State Rep. Jeanie Riddle, R-Mokane, officially announced Thursday her intentions to run for Missouri State Senate District 10.
She is currently a house representative of Missouri's 49th district, which includes Fulton and Jefferson City, and has served that area for two-and-a-half years. Senate district 10 includes Callaway, Monroe, Audrain, Montgomery, Warren and Lincoln counties. Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, is currently the senator for district 10.
Riddle's run for the senate spot is no surprise, though, with her thoughts post the 2012 political redistricting.
"I announced early on if the lines held I would run for senate district 10, if not I would run for the house again," Riddle said. "They didn't hold. They changed them up so that put me being able to run in 2014."
The new district
Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, held the senate seat for the 6th District -Â which included Callaway County in the district's northeast corner. When redistrciting was finalized in 2012, Kehoe's district ended at the Missouri River, so Callaway County was not included. Justus had been serving the 10th District that included Jackson County. With no incumbent in the new 10th District that now includes Callaway and counties to the north and east - but not Jackson County on the western edge of the state - Justus was appointed to represent the new 10th District despite residing outside the boundaries. Justus is term-limited at the end of 2014.