KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, Councilman Nathan Willett (1st District) has filed to run for Congress.
Willett, who defeated Chris Gahagan in the 2023 election for the KCMO City Council 1st District seat, is running to serve as the 6th District U.S. representative, per the Missouri Secretary of State website.
Over the weekend, Platte County officials endorsed Willett, a Republican, before the Northland councilman filed.
Platte County Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker and Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd released a joint statement of support for Willet. While the two acknowledged they have not agreed on much over the last few months, they said they agree on supporting Willett for Congress.
“We need the next generation of conservatives to step up and believe he’d be the perfect option to bring together the people of North Missouri,” Fricker and Zahnd said. “Nathan is a proven conservative fighter with deep roots in North Missouri. We should let the people in the district decide our next congressman, not DC interests.”
Missouri’s 6th District spans from the Northland up to the Iowa border and over to the Illinois border.
Current Rep. Sam Graves (R-6th District) announced Friday that he’s withdrawing his re-election bid and retiring from politics.
He told KSHB 41 political reporter Charlie Keegan he wants to leave the job at the peak of his career.
“There’s not very many members of Congress [who] get to leave on their terms and their timeline, and so, I kind of took the opportunity to do that,” Graves said.
Shortly after Graves' announcement, Kansas City radio personality Chris Stigall announced his run for the 6th District.
Also Monday, KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas announced he will not run for Congress.
KSHB 41 has reached out to Willett for comment. This story will be updated if a statement is received.
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