Senator Kurt Schaefer announces plan to run for Missouri attorney general

Missouri State Senator Kurt Schaefer announced plans Wednesday to run for Missouri attorney general in 2016.

Schaefer (R-Columbia) is currently serving his second term as senator of Missouri’s 19th District.

The office of attorney general is expected to be up for grabs because the two-term incumbent, Democrat Chris Koster, has already said he’s preparing to run for governor in 2016.

He is also the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and gained recent notoriety for handling investigations into the Department of Revenue scanning and collecting data to send to government agencies.

Schaefer is a former assistant Missouri attorney general and special assistant United States attorney.

“Missourians need an attorney general with experience putting violent criminals behind bars. From our county courthouses to the Missouri Supreme Court, I’ve prosecuted some of Missouri’s most dangerous criminals and fought to protect the rights of victims.” Schaefer said in a statement. “I have prepared for this next step in public service all of my life, working to assure that the guilty are punished and the rights of Missourians are protected.”

On Facebook, Schaefer posted the following statement Wednesday:

“Today is day one of a very long road, but I am blessed to have the love and support of so many. I look forward to the effort of becoming the People’s Attorney.”

Schaefer, a St. Louis native, lives in Columbia with his wife and three children.