A congressman who represents part of Columbia and much of mid-Missouri will retire in December, after seven two-year terms on Capitol Hill.
U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-St. Elizabeth) made his announcement on Thursday, saying it’s been an honor to serve Missouri’s third congressional district over the years. Congressman Luetkemeyer represents Columbia south of Broadway, as well as southern Boone County towns like Ashland and Hartsburg. His sprawling district also includes Jefferson City, Fulton, Boonville, Linn, Eldon and New Florence.
Congressman Luetkemeyer was first elected to northeast Missouri’s old ninth congressional district in 2008, a district that included Columbia at the time. The old ninth district did not include Jefferson City. Luetkemeyer beat State Rep. Judy Baker (D-Columbia) by about 9,000 votes out of approximately 322,000 ballots cast.
