Candidates line up to take Bond's Senate seat in 2010

Bond announced Thursday he wouldn't seek re-election.

By Greg Young

Published Jan. 9, 2009

U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., announced Thurday that he would not seek re-election to a fifth term to the U.S. Senate in 2010.

Bond, who was elected to the Senate in 1986 after serving terms as Missouri’s governor and auditor, is the third Republican senator to announce his intention not to seek re-election, joining Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback and Florida Sen. Mel Martinez.

“I thank the voters of Missouri who elected me to represent them,” Bond said Thursday in a news release. “There is no greater honor. I am truly blessed to have been entrusted by them with the responsibility of public office.”

Bond served on the powerful Appropriations Committee and was the chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship from 1995 to 2001.

 “He was a very effective senator for the state of Missouri,” said George Connor, head of the political science department at Missouri State University. “He was a low key, more old school senator. He is going to be known around the state as someone who provided services for the state of Missouri.”

Missouri Republican Party Chairman Doug Russell also praised Kit Bond’s influence on the state party organization.

 “I can honestly say that no other public official in recent history has meant more to the Missouri Republican Party and our state than Kit Bond,” Russell said in a news release. “I am saddened that Kit's storied career of public service is coming to a close at the end of his term.”

U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., also heaped praise on Bond’s tenure in the Senate.

 “After almost four decades of service, the contributions Kit made are interwoven in the history of Missouri and our nation,” Blunt said in a news release.

Meanwhile, Bond’s departure is also setting off speculation about who will run for his seat in the Senate in 2010.  Among Democrats, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, who won her re-election with almost 62 percent of the vote in 2008, and Attorney General Chris Koster, are viewed as potential candidates.

Missouri Democratic Party Chairman Craig Hosmer, while commending Bond, also said that the Democrats are excited for the potential opportunity that an open seat election could provide.

"Robin Carnahan spoke to the governor-elect this morning,” Hosmer said in a news release. “Robin would be a strong candidate and a great senator, and Democrats across the state hope she'll run.”

Connor believes that the Democrats would have an “average chance” at picking up the seat.

"Carnahan has a good reputation in the Democratic Party, she has good name recognition and a decent track record as the Secretary of State, but she is not a household word necessarily,” Connor said.

Meanwhile, among Republicans, Blunt and former U.S. Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo. are being speculated as candidates for the seat. Outgoing state Treasurer Sarah Steelman expressed interest in running for the seat in an interview on Thursday. 

Connor believes that the Republicans could have an issue avoiding a divisive primary, which he believes hurt the Republicans in the 2008 gubernatorial race.

 “A divisive primary could kill Republicans,” Connor said.

Connor believes that Talent, who lost to Sen. Claire McCaskill in 2006, could still be a strong candidate for Republicans.

“We certainly have people run statewide in Missouri who have lost who come back to win, but not often in the same race,” Connor said.