowinski	0.2	1,602
	Deshon Porter	0.2	1,574
	Darrell Leon McClanahan III	0.2	1,139
	Rickey Joiner	0.2	1,084
	Robert Olson	0.2	1,081
	Dennis Lee Chilton	0.1	755
	Russel Pealer Breyfogle Jr	0.1	685
	Kevin Schepers	0.1	681
	Hartford Tunnell	0.1	637

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 655,675
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Constitution primary election

Constitution primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

Paul Venable advanced from the Constitution primary for U.S. Senate Missouri on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Venable	100.0	792

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 792
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

Jonathan Dine advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Missouri on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jonathan Dine	100.0	2,973

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,973
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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