Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson says she can’t give up the good thing she has in the Eighth Congressional District. She’s decided not to enter the Republican primary contest for a chance to beat Claire McCaskill’s reelection in the U. S. Senate race.
Emerson, elected in 1996, is the senior member of Missouri’s congressional delegation.
She says she enjoys the up close and personal aspects of being a member of Congress but would have to give up that kind of constituent contact if she held a statewide office. She also says her seniority coupled with the new Republican majority in the U.S. House gives her a chance to shape public policy in a way she would not have as a Senator.
Listen to excerpts from interview with KZIM’s Faune Riggin 2:09 mp3