The person behind the name
Rick Brattin’s public career runs from the Marine Corps through the Missouri House, a county auditor’s office and the state Senate to a congressional nomination whose district lines are contested in court.
Brattin is a Republican state senator from Harrisonville who represents Missouri’s 31st Senatorial District: Bates, Cass and Johnson counties. He won the August 4, 2026 Republican primary for the 5th Congressional District. The Secretary of State’s August 25 certification lists him as the Republican candidate for that seat, alongside Democratic incumbent Emanuel Cleaver II and Libertarian Randall (Randy) Langkraehr. [1][2][3][7]
On election night the Missouri Independent reported Brattin leading Taylor Burks 44 percent to 26 percent with more than 60 percent of precincts counted. President Donald Trump had endorsed him the day before. This profile does not reproduce a certified vote total, because the state’s official results tables could not be read for this review. [2][8]
Upbringing, military service and work
His official Senate biography says he grew up in Greenwood, graduated from Lee’s Summit High School, then “earned the title United States Marine and served six years, achieving the rank of Sergeant.” His campaign biography adds that he joined after the September 11 attacks. After leaving the military he founded a small construction business, the Senate biography says. Neither biography lists post-secondary education. The military details here rest on those biographies, not on a service record released by the Marine Corps. [3][9]
From the House to the Senate
Brattin was first elected to the Missouri House in 2010 and served four terms. His Senate biography places that service in the 55th District in Cass County; Ballotpedia’s compilation of state results shows he won his first term from District 124 and the next three from District 55. The biography says he served as majority floor whip and chaired the Special Committee on Government Oversight. He was Cass County auditor between his House service and his 2020 election to the Senate, according to his Senate and campaign biographies. [3][4][9]
Official state returns show he won the August 2020 Republican primary for Senate District 31 with 14,012 votes, 49.6 percent, to Jack Bondon’s 12,467. In 2022 he ran for the U.S. House in the 4th District and finished second of seven Republicans with 22,509 votes, 21.4 percent; Mark Alford won with 36,981. He was re-elected to the Senate in November 2024 with 60,541 votes, 68.5 percent. [10][11][12]
In the Senate he chairs the Committee on Education. In January 2024 the Senate’s president pro tem removed him from a select-committee chairmanship in a dispute over the Missouri Freedom Caucus’s floor tactics. He was chairman of that caucus until June 2025, when he stepped down after voting for a stadium funding package and then left the group, the Missouri Independent reported. The Federal Election Commission lists Rick Brattin for Congress as his principal campaign committee. [5][13][14][15][47]
A note on the district lines. The August 4 primary was run on the congressional map the legislature passed in 2025. On September 3, 2026 the Missouri Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a referendum petition against that map was valid, that the map “will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters,” and that the 2022 districts remain in effect for the November 2026 general election. The Missouri Independent reported that the court did not invalidate the primary results. The Secretary of State has since directed local election authorities to use the 2022 map, and a federal appeal in which Brattin is a party was set for argument on the review date. “5th District” therefore describes different territory in the primary and, as things stood on September 17, in the general election. [6][16][17][18]
Life & public service
From a first House race in 2010 to a contested congressional map in 2026, these are the documented milestones.
Elected to the Missouri House
Won the District 124 seat with 8,100 votes (51.3 percent) to Democrat Luke Scavuzzo’s 7,335, in Ballotpedia’s compilation of state results. [4]
First run for Congress
Finished second in the 4th District Republican primary with 22,509 votes (21.4 percent). Mark Alford won with 36,981 (35.2 percent). [11]
Lost a chairmanship; sued; re-elected
In January the Senate’s president pro tem removed him as chair of a select committee in a dispute over Freedom Caucus floor tactics. In April, Denton Loudermill Jr. sued him and two other senators for defamation over social media posts about the Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting. In November he won a second Senate term with 68.5 percent (60,541 votes) over Democrat Raymond L. James. [12][19][47]
Two bills signed; caucus post given up
The governor approved his Senate Bill 22, on ballot summaries, in April. On July 14 the governor signed House Bill 262, a veterans’ treatment bill that Senate records list under Brattin’s name. In June he stepped down as Missouri Freedom Caucus chairman after voting for a stadium funding package. [13][20]
Ballot-summary law struck down
The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously invalidated Senate Bill 22 on January 23 for violating the constitution’s original-purpose rule. [21]
Enters the 5th District race
Joined the Republican primary on February 26. The Missouri Independent noted that he “does not live in the 5th District, which is not a legal requirement to run.” [22]
Accomplishments, in the record
Legislation and official documents establish the following work. Outcomes are described at the level supported by those records, with shared credit where other officials were principal authors.
