Bob Onder | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMissouri's3rd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Blaine Luetkemeyer |
| Member of theMissouri Senate from the 2nd district | |
| In office January 7, 2015 – January 4, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Scott T. Rupp |
| Succeeded by | Nick Schroer |
| Member of theMissouri House of Representatives from the 13th district | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 7, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Scott T. Rupp |
| Succeeded by | Chuck Gatschenberger |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Frank Onder Jr. (1962-01-06)January 6, 1962 (age 63) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Allison Onder |
| Children | 6 |
| Education | Washington University (BS,MD) Saint Louis University (JD) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Robert Frank Onder Jr.[1][2] (born January 6, 1962) is anAmerican politician, attorney, andphysician from the state ofMissouri. He is the member of theUnited States House of Representatives forMissouri's 3rd congressional district. He is a member of theRepublican Party.
Before his tenure in the House of Representatives, he was a member of theMissouri Senate from 2015 to 2023, serving the2nd District in theSt. Charles area. Onder previously was a member of theMissouri House of Representatives from 2007 to 2008.
Onder announced his bid for the 3rd district in 2024, following the announcement that incumbentBlaine Luetkemeyer would not run for reelection.[3] After defeating six opponents to win the Republican nomination, Onderwent on to win the general election against Democrat Bethany Mann.[4][5]
Onder attendedSt. Louis University High School, graduating in 1980.[6] Onder attendedWashington University in St. Louis for his undergraduate degree, where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Economics. Onder subsequently graduated fromWashington University School of Medicine,[7] and is a physician specializing in allergy and asthma care.[8] He later graduated fromSaint Louis University School of Law. He and his wife Allison have six children.[9] Onder has recently obtained his Pilot’s license.[10] He is Roman Catholic.
Onder served a single term in theMissouri House of Representatives from 2007 to 2008, having been elected in 2006.
In 2008, Onder left the state legislature to run for the US House inMissouri's 9th congressional district, where incumbentKenny Hulshof was not seeking re-election. Onder distinguished himself as one of the more fiscally conservative candidates, emphasizing his free-market voting record in the Missouri House and earning the endorsement of theClub for Growth.[11] Onder ultimately lost the Republican primary election toBlaine Luetkemeyer.[12]
In 2014, Onder ran for the Missouri Senate in the 2nd district, defeatingChuck Gatschenberger andVicki Schneider in the Republican primary. No Democrats ran for the seat, so this primary victory wastantamount to election.[13] Onder ran for reelection in 2018 and defeated his Democratic challenger to earn a second term.[14]
In 2022, Onder announced his campaign forSaint Charles CountyExecutive.[15] He withdrew from the Republican primary on June 7, 2022.[16]
In 2024, Onder ran for Lieutenant Governor of Missouri. He later withdrew from that race and announced his candidacy forMissouri's 3rd congressional district.[17]
In 2008, Onder authored and sponsored HB 1549.[18] The bill forbids the creation ofsanctuary cities in Missouri, allows for cancellation of state contracts for contractors who hirepeople illegally present in the United States, and requires public agencies to verify the legal status of immigrants before providing social service benefits.[19] Additionally the bill criminalized the transportation of immigrants for exploitative purposes. The bill passed the State House and Senate with strong support and was signed into law byMatt Blunt.
Onder also sponsored legislation[9] that would have strengthened Missouri'sinformed consent before abortion statute, including requiring abortion clinics to allow pregnant women the opportunity to view an ultrasound of the fetus.[20] The bill also would have criminalized coercing a woman to have an abortion through abuse, violence or threats. The bill passed the State House by a vote of 112-33 but died after a filibuster in the State Senate.
In his first year in the Senate, Onder was elected to Senate leadership as Assistant Majority Floor Leader.[21] In 2017 he became the Chairman of the General Laws Committee.[22] Additionally, he serves as Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence. In 2016, Onder attended the2016 Republican National Convention after his selection as a Trump delegate as part of the Missouri delegation.
Onder was a founding member of the Missouri Senate's Conservative Caucus.[23] The Conservative Caucus's top issues include regulatory reform, tort reform, health care reform, abortion, and gun rights.
Onder played a leading role in sponsoring SB 739 a bill that precluded Missourians from state contracts if they participate in boycotts against Israel. The bill mandates that public entities ensure that any company with which it enters into a contract includes a written confirmation they are not participating in such boycotts. The bill was subsequently signed into law by Governor Mike Parson.[24]
In 2016, Onder introduced Senate Joint Resolution 39, a proposed amendment to theMissouri Constitution that would protect wedding industry businesses that refuse to serve LGBTQIA+ couples. This bill passed the Senate over a Democratic filibuster,[25] but failed to make it out of committee in the House.[26]
Onder was an outspoken supporter of HB 1562,[27] a bill that expanded the crime of sex trafficking to include the advertisement of minors for prostitution or pornography.[28]
Onder, who is anti-abortion, was the original author of legislation that requires annual, unannounced state inspections of healthcare clinics that provide reproductive healthcare; bars clinics from instructing ambulances to silence their sirens or turn their lights off; mandates that pathologists test fetal tissue; enacts whistleblower protections for employees of abortion clinics; and exempts pregnancy resource centers from a St. Louis ordinance[29] barring discrimination over reproductive choices.[30] Onder's bill received a few significant changes, such as changing the pathologist deadline from 24 hours to five days, and became Senate Bill 5,[31] with a new sponsor inSenator Andrew Koenig.[32] The bill was strengthened and passed by theMissouri House of Representatives, then passed by a vote of 22-9 in theMissouri Senate and signed by Governor Eric Greitens.[33]
In 2019, Onder strongly pushed for the Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act, a bill that banned abortion at eight weeks of pregnancy or later.[34] The bill also banned abortions due to race, sex or a diagnosis of Down syndrome. The Missouri Senate passed the bill 24-10, and was subsequently passed by the house.[34] The bill was signed into law by GovernorMike Parson.[35]
Onder also advocated for ethics reform, sponsoring and handling legislation that called for a "cooling off period" between when Missouri legislators leave office and when they can become lobbyists. Onder said that public service "is not supposed to be our pathway job into a lucrative lobbying job."[36] Additionally, Onder sponsored a bill that would have banned gifts from lobbyists to legislators in Missouri.[37]
Onder supported legislation that would have made Missouri the 28thRight-to-Work state.[38] The bill passed through Onder's General Laws Committee before being sent to the Senate floor.[39] While the bill was signed into law byEric Greitens, it was later repealed by ballot initiative.
