Why It Matters
Missouri’s 6th Congressional District is entering its first open Republican primary in 26 years, and the contest is already shaping up as a proxy battle over Trump alignment within the state’s GOP. The race to succeed longtime incumbent Rep. Sam Graves will determine who represents a sprawling 33-county district in northern Missouri — and could signal how effectively Trump-era political loyalty tests play out in congressional primaries across the Midwest heading into the 2026 midterms.
What Happened
The final day of candidate filing in Missouri’s 6th District on Tuesday, April 1, marked a rapid sequence of developments that set the tone for what is expected to be a competitive Republican primary. State Rep. Mazzie Christensen of Bethany announced she would not seek the seat, citing her pregnancy and a personal decision to step back from elective office entirely. Christensen also confirmed she would not seek re-election to the Missouri House.
“There are incredible women who serve in Congress while raising young children and I have so much respect for them,” Christensen said in a social media post. “But for me, right now, my heart is calling me to be fully present in these moments of motherhood, to embrace that role without the weight and demands of elective office.”
Later that same day, Rep. Graves — who announced his retirement after first winning the seat in 2000 — endorsed Chris Stigall, a nationally syndicated conservative talk radio host, for the open seat. “My friend, Chris Stigall, is best suited to represent North Missouri in Congress,” Graves wrote on social media.
The endorsement drew an immediate challenge from Kansas City Councilman Nathan Willett, who had recently dropped out of a Missouri state Senate race to file for the congressional seat. Willett accused Graves of working with political consultant Jeff Roe — a longtime Graves advisor — to influence the outcome of the primary in ways he described as contrary to the will of Republican voters.
“Graves and his anti-Trump political consultant are trying to hand-pick the next person to come after him for the next 26 years,” Willett wrote on social media, adding that “the people of North Missouri should decide their next Congressman — not the DC swamp.”
By the Numbers
- 26 years: The length of time Sam Graves has held Missouri’s 6th District seat, making this the first open Republican primary in the district since 2000.
- 33 counties: The geographic scope of Missouri’s 6th District, stretching from St. Joseph on the Missouri River to Hannibal on the Mississippi.
- 2024: The year Jeff Roe’s consulting firm worked for a pro-Ron DeSantis super PAC during the Republican presidential primary, drawing criticism from Trump’s political circle.
- 2 major candidates declared: As of filing close, at least Chris Stigall and Nathan Willett have entered the Republican primary, with additional candidates expected.
- 1 candidate withdrew: State Rep. Mazzie Christensen officially declined to enter the race on the final day of candidate filing.
Zoom Out
The dynamics unfolding in Missouri’s 6th District reflect a broader pattern in Republican primaries nationwide, where candidates are increasingly measured by their perceived closeness to former President Donald Trump and the MAGA political movement. In several states heading into 2026, Republican consultants and operatives who worked against Trump during the 2024 primary cycle have become liabilities for the candidates they support.
Jeff Roe, whose firm Axiom Strategies is among the largest Republican consulting operations in the country, drew Trump’s attention after working on behalf of a super PAC supporting Ron DeSantis’s 2024 presidential bid. That association has now become a campaign issue in Missouri, with Willett using it to frame Graves’s endorsement of Stigall as establishment resistance to the Trump wing of the party.
Similar intraparty battles over Trump loyalty have played out in competitive open primaries in states including Ohio, Georgia, and Florida in recent cycles, often resulting in candidates with direct Trump endorsements or strong MAGA credentials prevailing over more traditional establishment picks.
What’s Next
With candidate filing now closed, the Republican primary field for Missouri’s 6th Congressional District is set. The primary is scheduled for August 2026, giving candidates several months to build support across the district’s 33 counties. Graves’s endorsement of Stigall is expected to carry significant name recognition value in a region he has represented for over two decades, while Willett will likely work to consolidate support among voters who prioritize Trump loyalty as a deciding factor. Additional endorsements — potentially including from Trump-aligned national figures — could further define the contours of the race before summer.