Certified for the November ballot
The Secretary of State’s Certification of Candidates and Party Emblems, dated August 25, 2026, lists three candidates for U.S. Representative, District 5: Rick Brattin, Republican; Emanuel Cleaver, II, Democratic; and Randall (Randy) Langkraehr, Libertarian. [1]
The certification predates the Missouri Supreme Court’s September 3 ruling on district lines. The Missouri Independent reported that the court “did not invalidate the results of that primary and the winners have been certified for the November ballot.” [6]
What the courts have ruled on the map
House Bill 1, the congressional map passed in a 2025 special session, cleared the House 90–65 and the Senate 21–11, in LegiScan’s copy of the legislative history. The Senate’s list of governor actions records it as signed on September 29, 2025. The roll call read for this review did not show individual votes, so Brattin’s own vote is not stated here. [25][26]
In Luther v. Hoskins, decided March 24, 2026, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled 4–3 that the constitution’s congressional districting section “does not prohibit more frequent congressional redistricting,” and it affirmed the judgment that upheld House Bill 1. In Healey v. State, decided May 12, it held that challengers “failed to show the 2025 Map clearly and undoubtedly violates” the constitution’s districting requirements. [27][28]
On September 3, 2026, in von Glahn v. Hoskins, the court ruled unanimously that the referendum petition on House Bill 1 “was legal, sufficient, and timely,” that the bill “did not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters,” and that the 2022 plan “remains in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election.” It enjoined the Secretary of State from using the House Bill 1 districts. [16]
A plaintiff in the federal case
The docket of Onder et al v. State of Missouri et al, filed September 4, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, lists Brattin among four plaintiffs, with U.S. Rep. Robert Onder and two others. The defendants are the State of Missouri and Secretary of State Denny Hoskins. The docket records a complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and a motion for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order. [23]
The 8th Circuit docket in No. 26-2797 lists “Richard Ray Brattin” among the plaintiffs-appellees; the intervenor-appellants are Richard von Glahn and People Not Politicians, the group behind the referendum. A September 10 order set expedited briefing and remote oral argument for September 17, 2026 at 10 a.m. The Justia copy of the docket read for this review was last retrieved on September 11, 2026, so it could not show the argument or any ruling that followed. A docket records filings; it does not decide the claims. [18][24]
A ballot-summary law, enacted then struck down
The Senate’s bill page lists Brattin as sponsor of Senate Bill 22 of 2025, with Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman as co-sponsor and Rep. Ben Keathley as House handler. Its official summary says the act “modifies provisions relating to summary statements for statewide ballot measures.” LegiScan’s copy of the history records Senate passage 24–10 on February 27, House passage 109–46 on April 14 and the governor’s signature on April 24; the Senate’s list of governor actions records a letter of approval dated April 28. [20][29][30]
The Missouri Independent reported that the bill gave the secretary of state three chances to revise a challenged summary before a judge could rewrite it, and that Brattin’s original version “eliminated the court’s ability to rewrite a ballot summary.” In that report Brattin said, “To me this is a gross overstepping of the judiciary branch,” and called the bill a compromise. [31]
On January 23, 2026 the Missouri Supreme Court, in Nicholson v. State, unanimously entered judgment “invalidating SB 22 in its entirety.” It held that a provision added during passage, giving the attorney general power to appeal preliminary injunctions, “is not germane with the original title and contents of SB 22.” The ruling turned on legislative procedure, not on ballot-summary policy. Days later Brattin said of the judiciary, “They want to act like they’re the legislature.” [21][32]
A veterans’ treatment bill, with shared credit
House Bill 262 of 2025, the “Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment and Recovery Act,” was sponsored by Rep. Chris Brown. The Senate’s list of governor actions prints Brattin’s name beside the bill, in the column where that list names a senator for each House bill, and records it as signed on July 14, 2025. [20][33]
The Missouri Independent described it as a bill “expanding access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy for Missouri veterans” and reported that Brattin “sponsored a companion bill in the Senate.” In Senate debate he said the aim was that “veterans don’t have to go broke to receive a treatment.” Rep. Brown was the principal sponsor. The records establish passage; they do not measure results. [33]
Chairing the Senate Education Committee
The Senate’s 2026 committee page lists Brattin as chair of the Committee on Education, with Sen. Brad Hudson as vice-chair. [5]
In April 2026 the Missouri Independent reported that he “offered substitutes to five separate bills” to add his proposal requiring public schools “to publish easy-to-understand financial reports on the homepage of their website.” The report said senators had criticized the proposal in March “as creating an administrative burden for schools” and that Democrats opposed the amended bills. It does not establish whether the proposal became law. [34]
What he filed in the 2026 session
The bills the Senate’s 2026 list shows under Brattin’s name include measures on personal property taxes (SB 857), “additional protections to bear arms” (SB 858), “foreign ownership of real estate near military installations” (SB 947), parents’ “fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health of their children” (SB 948), a new “offense of judicial malfeasance” (SB 949), automated license plate readers (SB 1027) and a tax credit “for certain educational expenses” (SB 1163). The list shows other Brattin bills as well. A bill list documents filing, not passage. [35]
Faith, family & community
His official Senate biography says he is married to Athena and is the father of five children. It describes the family as “devoted Christians and members of Abundant Life Church in Lee’s Summit.” [3]
His campaign biography says he and his wife are members of Abundant Life and “recently welcomed their first grandchild.” [9]
The Senate biography says he lives on a 40-acre property, is active in groups across the 31st District, and spends free time at his children’s sporting events, on his farm and hunting. It names no specific organizations, and this profile lists none. [3]
His mission for Missouri
Now I’m ready to take that fight to Congress to help President Trump secure our border, restore energy independence, cut wasteful spending, and advance the America First agenda that puts hardworking Americans first.
