Kansas City, MO – A former US Attorney and senior investigator for the House committee probing the Jan. 6 insurrection says he has enough signatures to run as an independent for Missouri's US Senate seat.
John F. Wood on Monday said he has the 10,000 registered voter signatures needed to appear on the ballot for retiring GOP Sen. Roy Blunt’s seat.
Wood says he’s a lifelong Republican but thinks both parties are too extreme. Wood's candidacy comes as Republican leaders worry that scandal-plagued former Gov. Eric Greitens might win the primary but ultimately lose the seat to a Democrat.
Wood was recruited by retired Senator John Danforth, who said he believes Wood is a good pick because many of the other conservatives running are too extreme.
"In our Senate race here in Missouri, we've got one candidate who's brandishing a gun, saying we should go hunting for Republicans we don't agree with, we've got two other candidates who are cradling AR-15s, we've got another candidate who's got a blowtorch and he says wants to take it to the Senate," Danforth said. "So this is where we are today in American politics."
Danforth told CNN that the only way to change the direction of the race is to provide a centrist alternative, outside of the primary process.
Wood says he’s a lifelong Republican but thinks both parties are too extreme. Wood's candidacy comes as Republican leaders worry that scandal-plagued former Gov. Eric Greitens might win the primary but ultimately lose the seat to a Democrat.