Mark McCloskey, the St. Louis lawyer known for brandishing a rifle at Black Lives Matter protesters outside his home last year, announced his run for Senate in Missouri on Tuesday.
The Republican announced his candidacy on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program.
“I’ve always been a Republican, but I’ve never been a politician,” McCloskey told Carlson. “But, you know, God came knocking on my door last summer disguised as an angry mob and it really did wake me up.”
McCloskey said as he was rallying for former President Donald Trump, he was inspired to run for office.
“All we hear is talk and nothing ever changes,” he said. “You have to send people to D.C. who are willing to telling the truth and fight for our values.”
McCloskey joins a GOP primary field that includes Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Eric Greitens, the former governor who was chased from office in 2018 amid allegations of campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct. Charges against him in both matters were later dropped.
Republican Sen. Roy Blunt announced in March that he will not seek another term in 2022, triggering what could be an intense fight for the open seat.
Greitens, who also declared his candidacy on Fox News, has striven to align himself with supporters of former President Donald Trump. He has tapped Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is Donald Trump Jr.’s partner and a former Trump campaign aide, as a national campaign chair. He’s also a frequent guest on a daily podcast hosted by former Trump adviser Steve Bannon.
McCloskey and his wife, Patricia, made national headlines in June 2020 after waving guns at people in their neighborhood who were peacefully protesting police brutality and the city’s mayor following the death of George Floyd.
Their actions made them heroes in some GOP circles and earned them a speaking slot at Trump’s Republican National Convention. They later pleaded not guilty to two felony charges. Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, has said he would pardon the couple if they are convicted.
Democrats in Missouri have struggled in recent statewide elections, but see an opportunity in next year’s Senate election, particularly if Republicans nominate the baggage-laden Greitens.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
