State Rep. Wright to run for Missouri Senate in 2012

DEXTER, Mo. -- On the heels of this week's news that Republican Rep. Gayle Kingery from Poplar Bluff has thrown his hat in the ring for Missouri's 25th District State Senate seat comes word that Dexter's Republican Rep. Billy Pat Wright has also joined in the race.

Wright's stretch in the House of Representatives will end with his current term. He confirmed Thursday that he will be vying for the seat that has been occupied for the past eight years by current Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer, also a Dexter Republican.

"There has been a lot of support in my favor over the past few months and a lot of encouragement to run for the Senate seat," Wright said in a Thursday interview from the capitol building in Jefferson City. "My health is good and I feel an obligation to continue my work in this new capacity. It is something I've contemplated for some time and I felt an obligation to respond to the constituents who have encouraged me to run. I'm very much up to the challenges ahead."

Mayer, named Senate President Pro Tem for the first time during the current legislative session, will be term-limited out following the 2012 election, as will Wright. The two Republicans have worked hand-in-hand in their House and Senate capacities since 2004.

Wright, a Dexter native, has served on a number of House committees including the Committee for Agriculture Policy, upon which he served as vice chair. He currently serves as chair of Emerging Issues and Animal Agriculture, the Appropriations Committee, the Joint Committee on Wetlands, the Special Committee on Veterans, the Special Committee on Utilities and Homeland Security.

Wright has been backed by several Missouri organizations including the Missouri State Teachers Association, the National Federation of Independent Business for Missouri, the Missouri National Education Association and the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police.

Wright is 73 years old and is a U.S. Army veteran and a local rancher. His career was spent with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company after earning his bachelor's degree from National University and attending Three Rivers Community College.

Wright has membership in the American International Charolais Association, Masonic Lodge and the Missouri Cattlemen's Association. He is also a volunteer with the Stoddard County Children's Home, Dexter Memorial Hospital Lifeline Program and the Kenny Rogers Children's Cerebral Palsy Center and Telethon. He has served as the legislative chair of the Communications Workers of America, president of the Dexter Rotary Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow within the Rotary organization. He is also a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America.

Wright and his wife, Linda, reside in Dexter and have three grown children. He most recently won re-election to the House in 2010 with nearly 70 percent of the vote in a race against Democrat Bill Burlison.

"I look forward to the next four years continuing to protect the teachers, education and farmers of Missouri," Wright said.

Wright stressed agriculture as a top priority. "Agriculture is the number one industry in Missouri and I'd like to work to continue improving immigration policies in the state which stand to protect our agricultural industries," he said. "I look forward to working toward providing more jobs through business incentives and to working with the local chambers of commerce to bring additional industry to the area."

Wright joins fellow Republican Kingery and Democratic Rep. Terry Swinger in the race for Mayer's seat.

Swinger is from Caruthersville and has served six years in the House. He represents District 160 in the southern area of the Bootheel. Like Wright, Swinger is on the tail end of his term limit.

Kingery was initially elected in 2002 to represent House District 154 and has been victorious in three subsequent elections, representing Poplar Bluff and about two-thirds of Butler County.

Mayer's district takes in seven Missouri counties including Stoddard, Butler, Ripley, Wayne, Dunklin, New Madrid and Pemiscot.