Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Monsanto) has no interest in being creamed by whoever the Trump cult runs against him in 2022's primary and will retire when his term is up. He is the fifth Republican Senator to announce his departure.
Blunt, 71, has been a mainstay in Washington politics and the Republican establishment for more than two decades. First elected to the House in the 1996 GOP wave, Blunt served as House Republican whip before jumping to the Senate. In announcing his retirement, Blunt joins GOP Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Richard Shelby of Alabama and Richard Burr of North Carolina, all of whom opted against seeking reelection in 2022. Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin have yet to reveal their plans.
It's vanishingly unlikely Blunt's Missouri seat could go to a Democrat, but if his replacement is exceptionally mad things might get interesting.
