Former Gov. Matt Blunt’s portrait now hangs in a hall in the Missouri State Capitol.
Blunt, Missouri’s 54th governor, held the office from 2005-09. He is credited with balancing the state’s budget and leaving it with a surplus in his four years.
Blunt, his father, former U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson addressed supporters during a ceremony unveiling the portrait Friday afternoon.
Matt Blunt told listeners he had been approached by people who wondered why the state continues to dedicate portraits of governors and their first ladies.
“The traditions of the state matter. And it’s important to memorialize — not just the person, but really the time in the state,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s really about what Missourians accomplished during that period.”
He added he was proud of what his administration had achieved.
Parson said Blunt had served during some of the toughest times the state had ever faced. Blunt put in a lot of work to get things done, he continued.
Blunt was at the leading edge of tort reform and the pro-life movement, Parson pointed out. What he did during his administration has greatly affected where Missouri is today, Parson said.
“A young man had the courage to stand up and do what was right above all else,” Parson said. “(The work) is about the office of governor. And it’s about being a public servant.
“At the end of the day — each and every one of us has been in this position — when you leave, you hope you’ve left it a little bit better for next generations.”
Blunt said his wife Melanie was at their home recovering from a stroke. He joked that if she were at the ceremony, Melanie would point out she had beaten him to have her portrait done. Hers has been in the Governor’s Mansion for the past 15 years.
Blunt added that he thinks the work of his administration will be remembered. It fixed a broken budget, it created a better climate for job-creators, cut taxes and left the state with a surplus.
“But you didn’t come here to praise me, you came here to hang me,” he said. “And that’s what we’re about to do.”
His new portrait, Blunt said, was created by James Tennison.
CORRECTION: The original version of this article incorrectly reported Melanie Blunt's first name. This article was edited July 24, 2023, to correct the story text accordingly.