The following summarizes the agenda on Brattin’s official campaign website. These are proposed priorities and the campaign’s own descriptions of his record, not completed congressional accomplishments. [36][37]
01Border and immigration enforcement
Says he will back President Trump’s efforts to “build the wall, fully fund ICE, deport criminal illegal aliens.” The page says he sponsored state legislation penalizing employers who hire without checking immigration status and sought a ban on sanctuary cities. [37]
02Second Amendment
Describes him as an NRA member and says he voted for Missouri’s Second Amendment Preservation Act and filed bills barring government contracts with companies that “discriminate against firearms manufacturers.” [37]
03Abortion
Calls him “100% pro-life,” cites his vote to lengthen Missouri’s abortion waiting period from 24 to 72 hours, and says he will work to “defund Planned Parenthood.” [37]
04Cost of living, taxes and spending
Backs “cutting taxes, slashing regulations, and unleashing American energy,” and says he will oppose spending that adds to the national debt. The page cites his state-level work on property-tax limits. [37]
05China
Says he will “hold China accountable and work to reduce our dependence on Chinese goods.” The page cites a bill he filed to bar foreign ownership of land near military installations and says he “voted against a bill that would have subsidized a Chinese air cargo hub at the St. Louis airport.” [37]
06Schools and “woke” programs
Under the heading “Get the Woke Agenda Out of Our Government & Schools,” the page says he will work to “defund woke programs across the federal government” and cites bills on parental oversight of education and on school-library books. [37]
07Public library funding
At a July 28, 2026 press conference with Secretary of State Denny Hoskins about a story-time event at the Daniel Boone Regional Library, Brattin said he would work “to defund libraries that continue to (read inappropriate books).” State Rep. Wick Thomas called the officials’ statements “government censorship,” the Missouri Independent reported. [38]
How to assess a proposal. A campaign plan states an intention. Enactment, implementation costs, replacement revenue, and measured results are separate questions. These priorities should be read alongside the documented record above.
The fuller record
A useful profile includes policy tradeoffs, the limits of a claim, and responses to material criticism.
Disputed district lines, and where he lives
Brattin was nominated on the map the legislature passed in 2025. Entering the race in February 2026, he told the Missouri Independent, “The Legislature has the sole authority in this map-making process. So I totally believe the courts will be on our side on this.” The outlet reported then that he “does not live in the 5th District, which is not a legal requirement to run”; that described the 2025 lines. Brattin said, “If I am victorious in this, and I believe I will be, I definitely will live in the district that I do serve.” Primary rival Brad Patty told the outlet in July 2026, “So you vote for the map as a state senator, and then you run in it, and you don’t live in the district.” The legislative history read for this review does not show how Brattin himself voted on the map. On primary night, KOMU reported, he said he had no concerns about the district changing before November. A month later the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the 2022 districts remain in effect. Brattin then joined the federal suit described above; in the Missouri Independent’s summary, the plaintiffs argue that “switching maps between the primary and general election violates the U.S. Constitution.” A federal judge granted them a restraining order, and the U.S. Supreme Court stayed it “without any noted dissents.” The 8th Circuit appeal was set for argument on September 17, the date of this review. No outcome is reported here, and the reports read for this review do not say where Harrisonville falls under the 2022 lines now ordered for November. [7][16][18][22][23][24][25][39][40]
Posts after the Chiefs parade shooting
In 2024 Brattin and two other Republican state senators were sued over social media messages that, in the Missouri Independent’s words, were “falsely accusing” Denton Loudermill Jr. “of being a shooter and an ‘illegal alien’” after the Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting. Loudermill, born in Kansas, had been “detained briefly because he was too slow to leave the area of the shooting.” Brattin’s post, since deleted, demanded “#POTUS CLOSE THE BORDER.” At a February 22, 2024 news conference, before the suits were filed, he said he and the others had nothing to apologize for and told reporters, “We’ve done nothing and, you know, I have no comment.” In May 2024 Gov. Mike Parson directed that no payment from the state’s legal expense fund be certified for the suits “without my approval or a court order,” writing that the senators “falsely accused an American citizen of a heinous act and related it to his immigration status.” A spokesperson for Attorney General Andrew Bailey, whose office defended the senators, replied that Bailey “is following the law as written.” In court the senators argued that they wrote the posts as part of their Senate duties. A Kansas federal judge dismissed the suits in October 2024 for lack of jurisdiction, and they were refiled in Missouri. A commentary published by Kansas Reflector and the Missouri Independent in October 2025 said that Loudermill had died that April and that a federal magistrate judge on October 7 allowed the case against Brattin and Denny Hoskins to proceed; that order was not read for this review. An 8th Circuit docket shows Brattin appealing an October 7, 2025 order, with the personal representative of Loudermill’s estate as the opposing party; it listed no decision when read. No source read for this review records a ruling on whether the posts were defamatory. [19][41][42][43][49][50]
Statements on abortion and rape
