A state senator from the St. Louis region has announced he will seek the Democratic nomination for Attorney General in 2016.

Senator Scott Sifton

Senator Scott Sifton

Affton senator Scott Sifton becomes the first Democrat to announce his candidacy for the office currently held by fellow Democrat Chris Koster, whose term is nearing its end and who is running for governor in 2016.

Sifton could find himself running against Columbia state senator Kurt Schaefer, the only Republican to formally announce his candidacy for Attorney General in the 2016 election cycle.

Sifton previously worked in the attorney general’s office and is a partner in the St. Louis law firm of Husch Blackwell. He served two years in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2012.

In a statement announcing his candidacy, Sifton writes, “I am tremendously grateful for the experience I gained early in my legal career working on special prosecutions and defending against criminal appeals in the Missouri Attorney General’s office. I pledge that as Attorney General, I will work to make Missouri safer for every family, consumer, community and business.”