Fred Wellman, a Wildwood resident and podcast host, is the latest candidate to enter the 2026 primary race for Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District. He is seeking the Democratic nomination in the Aug. 4 primary.
Ann Wagner, who has represented the district since 2013, is running against Ryan Sheridan in the Republican primary.
According to the newly redistricted Congressional maps, District 2 now includes part of Jefferson County.
Wellman, who was a U.S. Army aviator for more than 20 years before retiring, announced his campaign on Oct. 1.
“I dedicated 22 years to serving our nation in the Army, and when I came home, I carried that same commitment to service into my community,” Wellman said in his announcement. “I’m running for Congress because the people of the 2nd District deserve a representative who puts service above self and delivers on what matters most: lowering costs, expanding access to health care, supporting our veterans and protecting Social Security and Medicare.”
A Kirkwood native, Wellman, 60, has lived in Wildwood with his fiancee, Heather, since 2023. He has four adult children.
Wellman said he currently hosts the “On Democracy” podcast on the MeidasTouch Network and was previously the executive director of the Lincoln Project. He graduated from West Point in 1987 and holds a master’s degree from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Wellman said he has never held political office but decided to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law last July.
“I was watching this unfold and I was looking at my four kids – my oldest is married to a National Guardsman; my oldest son works for a major corporation and is stuck in a starter home because they can’t afford a bigger home; my youngest daughter owns a small business that has been struggling mightily under the tariffs and now the shutdown; and my youngest son is now working in health care,” Wellman said. “You couldn’t have a more perfect storm of positions and careers chosen by my kids who are feeling the effects of this moment. I said to myself around late July, ‘I could sit here and talk to a camera still, like I’m doing or I could do more.’”
Political opponents
Other Democratic candidates have announced plans to run in the August primary, including Timothy Bilash, who unsuccessfully ran for a U.S. House seat in California and Chuck Summers, who lost the Democratic primary in 2024 to Ray Hartmann.
John Biehne, who has previously run as a Democrat in several state government races since 2018 has now filed as an independent.
The primary winners will face off in the Nov. 3 general election.
“My intent is to focus on convincing voters to fire Ann (Wagner) and then hire me, somebody else,” Wellman said. “While I have all the most respect for my Democratic colleagues, I do believe that in the end I’m the most capable candidate in this moment because of my background (and) because of my ability to reach a larger audience.”
Arthur Bryant, a spokesperson from Wagner’s office, did not respond to a request for comment from the Leader.
Redistricting
Previously, Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District included all of Franklin County and portions of St. Louis, St. Charles and Warren Counties.
However last month, Gov. Mike Kehoe approved a new mid-decade congressional map that removes St. Charles and Warren Counties from the district and adds portions of Jefferson County, including Arnold to the district.
Washington, Crawford and Gasconade counties also were added to the district.
Most notably, the updated map split the state’s 5th Congressional District, which covers the Kansas City area, into three separate districts.
The new map is an attempt to remove Democratic Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver from his seat ahead of the upcoming 2026 general election.
Wellman said he strongly opposes the recent redistricting.
“The idea that President Trump and the Republicans in Washington can snap their fingers and our governor and our Legislature decided to jump and completely redistrict in the middle of the decade that is completely illegal (and) obviously completely inappropriate,” he said.
“I find it abysmal and frankly disgusting that Rep. Wagner has chosen to support this redistricting in an effort to save both her and the president. But in the end, it always comes down to the voters.”
The future of the Republican-backed map is unclear as several lawsuits have been filed challenging its constitutionality.
If a current referendum garners enough signatures by December, the map won’t go into effect until a statewide vote in November 2026.
Wellman said he feels optimistic about his chances in the race now that his district is larger and more rural.
“I’m more than happy to go everywhere in this district,” Wellman said. “My goal is that every single voter in this district will encounter our campaign at some point, be it someone knocking on their door or be it at an event, whatever we can do to show them that what we stand for is representation for them.”
Candidates may officially file for candidacy in the Aug. 4, 2026, primary from Feb. 24 through March 31.