From 1996-2008, the people of Southwest Missouri overwhelmingly elected Blunt seven times to the U.S. House of Representatives. Blunt was elected by his colleagues to serve as House Majority Whip and Republican Whip three times, and he became the Majority Whip earlier in his career than any Member of Congress in the last eight decades. As Whip, the second highest Republican in the House, he led a team of deputies and assistants that columnist Robert Novak described as “the most efficient party whip operation in congressional history.”

Before serving in Congress, Blunt was a history teacher, Greene County Clerk and chief election official, and in 1984 became the first Republican elected as Missouri’s Secretary of State in more than 50 years. Blunt, who holds a Master’s degree in history from Missouri State University, served four years as the president of his alma mater, Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri.

Blunt is a member of the Smithsonian Council for American Art and is a State Historical Society of Missouri Trustee.

The Senator is married to Abigail Blunt. Blunt has four children- Matt Blunt, Missouri’s 54th Governor; Amy Blunt, an attorney in Kansas City, Mo.; Andy Blunt, an attorney in Jefferson City; and Charlie (age 6). Blunt has six grandchildren- Davis Mosby, Ben Blunt, Branch Blunt, Eva Mosby, Allyson Blunt, and Brooks Blunt.