Onder authored SB 182, a bill that banned union-only project labor agreements in Missouri. The bill was signed into law by Governor Greitens.[40]
In 2018, Onder handled HB 1413, a landmark public union bill that created transparency and accountability to protect the rights of Missouri public sector unions.[41] Onder passed the bill through the Senate and HB 1413 was signed into law.[42]
In 2017, Onder was the Senate handler for HB 130,[43] a bill that creates a statewide regulatory framework for transportation networking companies. The bill passed with overwhelming support by a vote of 144-7 in the House and by 30-1 in the Senate.[44] Missouri GovernorEric Greitens signed the bill into law.[45]
In 2019, Onder introduced bills aimed at deregulating the Missouri economy. One of Onder's bills would only require cars 10 years old or older and 150,000 miles to be inspected, as opposed to 5 year old cars as under current law. Onder claimed the inspection requirement is a waste of time and money for citizens. "It disrupts the single mom, the senior citizens, the working parents day and their week these unnecessary and costly inspections," Onder stated.[46]
Onder worked to defeat a proposed HMO tax in 2019.[47] On his opposition to the tax, Onder stated: "Two of my most important promises to my constituents when I ran for Senate were to fight the rising costs of health care for businesses and their employees, and to oppose tax increases. So when a new health insurance tax was proposed by my own party, I was obligated to oppose it, regardless of political cost." Due to the opposition of Onder and other senators, the HMO tax proposal was removed.[48]
In 2020, Onder introduced SB 560, a bill that would grant state licensing reciprocity to nonresident military spouses.[49] While testifying in favor of his bill before the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, Onder declared: "military spouses do not lose their knowledge or skills as they cross state lines in the service to their country. This is the least we can do for these heroes and their families."[50]
In 2019, Onder introduced legislation to allow people with concealed carry permits to bring a firearm onto public transit. Onder cited safety concerns and problems of crime on public transit. Onder said that the current law prevents "the right of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves."[51] The bill did not pass that session, so Onder refiled it for the 2020 legislative session.[52]
Onder has won several awards during his time in the Missouri Senate, including
Onder has commented on investigations of theJeffrey Epstein client list, saying that delays are indicative of influence used to escape justice. Onder has not committed to supporting thedischarge petition or congressional measure to release the files.[55]
For the119th Congress:[56]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Onder | 2,685 | 46.1 | |
| Republican | Chuck Gatschenberger | 1,051 | 18.0 | |
| Republican | Paul Espinoza | 1,039 | 17.8 | |
| Republican | Denise Hackman | 723 | 12.4 | |
| Republican | Stephanie Bell | 327 | 5.2 | |
| Total votes | 5,825 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Onder | 16,406 | 100 | |
| Total votes | 16,406 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Blaine Luetkemeyer | 21,543 | 39.7 | |
| Republican | Bob Onder | 15,752 | 29.0 | |
| Republican | Danielle Moore | 10,609 | 19.5 | |
| Republican | Brock Olivo | 5,501 | 10.1 | |
| Republican | Dan Bishir | 890 | 1.6 | |
| Total votes | 54,295 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Onder | 14,305 | 63.575 | |
| Republican | Vicki Schneider | 4,561 | 20.27 | |
| Republican | Chuck Gatschenberger | 3,635 | 16.155 | |
| Total votes | 22,501 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Onder | 37,607 | 100 | |
| Total votes | 37,607 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Onder | 21,842 | 100 | |
| Total votes | 21,842 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Onder | 52,197 | 59.7 | |
| Democratic | Patrice Billings | 35,258 | 40.3 | |
| Total votes | 87,455 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Onder | 48,785 | 47.4% | |
| Republican | Kurt Schaefer | 38,331 | 37.2% | |
| Republican | Bruce Bowman | 4,500 | 4.4% | |
| Republican | Justin Hicks | 4,420 | 4.3% | |
| Republican | Kyle Bone | 3,542 | 3.4% | |
| Republican | Chad Bicknell | 1,840 | 1.8% | |
| Republican | Arnie Dienoff | 1,557 | 1.5% | |
| Total votes | 102,975 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Onder | 240,137 | 61.3 | |
| Democratic | Bethany Mann | 138.106 | 35.2 | |
| Libertarian | Jordan Rowden | 9,272 | 2.3 | |
| Green | William Hastings | 3,992 | 1.0 | |
| Total votes | 391,507 | 100 | ||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMissouri's 3rd congressional district 2025–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 417th | Succeeded by |