The Washington Times reported on December 18, 2014 that Brattin, then a House member, had filed a bill under which “No abortion shall be performed or induced unless and until the father of the unborn child provides written, notarized consent,” with an exception for rape or incest. It quoted him telling Mother Jones, “Just like any rape, you have to report it and you have to prove it,” and, “It has to be a legitimate rape.” On February 7, 2024, as the Senate voted down amendments to allow abortion in cases of rape and incest, the Associated Press quoted him: “If you want to go after the rapist, let’s give him the death penalty. Absolutely, let’s do it.” AP reported that he “argued that giving birth could help women recover from rape or incest.” His campaign site calls him “100% pro-life.” The 2014 quotation is second-hand: the Mother Jones interview could not be opened for this review. [37][44][45]
A 2017 remark on homosexuality
In May 2017, arguing on the Missouri House floor against an amendment to Senate Bill 43 that would have banned discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, Brattin said, “When you look at the tenets of religion, of the Bible, of the Quran, of other religions, there is a distinction between homosexuality and just being a human being.” HuffPost, crediting The Kansas City Star, reported that Brattin believed the protections “would infringe on religious liberty,” that Rep. Kevin Engler, a Republican, dropped the amendment for lack of votes, and that the bill passed 98–30 without it. A Kansas City Star editorial quoted by HuffPost and by Australia’s SBS News called the statement “deplorable.” Neither report carries a response from Brattin; the SBS article says he “did not return a phone call to his office.” The Star’s own report could not be opened for this review, so the quotation is second-hand. [51][52]
Freedom Caucus tactics and the stadium vote
In January 2024 Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden removed four Freedom Caucus senators from committee posts; Brattin lost the chair of the Select Committee on the Protection of Missouri Assets from Foreign Adversaries and two vice chairmanships, the Missouri Independent reported. Rowden said he acted after caucus members, in the outlet’s words, “tied up the Senate for 11 hours” to force action on initiative petition bills. Brattin called Rowden “somebody that wants to go out and say that we’re bringing peace, yet wants to bring nothing but war.” That May he held the floor overnight in a caucus filibuster that blocked renewal of the taxes that fund Medicaid for more than 39 hours. He said, “That is why I stood here all night long and why I will continue to stand here to protect life.” In June 2025 Brattin voted for what the Missouri Independent described as “$1.5 billion in tax incentives to finance new or renovated stadiums,” which passed the Senate 19–13. He voted yes, the outlet reported, “after a provision was added making changes to local property tax bills.” Days later he stepped down as chairman of the Missouri Freedom Caucus, and he left the caucus that month. Bill Eigel, a former caucus leader, said Gov. Mike Kehoe was “getting conservatives to vote as badly as the moderates”; caucus adviser Jim Lembke said the group had “lost all credibility.” Brattin’s answer: “if we’re going to be giving handouts to millionaires and billionaires, we need broad-based tax relief for people,” and, “To me, this was a massive win.” [13][14][47][48]
Rivals’ criticism, endorsements and money
Taylor Burks, who ran second in election-night returns, told the Missouri Independent in July 2026 that Brattin “has a long track record of being a bomb thrower and a disrupter in the state Legislature.” Brattin told the outlet his “voting record is resonating with people that are tired of people talking the talk and not walking the walk.” The same report said Club for Growth was “the funding source behind more than $1.3 million being spent by Win It Back PAC” on ads for Brattin. President Trump endorsed him the day before the primary, “after early voting had ended”; Gov. Mike Kehoe and Missouri Right to Life had backed him earlier. His committee’s pre-primary report to the Federal Election Commission shows $331,764.08 in receipts for the cycle and $222,509.83 on hand on July 15, 2026. Endorsements and spending establish political backing; they are not independent evaluations of the record described here. [2][8][15][40][46]
Questions & answers
Who is Rick Brattin?
What office is Rick Brattin running for in 2026?
He is the Republican nominee for the U.S. House in Missouri’s 5th Congressional District. The Secretary of State certified him for the November ballot on August 25, 2026. [1]
Who is Rick Brattin running against?
When is the election?
The general election is November 3, 2026. [6]
Which district map will be used in November?
As of September 17, 2026, the Missouri Supreme Court had ruled that the 2022 districts remain in effect for the November election, and the Secretary of State had told local officials to use that map. A referendum on the 2025 map is on the same ballot. A federal appeal in which Brattin is a party was set for argument that day, so this could change. [6][16][17][18]
What are Rick Brattin’s main campaign priorities?
His campaign site lists border enforcement, gun rights, opposition to abortion, lower taxes and spending, a pledge to “hold China accountable,” and removing what it calls “woke” programs from government and schools. These are campaign positions, not accomplishments. [37]
What has Rick Brattin done in office?
He served four House terms, including as majority floor whip, and has been a state senator since 2021, chairing the Education Committee. His Senate Bill 22 on ballot summaries became law in 2025 and was struck down by the Missouri Supreme Court in January 2026. A veterans’ treatment bill that Senate records list under his name was signed in July 2025. [3][5][20][21]
The sources behind the story
Primary government documents anchor the record. Official biographies establish attributed background; original reporting supplies election results and scrutiny. Campaign materials are used for the candidate’s own priorities and claims.
