NEW: Popular Conservative Radio Host Announces Run For Congress

Popular conservative radio host Chris Stigall announced Thursday that he will be launching a congressional bid in his native Missouri. The announcement comes after longtime U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) announced that he will not be seeking re-election.

“I’ve just learned this week that Congressman Sam Graves, the representative of my 6th Congressional District of Missouri, now five generations have called it home. Sam has decided to retire and he’s not going to be seeking another term this fall. This was very sudden news,” Stigall said in the announcement video.

“So what I’m about to say is relatively sudden as well. For 25 years I had the blessing talking with you on issues facing our nation. But in the last few years we’ve watched a government that became completely out of control. It became something more than just Democrats and Republicans. We’re talking about lives ruined. Our friends and loved ones,” he continued.

Stigall then pointed to a number of the most prominent issues of the time period, including COVID-era censorship and economic impact, before praising President Donald Trump for successfully standing up. “He didn’t need the job. But he cared enough about his country to put it all on the line and run. Even a third time. After impeachments, lawfare, a raid at home, even after two attempts on his life. What President Trump sacrificed for the country he loved to win elected office. That inspired me,” the popular host went on.

“It’s hung with me since that day in Butler, Pennsylvania that nearly lost his life. It’s also frankly haunted me for a while that I need to do a lot more than just talk about it. And so after prayer, believe me, a lot of prayers, and careful consideration with my family, on this 250th anniversary of our great country this year I’ve decided it’s time to join in the fight. To put up or shut up.”

Stigall then announced that he will be stepping away from the microphone in order to officially launch a run for congress. “Now, I’ll have more on this in coming days. But for now thank you for all the time we’ve been together on air discussing problems of the country and what should be done about it. Take your wisdom. Today I stop talking. Start fighting.”

Could I have a couple of minutes? I’ve made a big decision. pic.twitter.com/c1gw0uyovq

— Chris Stigall (@ChrisStigall) March 27, 2026

Stigall, a native of Richmond, Missouri, graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with a degree in broadcasting and a minor in journalism. Early in his professional life, he worked as a press assistant and representative on the staff of the retiring Rep. Graves.

He began his radio career in the Kansas City market in the late 1990s and eventually transitioned to talk radio. In 2006, he launched “The Chris Stigall Show” as the morning host on KCMO-AM in Kansas City, a position he held until 2010.

After leaving KCMO, Stigall moved to Philadelphia in 2010 to host mornings on WPHT-AM. He remained a fixture in Philadelphia morning drive for nearly a decade while also contributing as a cable news commentator and columnist.

In 2019, he returned to Kansas City radio as a midday host on his former station while continuing his Philadelphia program. Stigall later joined the Salem Radio Network in 2023 as the host of a nationally syndicated morning show, “Waking Up America!,” which aired weekdays on the Salem News Channel and affiliates across the country.

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves
Official Portrait, 117th congress

Stigall’s announcement comes as Missouri’s 6th Congressional District prepares for an open-seat race. The district covers a large portion of northern Missouri, including parts of the Kansas City metropolitan area and rural counties stretching toward the Illinois border.

According to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, the district carries an R+19 lean, meaning it is likely to stay in Republican hands.

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