Who is Ann Wagner?

Ann Louise Wagner (nee Trousdale) is an American politician, the representative of Missouri’s 2nd congressional district and the country’s former ambassador to Luxembourg from 2005 to 2009. She is a registered Republican and is currently running for re-election for her congressional district seat. Her name is on the August 2, 2022 ballot for the Republican primary elections. 

Born on September 13, 1962, Wagner grew up in the city of St. Louis, spending most of her time there. She attended the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration, specialising in logistics. Soon after, she worked in the private sector before foraying into politics in 1990.

In 1990, she joined the Republican Party as a member and  in 1992, was the state director heading George H.W. Bush’s reelection campaign, which failed. In 1999, she became the chairperson of the Missouri Republican Party, a post she held on to till 2005. 

In 2005, she was appointed the ambassador of Luxembourg by the George W. Bush administration and was sworn in by the Secretary of State at the time, Condoleezza Rice. 

After Barrack Obama’s administration began its term, she helped Roy Blunt’s 2010 campaign and in 2011 lost her race for the Republican National Committee chairmanship.

In 2012, after Missouri’s 2nd congressional district incumbent Todd Akin announced his bid to run for the U.S. Senate, Wagner decided to run for the open position. She won the primary with 66% of the vote and then later went on to win the general election. She has been the district’s representative ever since. 

Interestingly, in 2022, Wagner voted in support of the Respect for Marriage Act which codified citizens’ right to same-sex marriage.

The U.S. primaries for Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, Kansas, Missouri, and Washington are set to be held on August 2, 2022. The mid-term elections are slated for November 8.