Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill will seek a third term in the U.S. Senate, her spokesman confirmed on Thursday.
McCaskill announced her intention to run for re-election in response to a reporter’s question during a tour of a National Guard facility in Springfield, Mo.
“Claire’s continued working her heart out for Missouri — from frequent visits across the state, to concrete results for Missourians in the Senate,” said McCaskill spokesman John LaBombard in an email. “She’s got a record of independence and achievement that Missourians know well, and that she’s ready to run on in 2018.”
McCaskill, a former prosecutor and state auditor, deposed incumbent Republican Jim Talent to win her seat in the Senate in 2006. Six years later, she defeated conservative challenger Todd Akin.
McCaskill had been trailing Akin in the polls until he made a now-infamous comment that victims of “legitimate rape” could avoid pregnancy because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
The controversial remark drew wide condemnation, including from members of Akin’s own party, and doomed his attempt to unseat McCaskill.
In her years on Capitol Hill, McCaskill has carved out a watchdog role for herself by focusing on reducing fraud and waste in government contracts as well as combating sexual assaults on campus and in the military.
She also has prioritized consumer protection issues such as diet scams, cable billing problems and air bag safety.
McCaskill serves on committees on armed services, homeland security and aging and is the top Democrat on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
She completed treatment for breast cancer earlier this year.
Lindsay Wise: 202-383-6007, @lindsaywise
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