Roy Blunt

Roy Blunt
Official portrait, 2011
United States Senator
from Missouri
In office
January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2023
Preceded byKit Bond
Succeeded byEric Schmitt
Senate positions
Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee
In office
January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2023
LeaderMitch McConnell
Preceded byJohn Barrasso
Succeeded byJoni Ernst
Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee
In office
February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023
Preceded byAmy Klobuchar
Succeeded byDeb Fischer
Chair of the Senate Rules Committee
In office
April 10, 2018 – February 3, 2021
Preceded byRichard Shelby
Succeeded byAmy Klobuchar
In office
January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2017
Preceded byChuck Schumer
Succeeded byRichard Shelby
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Missouri's 7th district
In office
January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2011
Preceded byMel Hancock
Succeeded byBilly Long
House positions
House Minority Whip
In office
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009
LeaderJohn Boehner
Preceded bySteny Hoyer
Succeeded byEric Cantor
House Majority Leader
Acting
In office
September 29, 2005 – February 2, 2006
LeaderDennis Hastert
Preceded byTom DeLay
Succeeded byJohn Boehner
House Majority Whip
In office
January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007
LeaderDennis Hastert
Preceded byTom DeLay
Succeeded byJim Clyburn
House Republican Chief Deputy Whip
In office
January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2003
LeaderDennis Hastert
Preceded byDennis Hastert
Succeeded byEric Cantor
23rd President of Southwest Baptist University
In office
December 30, 1992 – October 21, 1996
Preceded byWayne Gott (acting)
Succeeded byC. Pat Taylor
33rd Secretary of State of Missouri
In office
January 14, 1985 – January 11, 1993
GovernorJohn Ashcroft
Preceded byJames Kirkpatrick
Succeeded byJudi Moriarty
Personal details
BornRoy Dean Blunt
(1950-01-10) January 10, 1950
PartyRepublican
Spouses
  • Roseann Ray
    (m. 1967; div. 2003)
  • Abigail Perlman
    (m. 2003)
Children4, including Matt
Parent
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 General Eric 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.