Politically Speaking

position from “day one.”

Riley is expected to ascend to the House Speaker post in 2027, especially since the GOP is widely expected to have a continued majority after the 2026 election. As speaker, Riley will have the ability to form committees and decide where certain bills go for hearings.

“That's where you have the most ability to impact change and do positive things for the state,” Riley said during a recent interview on the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air. “So it's definitely something I was interested in. I didn't necessarily know for sure that that was going to all work out that way. But I was interested in it.”

On the latest episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum talks with Missouri Sen. Ben Brown about why the state should eliminate the income tax. He also discussed Sens. Eric Schmitt and Josh Hawley's views on taking over Greenland with WashU's Steven Smith. And at the end of the show, Rosenbaum spoke with future Missouri House Speaker Alex Riley about the 2026 legislative session.

St. Louis' 3rd Ward alderman joins host Rachel Lippmann to talk lessons learned, incentives and municipal consolidation.

Blaha will need to overcome a massive fundraising disadvantage to beat U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski for Illinois' 13th Congressional District, the seat that represents much of the Metro East.

Illinois Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, is facing something she didn’t have in her first reelection bid two years ago: a primary challenger. Dylan Blaha, a progressive and an Illinois National Guard member, is aiming to beat Budzinski in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District, which includes part of the Metro East.