Hulshof bows out of race for governor

Republican U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof on Friday bowed out of a race for Missouri governor in 2004, clearing the way for the GOP to throw its full support behind Secretary of State Matt Blunt.

The race is nearly two years away, but Republicans are itching to take on Democratic Gov. Bob Holden after his rocky first two years.

Hulshof, a four-term congressman from Columbia, Mo., was leaning toward the governor's race until his father died Nov. 22 after battling lung cancer for several months. Then his second child was born on Dec. 7.

"Ours is not a political family," Hulshof said in a statement. "I cannot in good conscience provide the representation people deserve, be a good husband and father, take on the additional responsibility of the family business and meet the demands that a statewide run would create.

"I will not seek the Republican nomination for governor in 2004," he said.

Hulshof, 43, rose to prominence as a prosecuting attorney who won a series of high-profile murder convictions. Known for fiery closing arguments that moved jurors to tears, Hulshof has used the same speechmaking skills on the campaign trail and on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Here in Missouri, conventional wisdom states that a sitting member of Congress will fare poorly when seeking statewide office, and yet I have moved forward, encouraged by scores of friends and supporters," Hulshof said in the statement. "I believe I can buck this historical trend."

He said the day after his 2002 re-election to Congress, he had decided to run "unless a compelling reason caused me to reconsider."

"I tacked on that caveat as an afterthought, not knowing that 16 days later, the sudden death of my father would so dominate my life and lead to my decision today," he said.

He grew up on his parents' southeast Missouri farm, and he and his mother, Geri, want to keep the farm running.

Hulshof concluded: "I look forward to serving in the 108th Congress, and I plan to seek re-election in 2004."

Blunt, 32, has been moving closer to running for governor, and Republican leaders have worried that a primary race between Blunt and Hulshof would hurt the GOP's chances in a race against Holden in 2004.