- 01Certification of Candidates and Party Emblems: November 2026 general electionMissouri Secretary of State · Certified Aug. 25, 2026
The election authority’s certified list names Rick Brattin (Republican), Emanuel Cleaver, II (Democratic) and Randall (Randy) Langkraehr (Libertarian) for U.S. Representative, District 5. It predates the September 3 court ruling on district lines.Government / regulatory record - 02Rick Brattin wins Missouri 5th District GOP primary amid uncertainty over district linesMissouri Independent · Aug. 4, 2026
Rudi Keller’s primary-night report: partial returns, the timing of Donald Trump’s endorsement, the November opponents and the referendum dispute. Percentages are election-night figures, not certified totals.Independent reporting - 03Senator Rick Brattin: official biography, District 31Missouri Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Official Senate biography: House service and leadership posts, Cass County auditor, Marine Corps service and rank, construction business, family and church. It is a member biography published by the Senate, not a service record.Government / regulatory record - 04Rick BrattinBallotpedia · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Compilation of his election results since 2010 and his Senate start date. Cited only for House-era results, which this review did not read in the state’s own returns; Senate and congressional figures come from the Secretary of State.Independent analysis / professional record - 05Committee on Education: 2026 membershipMissouri Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
The Senate’s committee page lists Brattin as chair and Sen. Brad Hudson as vice-chair. It lists members, not the committee’s output.Government / regulatory record - 06Missouri Supreme Court blocks gerrymandered congressional map, orders referendum voteMissouri Independent · Sep. 3, 2026
Rudi Keller’s report on the September 3 ruling. It supplies what the opinion page does not: that the court left the August primary results in place.Independent reporting - 07Missouri Republicans ask federal court to revive gerrymandered map and block referendumKCUR / Missouri Independent · Sep. 16, 2026
Most recent report read for this review: names Brattin, of Harrisonville, as 5th District GOP nominee and as a plaintiff asking the 8th Circuit to sustain the federal restraining order.Independent reporting - 08Rick Brattin wins Republican primary for Missouri seat redrawn to favor GOP, will face longtime House DemocratCBS News · Aug. 4, 2026
National report on the primary: Trump’s and Gov. Mike Kehoe’s backing, Cleaver’s unopposed nomination and tenure, and the partisan change in the district under the 2025 lines.Independent reporting - 09Meet RickRick Brattin for Congress · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Campaign biography: Greenwood upbringing, enlistment after September 11, four House terms, county auditor, Senate Education Committee chairmanship, church and family. Self-description, not independently verified here.Campaign source - 10Official Election Results: Primary Election, August 4, 2020Missouri Secretary of State · Aug. 4, 2020
Official returns for the Senate District 31 Republican primary: Brattin 14,012 (49.6%), Jack Bondon 12,467 (44.1%), Bill Yarberry 1,774 (6.3%).Government / regulatory record - 11Official Election Returns: Primary Election, August 2, 2022Missouri Secretary of State · Aug. 2, 2022
Official returns for the 4th Congressional District Republican primary: Mark Alford 36,981 (35.2%), Brattin 22,509 (21.4%), five others; party total 105,107.Government / regulatory record - 12Official Election Returns: General Election, November 5, 2024Missouri Secretary of State · Dec. 5, 2024
Returns as announced by the Board of State Canvassers on December 5, 2024. State Senator, District 31: Brattin 60,541 (68.5%), Raymond L. James 27,825 (31.5%).Government / regulatory record - 13Deal to pay for Chiefs, Royals stadiums fractures Missouri Freedom CaucusMissouri Independent · June 9, 2025
Jason Hancock’s report on the 19–13 Senate vote for the stadium package, Brattin’s resignation as Freedom Caucus chairman, criticism from Bill Eigel and Jim Lembke, and Brattin’s explanation.Independent reporting - 14Missouri Freedom Caucus left with only two Senate members after summer of defectionsMissouri Independent · Aug. 18, 2025
Reports that Brattin, a former caucus chairman, quit the Freedom Caucus in June 2025 after the stadium vote.Independent reporting - 15BRATTIN, RICHARD: candidate for House, Missouri District 5 (H2MO04199)Federal Election Commission · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
FEC candidate page: principal campaign committee Rick Brattin for Congress (C00939710) and 2026-cycle totals for February 18 through July 15, 2026. Later reports were not yet posted.Government / regulatory record - 16von Glahn v. Hoskins, No. SC101805Supreme Court of Missouri (opinion text via Justia) · Decided Sep. 3, 2026
Unanimous opinion by Judge Ginger K. Gooch: the referendum petition on House Bill 1 was valid, the bill never took effect, and the 2022 districts govern the November 2026 election. The page says nothing about the August primary results.Government / regulatory record - 17Missouri Supreme Court finds Denny Hoskins ‘was in contempt’ over congressional mapsMissouri Independent · Sep. 10, 2026
Reports the contempt finding against the Secretary of State and quotes his directive to local election authorities to use the 2022 congressional map.Independent reporting - 18Congressman Robert Onder, et al v. Richard von Glahn, et al, No. 26-2797: docketU.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (docket via Justia) · Filed Sep. 8, 2026
Appeal docket listing “Richard Ray Brattin” among the plaintiffs-appellees and recording the September 10 order that set remote oral argument for September 17, 2026. The Justia copy was last retrieved on September 11, 2026, so it cannot show the argument or anything after it.Government / regulatory record - 19Three Missouri state senators sued for defamation over posts about Chiefs parade shootingMissouri Independent · Apr. 4, 2024
