Josh Hawley talks about border security and inflation as key issues | Choose

BOONVILLE – Josh Hawley is no stranger to the spotlight. The first-term Republican U.S. senator from Missouri has made headlines on Capitol Hill, from his objection to the certification of the 2020 election results to his recent criticism of the acting director of the Secret Service over the assassination attempt on the former president Donald Trump.

Now the headline he needs most is “elected to a second term.”

“What I want is the support of the workers who actually make this country run, who are actually the backbone of the state, and I think we're getting that,” Hawley said before a campaign rally at the Route B Café in Boonville in October.

Hawley grew up in Lexington, Missouri, before attending Rockhurst High School, an all-boys Catholic school in Kansas City. He then graduated from Stanford University with a degree in history before completing his law degree at Yale University.

He returned to teach constitutional law at the University of Missouri.

Just off MU's highway in Jefferson City, Hawley said Missourians now demand a U.S. senator to address issues that extend beyond the state's borders and into the country's borders.

“First, they need the border closed,” Hawley said. “I mean, right now there are 15 million illegals coming into this country, into the state and committing crimes. I just spoke to a police officer in Kansas City who was attacked, a police officer in St. Louis who was murdered. a little boy in St. Louis who was murdered.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimated the number of undocumented immigrants living in the United States in 2022 at 11 million, and the Pew Research Center estimates there are 70,000 undocumented immigrants living in Missouri, representing 1.1% of the state's population.

KOMU 8 reported in September that there was no evidence that crimes committed by illegal immigrants were a systemic problem in Missouri.

Hawley didn't hold back on who he blames for the problems he believes Missourians are currently facing.

“We also need to get the price of gas down so that people can actually afford to put gas in their car, be able to afford their groceries, be able to pay their rent… We can do it, but we can't keep doing what we're doing .” under Kamala,” he said.

Hawley is sometimes a difficult man to define by his legislation. The Conservative Political Action Conference ranks him, along with fellow Republican Eric Schmitt of Missouri, among the ten most conservative members of the Senate. Still, he joined Bernie Sanders in supporting the legislation and also openly opposed Senator Mitch McConnell's Republican leadership.

“People like Mitch McConnell in my own party, if they do things that are bad for Missouri, I will not support that,” Hawley said. “For example, I will not support the transfer of hundreds of billions of dollars to Ukraine when we have nuclear radiation victims here in this state who cannot receive compensation. I’m not going to support transferring hundreds of billions. “I mean, there’s no way that’s crazy.”

He continued: “So listen, I will work with anyone, any party and walk down the aisle if it's good for Missouri. If it is not so, I will defy everyone, including my own leadership.”

At 43, Hawley is the fourth-youngest U.S. senator. When asked if he has any ambitions to run for higher office, Hawley said he is focused on where he is right now.

“Now listen, my goal is to win re-election and represent Missouri in the Senate as long as I think I can do good there and as long as the people of Missouri want me,” he said. “And listen, we have a lot of work to do.”

Hawley faces Democrat Lucas Kunce in the Nov. 5 general election.