Missouri lawmaker Karla May seeks Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate

May campaigns for federal office more than a dozen years after being first elected to the Missouri Legislature

Jul 23, 2023

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — State Sen. Karla May is running for U.S. Senate in Missouri, the St. Louis Democrat announced earlier this month in her hometown.

May is vying for the Democratic nomination against St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell and Marine veteran Lucas Kunce.

Missouri Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis, shakes hands with a fellow lawmaker as she enters the House chamber to hear the State of the State address, Jan. 18, 2023, in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

The winner likely will face off against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley in the 2024 general election.

If elected, May or Bell would be among the first, if not the only, person of color elected to statewide office in Missouri. But Democrats face slim odds in the now Republican-dominated state.