A member of the Republican Party, Long was elected to fill the district's seat in 2010, succeeding Roy Blunt upon his election to the U.S. Senate. After Blunt announced that he would not run for reelection to the Senate in 2022, Long became a candidate in the 2022 race to succeed him, but lost the Republican primary to Eric Schmitt.[3]
Early life and education
A fourth-generation native of Missouri, Long was born in Springfield in 1955. He attended the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri[4] and was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity[5] before dropping out. After taking time off from school for three years, Long attended a nine-day training program at the Missouri Auction School in Kansas City.[6] He received his Certified Auctioneer designation via the National Auctioneers Association.[citation needed]
Long also participated in the World Poker Tour, participating in professional sanctioned games including the Southern Poker Championship at the Beau Rivage and the Bellagio Cup.
In September 2018, in response to sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Long retweeted a Twitter post comparing the allegations to a "kiss on the forehead".[10]
Long joined the race for the 7th Congressional District after incumbent U.S. RepresentativeRoy Blunt chose to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Kit Bond. In the crowded seven-way Republican primary—the de facto election in the state's most Republican district—Long won with 36% of the vote.
Missouri's 7th district Republican primary, August 3, 2010
In the August 2 Republican primary, Long defeated Nathan Clay, Christopher Batsche, Matthew Evans, Lyndle Spencer, Matthew Canovi, James Nelson and Mary Byrne.[12]
2016 Election for U.S. Representative of Missouri's 7th Congressional District
In the Republican primary, Long defeated Jim Evans, Lance Norris, and Benjamin Holcomb. In the general election, he defeated Democratic nominee Jamie Schoolcraft, who had defeated Kenneth Hatfield, John Farmer de la Torre, and Vincent Jennings in the Democratic primary.[13]
2018 Election for U.S. Representative of Missouri's 7th Congressional District
Since 2011, Long has sponsored 37 bills, 103 resolutions and 26 concurrent resolution, and co-sponsored 1,258 other pieces of legislation.[16] He also introduced the Agricultural Certainty for Reporting Emissions Act on March 14, 2018, which would amend the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980. The bill has not passed the House for further voting in the Senate.[17]
Long supported President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order banning entry to the U.S. to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries.[21]
Objections to the 2020 election results
After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and Donald Trump refused to concede, Long pushed Trump’s claims of fraud in the election.[22]
In December 2020, Long supported an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election based on allegations of fraud.[23][24][25]