HULSHOF IS RISING STAR ON THE POLITICAL SCENE

A 1976 graduate of Kelly High School in Scott County is making his mark in the political world. That would be U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia, who still has many friends, supporters and family members in this part of Missouri.

Hulshof, 39, won the upset of the year last November when he defeated longtime Rep. Harold Volkmer, who had served 20 years in Congress from the Ninth District of northeast Missouri and never before lost an election. Hulshof had challenged Volkmer in 1994, losing narrowly that year.

Immediately upon winning the seat, Hulshof's star began shining ever brighter. He was elected president of his freshman class of representatives and won a place on the powerful, tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. From the latter post, as a member of the majority party, Hulshof is in the middle of historic efforts to junk the current tax code and replace it with a simpler, fairer, flatter version.

In the entire history of Northeast Missouri, a Republican has won this congressional seat only once previously, in 1920. Hulshof, then, would figure to be a fat target in next year's elections for Democrats eager to win it back, but the first viable candidate has yet to step up, while numerous potential nominees have declined. Hulshof is presenting himself well, and observers from both parties are saying he will be extremely tough to beat next year. Beyond that, he is already being mentioned for higher office, including a number of statewide positions.

Hulshof is remembered here for his years of service as public defender and assistant prosecutor, before he left to work as a special prosecutor in the attorney general's office. Southeast Missourians are proud that one of our own is achieving so much in the competitive world of national government and politics.