Rudi Keller’s report on Denton Loudermill Jr.’s lawsuits: the posts, the damages sought and Brattin’s response to reporters.Independent reporting - 20Governor Actions on Truly Agreed Bills: 2025 regular sessionMissouri Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Records the governor’s action on SB 22 (letter of approval, April 28, 2025) and HB 262 (signed July 14, 2025). Beside House bills it prints a senator’s name linked to a Senate member page; the page carries no legend explaining the column.Government / regulatory record - 21Nicholson v. State, No. SC101308Supreme Court of Missouri (opinion text via Justia) · Decided Jan. 23, 2026
Unanimous opinion by Chief Justice W. Brent Powell invalidating Senate Bill 22 (2025) in its entirety for violating the constitution’s original-purpose rule. The opinion addresses procedure, not the merits of ballot-summary policy.Government / regulatory record - 22Field expands in Missouri’s gerrymandered 5th District as Brattin joins GOP primaryMissouri Independent · Feb. 26, 2026
Rudi Keller’s report on Brattin’s entry into the race: his statements on the map and the courts, his residence outside the district as then drawn, and his 2022 result.Independent reporting - 23Onder et al v. State of Missouri et al, No. 4:2026cv01424: docketU.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri (docket via Justia) · Filed Sep. 4, 2026
Federal docket naming Brattin among four plaintiffs suing the State of Missouri and Secretary of State Denny Hoskins under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The copy read showed only the September 4 filings, not later orders.Government / regulatory record - 24Missouri GOP still see path for gerrymandered congressional map. Legal experts see little hope.Missouri Independent · Sep. 14, 2026
Jason Hancock’s report on the federal case filed by Bob Onder, Brattin and two voters, the U.S. Supreme Court’s stay and the 8th Circuit’s argument schedule. It does not report an outcome.Independent reporting - 25Missouri HB 1 (2025 second special session): history and roll callsLegiScan · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Third-party copy of the history of the 2025 congressional map: sponsor Rep. Dirk Deaton, House 90–65, Senate 21–11. The roll-call page did not display individual senators’ votes.Independent analysis / professional record - 26Governor Actions on Truly Agreed Bills: 2025 second extraordinary sessionMissouri Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Lists House Bill 1, which “creates provisions for redistricting federal congressional seats,” as signed by the governor on September 29, 2025, with Sen. Black’s name beside it. It does not show how individual senators voted.Government / regulatory record - 27Luther v. Hoskins, No. SC101412Supreme Court of Missouri (opinion text via Justia) · Decided Mar. 24, 2026
Opinion by Judge Zel M. Fischer, 4–3, holding that the state constitution does not bar mid-decade congressional redistricting and upholding House Bill 1. It did not decide the later referendum question.Government / regulatory record - 28Healey v. State, Nos. SC101570 and SC101572Supreme Court of Missouri (opinion text via Justia) · Decided May 12, 2026
Opinion by Chief Justice W. Brent Powell, all concurring, rejecting a challenge to the 2025 map under the constitution’s contiguity, compactness and equal-population requirements.Government / regulatory record - 29SB 22 (2025): bill informationMissouri Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
The Senate’s bill page: sponsor Brattin, co-sponsor Mary Elizabeth Coleman, House handler Ben Keathley, and the official summary of the truly agreed version. It does not reflect the 2026 court ruling that voided the law.Government / regulatory record - 30Missouri SB 22 (2025 regular session): history and roll callsLegiScan · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Third-party copy of the legislative history: Senate third reading 24–10, House third reading 109–46, signed by the governor April 24, 2025. Used because the Missouri House’s bill pages refused automated access.Independent analysis / professional record - 31Bill would increase Missouri secretary of state’s role in initiative petition processMissouri Independent · Apr. 2, 2025
Natanya Friedheim’s report on Senate Bill 22 while it was in a House committee: how the revision process would work and Brattin’s comments as sponsor.Independent reporting - 32State of the Judiciary speech scrapped as Missouri Senate GOP protest court decisionsMissouri Independent · Jan. 28, 2026
Jason Hancock’s report quoting Brattin’s criticism of the Missouri Supreme Court after it struck down the ballot-summary law.Independent reporting - 33Bill expanding access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy for Missouri veterans heads to governorMissouri Independent · May 6, 2025
Rebecca Rivas’s report on final passage of House Bill 262, sponsored by Rep. Chris Brown, with Brattin’s remarks in Senate debate and his Senate companion bill.Independent reporting - 34Missouri education bills swell as lawmakers race toward session deadlineMissouri Independent · Apr. 28, 2026
Annelise Hanshaw’s report on Brattin’s use of the Education Committee chair to add a school financial-reporting proposal to five bills. It does not report the final outcome.Independent reporting - 35Bill List – 2026: Missouri Senate 2026 Senate BillsMissouri Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Official list of Senate bills with sponsors and short descriptions. It documents what Brattin filed in 2026, not what passed.Government / regulatory record - 36Rick Brattin for Congress: campaign home pageRick Brattin for Congress · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
The campaign’s own statement of purpose, its committee disclaimer and its social-media links. Used only for the candidate’s self-description.Campaign source - 37IssuesRick Brattin for Congress · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Primary source for the campaign’s stated positions. Its descriptions of his state legislative record are campaign claims and are labeled as such.Campaign source - 38Missouri Republicans threaten library funding over ‘rainbow story time’Missouri Independent · July 28, 2026
Annelise Hanshaw’s report on a joint press conference by Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and Brattin about the Daniel Boone Regional Library, with Brattin’s statements and a Democratic legislator’s criticism.Independent reporting - 39Rick Brattin wins Republican primary for 5th Congressional District seatKOMU 8 News · Aug. 4, 2026
