Matt Blunt

Former Missouri Governor Matt Blunt has earned a respected name for his work in politics and his dedication to improving the state of Missouri. Before he was elected Governor, Matt Blunt served from 2001 to 2005 as Missouri's 37th Secretary of State. He also represented the 139th Legislative District of northern Greene County in the Missouri House of Representatives from 1999 to 2001, while simultaneously working in private business. Matt Blunt's experience in the United States Naval Academy, from which he graduated in 1993, as well as his 14-year naval career, directly contributed to his belief in the importance of public service and hard work. A major milestone for Matt Blunt occurred on October 9, 2001, when he became the first statewide official in Missouri to be summoned to active military duty. In this capacity, Matt Blunt served for 6 months in support of the United States' military response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Operation Enduring Freedom. Matt Blunt was promoted to the prestigious rank of Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve following his return to the United States. Three years later, on November 2, 2004, the people of Missouri elected Matt Blunt as their 54th Governor. Although Matt Blunt inherited the state's $1.1 billion dollar budget deficit, he utilized his skills in management and planning to balance the budget of Missouri and obtain surpluses for the next 3 years in a row. Matt Blunt kept his promise to control spending and balance the budget without raising taxes. He enacted critical pro-growth, pro-jobs initiatives like tort reform, which strengthened Missouri's economy. More than 70,000 Missouri jobs were created while Matt Blunt was governor. In each of his annual budgets, Governor Matt Blunt expressed his devotion to education by increasing school funding at all levels with no new taxes for working families. Since his departure from the office of Governor, Matt Blunt has employed his talents as a director of select corporations and as a senior advisor to several financial and government affairs establishments. Interested in preserving the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, Matt Blunt is an elected member of the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association.