Mark McCloskey, a St. Louis lawyer who made national headlines for pointing a rifle at Black Lives Matter protesters last year, announced his run for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.
An angry mob marched to destroy my home and kill my family, I took a stand to defend them.
— Mark McCloskey (@Mark__McCloskey) May 19, 2021
I am a proven fighter against the mob
When the mob comes to destroy our home, our state, our nation— I’ll defend it
I will NEVER BACK DOWN
Help me FIGHT BACK ➡️ https://t.co/8N8o1yxN6C pic.twitter.com/jR8ieWdkCc
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The 64-year-old lawyer, who is a Republican, declared his candidacy during an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and said he became interested in Missouri’s U.S. Senate seat while rallying for former president Donald Trump.
“I’ve always been a Republican, but I’ve never been a politician,” McCloskey said in the interview. “But, you know, God came knocking on my door last summer disguised as an angry mob, and it really did wake me up.”
This announcement comes nearly a year after McCloskey and his wife, Patricia, gained national attention for waving guns at demonstrators who were walking on a private street to the home of St. Louis’ mayor.
The couple was hit with two felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with evidence, charges that they later pleaded not guilty to in October 2020.
McCloskey is entering a GOP primary field that includes Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens.
In March, incumbent Sen. Roy Blunt announced that he wouldn’t be seeking reelection next year which could make the fight for the open seat a competitive one.