Columbia television report from primary night, including Brattin’s statement that he had no concerns about the district changing before November. Gives no vote totals.Independent reporting - 40Uncertain congressional map hangs over Missouri’s crowded 5th District GOP primaryMissouri Independent · July 21, 2026
Pre-primary survey of the Republican field: Brattin’s endorsements, outside spending on his behalf, his view that the map is not subject to referendum, and rivals’ criticism of his Senate tactics and residence.Independent reporting - 41Judge dismisses defamation case against Missouri senators over Chiefs parade shooting postsKCUR / Missouri Independent · Oct. 22, 2024
Reports the Kansas federal court’s dismissal for lack of jurisdiction, the senators’ official-duties defense through the attorney general, and the plaintiff’s plan to refile in Missouri. A jurisdictional ruling, not a ruling on the claims.Independent reporting - 42Defamation case against lawmakers over Chiefs parade shooting posts refiled in MissouriMissouri Independent · Oct. 31, 2024
Reports the refiling in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri and that Brattin did not respond to a request for comment.Independent reporting - 43Reba Paul v. Richard Brattin, No. 25-3112: docketU.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (docket via Justia) · Filed Oct. 23, 2025
Brattin’s appeal from an October 7, 2025 district-court order in the Loudermill defamation case; the appellee is the personal representative of Loudermill’s estate. Briefs were filed through April 6, 2026; no opinion was listed when read.Government / regulatory record - 44Report on Rick Brattin’s proposal to require a father’s consent for abortionThe Washington Times · Dec. 18, 2014
Report quoting the text of the bill Brattin filed on December 3, 2014 and his remarks to Mother Jones. The title here is descriptive. The Mother Jones interview itself could not be opened for this review, so the quotation is second-hand.Independent reporting - 45Missouri Senate votes against allowing abortion in cases of rape and incestPBS NewsHour / Associated Press · Feb. 7, 2024
Summer Ballentine’s AP report on the Senate debate, quoting Brattin’s floor remarks. The amendments failed along party lines; the report records no final vote on the underlying bill.Independent reporting - 46Rick Brattin for Congress: FEC Form 3, pre-primary reportFederal Election Commission · Filed July 23, 2026
The committee’s own filing for July 1–15, 2026, with election-cycle-to-date receipts, disbursements and closing cash. Figures are as reported by the committee.Government / regulatory record - 47Missouri ‘Freedom Caucus’ leaders ousted from Senate chairmanships over stall tacticsMissouri Independent · Jan. 23, 2024
Rudi Keller’s report on Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden’s removal of four Freedom Caucus senators from committee posts, including Brattin’s select-committee chairmanship and two vice chairmanships, with Rowden’s reasons and Brattin’s reply.Independent reporting - 48Senate filibuster of taxes that fund Missouri Medicaid approaches record at 39-hour markMissouri Independent · May 1, 2024
Rudi Keller’s report on the Freedom Caucus filibuster of the Medicaid provider taxes: Brattin’s overnight shift holding the floor, the caucus’s demands and his stated reason.Independent reporting - 49Parson orders state agency not to pay legal expenses for legislators facing defamation suitMissouri Independent · May 20, 2024
Jason Hancock’s report on Gov. Mike Parson’s letter barring legal-expense-fund payments in the Loudermill suits without his approval or a court order, with the attorney general’s reply. It carries no response from Brattin.Independent reporting - 50Gossip haunted Kansas man’s final days after Missouri officials made false claimsMissouri Independent (commentary republished from Kansas Reflector) · Oct. 15, 2025
A labeled commentary by Mark McCormick, not a news report. Used only for two facts it states: Loudermill’s death in April 2025 and a magistrate judge’s October 7, 2025 order letting the case against Hoskins and Brattin proceed. The order itself was not read.Independent reporting - 51Lawmaker Says There’s A ‘Distinction’ Between Being Gay And ‘Being A Human Being’HuffPost · May 2017
Report, crediting The Kansas City Star, on Brattin’s remark in House debate on an amendment to Senate Bill 43, the amendment’s withdrawal and the 98–30 vote. The copy read printed no byline or date; the month comes from the dated SBS report of the same remark. Second-hand: the Star’s article could not be opened.Independent reporting - 52Missouri politician insists there’s a “distinction” between gay people and human beingsSBS News (Australia) · May 12, 2017
Michaela Morgan’s dated report of the same remark, quoting The Kansas City Star’s editorial and the line that Brattin did not return a call to his office. A foreign public broadcaster summarizing U.S. coverage, not original reporting from the Capitol.Independent reporting
No matching sources. Try “House”, “election” or “campaign.”
Scope & method. Reviewed September 17, 2026. This is a documented overview of publicly available biography, major actions, and stated priorities, not an exhaustive vote-by-vote record. Numerical claims retain their original meaning and attribution. Historical sources do not imply current appointments. The source list provides direct links so readers can check the underlying material. Election lists, filings, and campaign pages may change after this review. Litigation over Missouri’s congressional map was active on the review date, and later rulings may change which district lines apply.
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Where to find the candidate
Every link below was read from the campaign’s own website or the candidate’s official government page. A follower count is printed only where it was measured; otherwise the link is published and the number is left blank rather than guessed at.
The official office
Voting in Missouri: official dates, deadlines and rules
The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The dates and rules below were read from the Missouri Secretary of State; the authority's own page, linked beside each one, is the final word.
