Roy Blunt, American academic and politician
Roy Dean Blunt (born January 10, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Missouri, a seat he was first elected to in 2010. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 33rd Missouri Secretary of State (1985–1993) and U.S. Representative for Missouri's 7th congressional district (1997–2011).
Born in Niangua, Missouri, Blunt is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University). After serving as Missouri Secretary of State from 1985 to 1993, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Missouri's 7th congressional district in 1996. There, he served as Republican Whip from 2003 to 2009.
Blunt successfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 2010. The next year, he was elected vice chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. Blunt is the dean of Missouri's congressional delegation, and was elected to serve as Policy Committee chairman in November 2018. On March 8, 2021, he announced that he will not seek reelection in 2022.