Missouri lawmaker May enters race for US Senate seat held by Hawley

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — State Sen. Karla May is running for U.S. Senate in Missouri, the St. Louis Democrat announced Tuesday in her hometown.

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

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.

Voters first elected May to the state Legislature in 2010.