WASHINGTON _ Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley is creating an exploratory committee to run for U.S. Senate against Democrat Claire McCaskill.
"As part of Josh's process to consider becoming a candidate for the United States Senate, this week he is filing paperwork to launch an exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission," said Hawley's spokesman, Scott Paradise, in an email.
"This committee will abide by all applicable FEC contribution and expenditure limits and make quarterly disclosures as required by law," Paradise said. "Josh's state campaign committee has ceased expenditures and the soliciting or accepting of donations while he considers becoming a federal candidate."
Hawley took office a little more than half a year ago, but GOP donors and politicians from Missouri have been urging him for months to run against McCaskill, who is considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic senators in 2018.
McCaskill faces a tough battle for re-election in a state President Donald Trump won by nearly 19 points.
Former U.S. Sen. Jack Danforth, Republican megadonor David Humphreys other prominent Missouri Republicans published an open letter months ago urging Hawley to jump into the race for U.S. Senate in 2018.
In response to the letter in April, Hawley said in a statement he was "working very hard at the job people elected me to do" and that it was "far too early to be thinking about any future election with so much pressing work to do."
At the time, U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, a Republican, was expected to announce her own bid for McCaskill's seat. But Wagner said early last month she had decided against a run for Senate.
The news shocked many political observers in Missouri and Washington, where Wagner had long been considered a favorite to challenge against McCaskill.
After Wagner stepped aside, pressure grew on Hawley to take on McCaskill.
Vice President Mike Pence called Hawley about a week after Wagner announced her decision and talked to him about possibility of running against McCaskill.
He is giving the race serious consideration," Hawley's spokesman, Paradise, said in an email after Pence's call. "Josh has also received calls from others (candidates) interested in running and he is letting them know of his decision to consider the race."
Buzz about Hawley's growing interset in the Senate increased last week, when Hawley visited Washington, D.C., to meet with Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, Justice Department officials and others.
During his first seven months in office, Hawley has tackled two of McCaskill's top watchdog priorities, filing a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and establishing a new initiative meant to fight human trafficking.
McCaskill told reporters on Tuesday that she welcomed Hawleys efforts on trafficking. She also pointed out that she and Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio have been investigating trafficking through the website Backpage for two years now. The two senators introduced a bill on Tuesday that would strip federal liability protections from websites that "assist, support, or facilitate" violations of sex trafficking laws.
"I think frankly (Hawley) could get a lot of information just from us that he is seeking in his civil action," McCaskill said, "but I'm also going to send it to all the prosecutors who have criminal jurisdiction."
Other candidates seeking the Republican nomination include Tony Monetti, a retired Air Force pilot from Warrensburg, Dan McQueen, a Desert Storm veteran who runs an aerospace consulting firm in Jefferson City and Austin Petersen, a Kansas City man who unsuccessfully sought the Libertarian nomination for president last year.
State Rep. Paul Curtman, a former marine who represents Franklin County, has also formed an exploratory committee and state Rep. Marsha Haefner, who represents St. Louis County, has also expressed interest in the race.
Both Curtman and Haefner had previously planned to run for U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner's congressional seat until Wagner decided not to enter the Senate race.
