Topic summary

Roy Blunt

Roy Blunt
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Missouri's 7th districtIn office
January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2011Preceded byMel HancockSucceeded byBilly Long23rd President of Southwest Baptist UniversityIn office
December 30, 1992 – October 21, 1996Preceded byWayne Gott (acting)Succeeded byC. Pat Taylor33rd Secretary of State of MissouriIn office
January 14, 1985 – January 11, 1993GovernorJohn AshcroftPreceded byJames KirkpatrickSucceeded byJudi MoriartyPersonal detailsBornRoy Dean Blunt
(1950-01-10) January 10, 1950
PartyRepublicanSpouses
  • Roseann Ray
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1967; div. 2003)​
  • Abigail Perlman
    ​
    (m. 2003)​
Children4, including Matt and AndrewParent
EducationSouthwest Baptist University (BA)
Missouri State University (MA)Signature

Roy Dean Blunt (born January 10, 1950) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as a United States senator from Missouri from 2011 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 33rd Missouri Secretary of State (1985–1993) and U.S. Representative for Missouri's 7th congressional district (1997–2011).

Born in Niangua, Missouri, Blunt is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University). After serving as Missouri Secretary of State from 1985 to 1993, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Missouri's 7th congressional district in 1996. There, he served as Republican Whip from 2003 to 2009.

Blunt successfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 2010. The next year, he was elected vice chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. Blunt, who was the dean of Missouri's congressional delegation, was elected to serve as Policy Committee chairman in November 2018. On March 8, 2021, he announced that he would not seek reelection in 2022. He was succeeded in the U.S. Senate by Missouri Attorney GeneralEric Schmitt.

After leaving Congress, Blunt began working for the lobbying firm Husch Blackwell Strategies. He also joined as a member of Southwest Airlines' board of directors.