By Annabeth Miller
ShowMe Times Editor

State Rep. Billy Pat Wright has made the decision to withdraw from the race for the Missouri State Senate.

The announcement of Wright’s decision was made by Senate Leader Rob Mayer at Monday evening’s meeting of the Stoddard County Republican Club.

“Billy Pat is one of the finer men in public office. What you see is what you get; you get a genuine, kind-hearted man who is a man of high morals and integrity,” Mayer said to the large GOP crowded.

Audible surprise gasps were heard throughout the crowd on Mayer’s announcement.

Mayer said he spoke with Wright on Sunday evening and that Wright is withdrawing from the race for the Republican nomination for state senate due to family issues.

“Billy Pat has worked hard these eight years in the House of Representatives,” Mayer commented. “I couldn’t be more proud of a state representative than I am for State Rep. Billy Pat Wright. If we had all that like him in Jefferson City what a wonderful place it would be and we could get a lot of things done and we could all hold our head up high.”

Wright nor his wife, Linda, attended Monday evening’s GOP meeting. Attempts by the ShowMe Times to contact Wright on Monday evening and Tuesday morning were unsuccessful.

Wright’s withdrawal leaves just one person in the GOP field to succeed Mayer in the state senate. Republican businessman Doug Libla of Poplar Bluff will face off against Democrat State Rep. Terry Swinger of Caruthersville in November.

Wright was first elected to the state house in 2004, defeating a pair of opponents in the Republican primary and went on to defeat Democrat challenger Boyce Wooley in the November 2004 general election.  He defeated Wooley again in 2006, and went on to win reelection in 2008 and 2010 over challenger Bill D. Burleson.

In the House Wright has served on the Appropriation – General Administration, Agriculture Policy, the Veterans and was chairman of the Emerging Issues in Animal Agriculture committees.