The filing deadline for candidates running for Congress in Missouri this year was March 29, 2022. Fifty-nine candidates are running in Missouri’s eight U.S. House districts, including 22 Democrats and 37 Republicans. That’s 7.37 candidates per district, more than the five candidates per district in 2020 and the 4.87 in 2018.
Here are some other highlights from this year’s filings:
- This is the first election to take place under new district lines following the 2020 census. Missouri was apportioned eight districts, the same number it was apportioned after the 2010 census.
- The 59 candidates running this year are the most candidates running for Missouri’s U.S. House seats since at least 2014, the earliest year for which we have data.
- Two districts — the 4th and the 7th — are open. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R), who represents the 4th district, and Rep. Billy Long (R), who represents the 7th district, are running for the U.S. Senate.
- The two open seats this year are the first U.S. House seats to open up in the state since at least 2012, the earliest year for which we have data.
- Eleven candidates — three Democrats and eight Republicans — are running to replace Long, the most candidates running for a seat this year.
- There are six contested Democratic primaries this year, the most since at least 2014, and eight contested Republican primaries, the most since 2016, when there were also eight contested Republican primaries.
- All six incumbents running for re-election are facing primary challengers, the same number as in 2020 and one more than in 2018.
- Candidates filed to run in the Republican and Democratic primaries in all eight districts, so no seats are guaranteed to either party this year.
Missouri and four other states — Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, and Washington — are holding primary elections on August 2. In Missouri, the winner of a primary election is the candidate who wins the greatest number of votes cast for that office, even if he or she does not receive an outright majority of votes.
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