Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley filed Tuesday afternoon to challenge incumbent U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill's re-election bid.
At the end of the first day of filing for state and federal offices that will be on the Aug. 7 primary and Nov. 6 general election ballots, Hawley was one of eight Republicans filing for the Senate.
Four Democrats also filed Tuesday to challenge McCaskill, including Leonard Steinman, of Jefferson City.
State auditor is the only other statewide race on this year's ballots, with incumbent Democrat Nicole Galloway - who was appointed to the office in April 2015 after the death of Republican Auditor Tom Schweich - filing for her first election to the job. She faces challenges from two Republicans and a Libertarian.
All seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are on the ballot every two years.
Neither of Mid-Missouri's congressional incumbents - Republicans Blaine Luetkemeyer, of St. Elizabeth, or Vicky Hartzler, of Harrisonville - filed for re-election Tuesday.
However, Luetkemeyer faces a primary challenge from one Republican, while two Democrats and a Libertarian also filed for the office.
And Hartzler also faces a Republican, with two Democrats and a Libertarian also seeking the job.
In the Legislature, State Rep. Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City, filed to succeed Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, who can't run for re-election because of term limits. Two Democrats also filed.
Three Republicans filed to succeed Bernskoetter in the House seat that covers mostly rural Cole County and the northern part of Miller County.
Three other Republicans and a Democrat, filed Tuesday to succeed Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, who also is term-limited.
And Rep. Sara Walsh, R-Ashland - who won her House seat in a special election last August - again will face Michela Skelton, D-Columbia, in a contest for a full two-year term.
U.S. Senate
Because the state uses a lottery on the first day of filing to determine the order candidates' names appear on the ballot, Hawley will appear third in the Republican primary, behind Tony Monetti, of Warrensburg, and Austin Petersen, of Peculiar.
Hawley will be listed before Fred Ryman and Christina Smith, both from Jefferson City; Kristi Nichols, of Independence; and Bradley Krembs, of St. Charles.
After filing, Hawley spoke with reporters.
"I'm running for the Senate because Sen. Claire McCaskill has broken her promises to the people of Missouri," he said.
Hawley accused McCaskill of voting "over and over and over again in favor of the liberal party line instead of the interests of the people of Missouri."
Hawley is in the second year of his first four-year term as attorney general and acknowledged he ran for the state lawyer's job with a pledge to serve a full term.
"It's no secret that this is not a campaign I had intended to run (or) an office I had intended to seek," he said. "But it is an urgent time for our country and there are urgent issues at stake right now in the United States Senate."
Steinman will be listed third on the ballot among the Democrats, behind Carla (Coffee) Wright and Angelica Earl, both of St. Louis. John Hogan, of St. Charles, will be listed fourth.
Steinman issued a statement saying he "will be the only one (of the candidates) who can get along with all parties in the (U.S.) Senate."
He promised he would "have an open mind and heart about issues and will pick a staff that will investigate the issues all over the world."
McCaskill did not file Tuesday, and her office did not announce when she would be filing.
Missouri Senate 6th District
Bernskoetter, who is term-limited in his House seat, said he still wants to serve.
"I think I can really help the people of the community and the Senate district," he said. "Jefferson City is the biggest population area, but the rest of it is pretty rural - and I was representing the rural part of Cole County (and Miller County) anyway. I think the Senate is similar to the House district."
Democrats Bryan Struebig, of Eldon, and Nicole Thompson, of Jefferson City, and Libertarian Steven Wilson, of Jefferson City, also filed for the state Senate seat Tuesday.
Missouri House 59th District
Three Republicans filed to succeed Bernskoetter in the House, with Karen Leydens, of Jefferson City, listed first on the ballot, followed by Rudy Veit, of Wardsville, and Kendra Lane, of Jefferson City.
Veit, an attorney, said in a news release: "The political environment in our state and country right now is sometimes contentious. I believe the legislature is a place where work can be done, regardless of what headlines may be getting the most attention."
Missouri House 60th District
Jane Beetem will be first on the GOP ballot in the primary race to succeed Barnes.
Pat Rowe Kerr will be listed second, and Dave Griffith will be third.
Beetem said, "I believe it's important to give back to the community, which is something I've been doing for a number of years, and this allows me to take it to the next level."
She worked for the Natural Resources Department for 25 years, and said: "In the director's office, I got to work with budget, legislation, and a number of different things - and to work with other departments as well."
Kerr told a reporter she's running for the office because "I want to see conservative change in politics, transparency and accountability."
She brings a business and volunteer services background, and said she could "hit the floor running" if elected.
Griffith said, in a statement: "The path that led me here began many years ago. Long before I joined the Army and before I was called on to serve in the Red Cross, my father, a Methodist minister, and my mother, a 35 year Red Cross volunteer, instilled in me the value of service to my fellow man."
Kevin A Nelson, of Jefferson City, was the only Democrat filing for the post Tuesday.
Incumbents Sen. Jeanie Riddle, R-Mokane, and Reps. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit; David Wood, R-Versailles; Tom Hurst, R-St. Thomas; Rocky Miller, R-Lake Ozark; and Justin Alferman, R-Hermann, all filed Tuesday with no opponents.