Dates and deadlines
- Voter registration deadlineOctober 7, 2026, for the November 3, 2026 General Election — the “Last Day to Register to Vote” on the Secretary of State's “2026 Missouri Election Calendar” (the fourth Wednesday before the election). The Secretary of State's FAQ says the deadline for new voter registration applications is the fourth Wednesday prior to an election; a voter who has moved within the same county may change the registration address on Election Day at the new polling place or the central polling location. The entries below show how the deadline is measured by mail and in person. Read from: sos.mo.gov/elections/calendar/2026cal
- Registration by mailPostmarked by October 7, 2026. The Secretary of State's Register to Vote page says a mailed voter registration form must be postmarked by the fourth Wednesday before the election. Read from: sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/register
- Registration in personOctober 7, 2026. The Secretary of State's FAQ says you need to be registered by the deadline shown on its election calendar, or by the normal close of business of any public building where registration is allowed, whichever is later, on the fourth Wednesday prior to the election; the page prints no clock time. You can register in person at your local election authority's office, a driver's licensing office, designated state agencies or a library, and must present a form of personal identification. Read from: sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/votereg
- Absentee voting period beginsSeptember 22, 2026 — the sixth Tuesday before the November 3, 2026 election. The Secretary of State prints this as a rule, not as a calendar date: the absentee voting period begins on the sixth Tuesday before the date of the election. Before October 20, 2026, in-person absentee voters must give one of the reasons the state lists; a voter who requests a ballot to return by mail must give a reason at any time. Read from: sos.mo.gov/elections/govotemissouri/votingquestions
- Early voting (no-excuse absentee voting in person) startsOctober 20, 2026 — the second Tuesday before the November 3, 2026 election. The Secretary of State prints this as a rule, not as a calendar date: from the second Tuesday before an election to the day before the election, you may vote a no-excuse absentee ballot in person at a location designated by your local election authority. With one of the state's listed reasons, in-person absentee voting is available from September 22, 2026. Read from: sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/howtovote
- Early voting (in-person absentee voting) endsNovember 2, 2026, 5:00 p.m. — the day before the election. The Secretary of State says voters can vote absentee in the office of the local election authority until 5:00 p.m. the night before the election. Read from: sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/howtovote
- Deadline to request an absentee ballot by mailOctober 21, 2026, 5:00 p.m. — the second Wednesday before the November 3, 2026 election. A mailed or faxed request must be received by your local election authority by then. The Secretary of State prints this as a rule, not as a calendar date. It is the deadline to request a ballot, not to return it. Read from: sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/howtovote
- Deadline to return an absentee ballotReceived by your local election authority by the close of polls on Election Day, November 3, 2026 (polls close at 7:00 p.m.). The ballot must be received, not just postmarked, by then. Military and overseas voters have a separate deadline, shown in the next entry. Read from: sos.mo.gov/elections/govotemissouri/votingquestions
Rules to know
- What to bringTo vote in person, show one of these forms of photo identification and sign the poll book: a nonexpired Missouri driver or non-driver license; a nonexpired military ID, including a veteran's ID card; a nonexpired United States passport; or another photo ID issued by the United States or the state of Missouri that is either not expired or expired after the date of the most recent general election. A registered voter who has none of these may cast a provisional ballot; it counts if the voter returns to the polling place on Election Day with a photo ID, or if the local election authority determines that the signature on the provisional ballot envelope matches the signature on the voter registration record. The Missouri Department of Revenue provides one non-driver license at no charge to Missourians who need a photo ID for voting purposes and do not already have one; for help, call the Secretary of State toll free at (866) 868-3245. Read from: sos.mo.gov/voterid
- Voting absentee by mailMissouri requires a reason to vote absentee by mail. The Secretary of State lists six: absence on Election Day from the jurisdiction where you are registered; incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability, or primary care of such a person at the same address; religious belief or practice; work for an election authority away from your polling place, or as a first responder, health care worker or member of law enforcement; incarceration, with voting qualifications retained; and certified participation in the address confidentiality program. Request the ballot from your local election authority — in person, by mail, by fax or by e-mail — not from the Secretary of State's office. A mailed or faxed request must be received by 5:00 p.m. on October 21, 2026; the voted ballot must be received by the election authority by the close of polls on November 3, 2026. The page says the notary requirement for absentee ballots does not apply to overseas voters, those on active military duty and immediate family living with them, or voters who are permanently disabled and their caregivers. Read from: sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/howtovote
- Early voting (no-excuse absentee voting in person)Missouri's early voting is no-excuse absentee voting in person. From the second Tuesday before the election to the day before it — October 20 through November 2, 2026 — you may vote an absentee ballot in person, without giving a reason, at a location designated by your local election authority; voting at the election authority's office ends at 5:00 p.m. on November 2. Before October 20, in-person absentee voting requires one of the state's listed reasons. When voting an absentee ballot in person, you must show an acceptable form of photo ID. The Secretary of State's site has a county-by-county finder for local election authorities. Read from: sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/howtovote
- Accessible votingVoters with limited mobility can vote “curbside,” outside the polling place: go to your polling place and ask someone to go in and ask poll workers to bring a ballot out to you. Every polling place must have an accessible voting system for individuals with disabilities, with an audio ballot or the ability to enlarge the on-screen text. A voter with a permanent physical disability may ask to be placed on a list so that the local election authority automatically mails an absentee ballot application before each election. Read from: sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/howtovote
- Voting after a felony convictionThe Secretary of State's FAQ says that, upon completion of your sentence and probation or parole, you are eligible to vote in elections. To vote, a person cannot be imprisoned or be on probation or parole after conviction of a felony. Individuals who have been convicted of an election offense, whether a felony or misdemeanor, are not allowed to vote. Read from: sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/votingrights
Read from: Elections & Voting Division · 2026 Missouri Election Calendar · Register to Vote · How to Vote · Voter ID · FAQs Voter Registration — Rules and dates as of Sep 17, 2026
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