ST. LOUIS—Ray Hartmann, who founded The Riverfront Times newspaper and helped create the longtime St. Louis PBS program Donnybrook, has filed federal paperwork to run as a Democrat for Missouri’s second congressional district seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner.

In an interview with the RFT and in a post on Substack, Hartmann said he would file his state paperwork Friday in Jefferson City.

Hartmann is retiring from his Donnybrook role.

“I really believe that our nation is at a crossroads like none other in our lifetimes. The future of women’s health and reproductive freedom is on the ballot. Democracy itself is on the ballot,” he wrote in a Substack post.

Hartmann would join John Kiehne, of Eureka, in the Democratic race. Kiehne, who has run unsuccessfully for state legislative seats, had also considered running for lieutenant governor in this cycle. 

Wagner was first elected to Congress in 2012. Peter Pfiefer, who ran for St. Louis County Assessor in 2022, has also filed with the Secretary of State’s office to run in the GOP primary. 

Brandon Daugherty has filed to run as a Libertarian.