Missouri 2: Cardinal Pitcher Adam Wainwright Recruited to Challenge Ann Wagner
June 9, 2025 · 3:01 PM EDT
A recent poll in Missouri’s 2nd District tested former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright in a potential congressional match-up against GOP Rep. Ann Wagner. The suburban district isn’t currently among the races rated as competitive by Inside Elections, but an out-of-the-box Democratic candidate such as Wainwright would have the potential to draw attention and resources to the race.
Part of the May 21-22 survey, conducted by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, was reported by National Journal’s James Downs on May 29. But the questions about Wainwright, a three-time MLB All-Star and 2006 World Series champion, only existed in rumors floating through Democratic political circles — and, apparently, on the St. Louis Cardinals subreddit.
On May 21, user Xxsskid17xX posed a question to the community of 94,000 Cardinals fans: “Is Adam Wainwright considering a run for congress?”
In their post, Xxsskid17xX said they had just taken a text-to-web survey that started off with general questions about Missouri politics before getting considerably more specific.
“Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Adam Wainwright?” the poll asked, before cutting to the chase: “If the candidates for Congress next time were Republican Ann Wagner and Democrat Adam Wainwright, who would you vote for?”
The poll tested positive messages about Wainwright, providing a three-sentence biography summarizing his baseball accomplishments, family life, and philanthropic endeavors and asking if that was a convincing argument to vote for him. The survey then asked an “informed ballot” question again testing Wainwright against Wagner. (Xxsskid17xX didn’t post photos of the full survey, and the full results beyond what appeared in National Journal are still a mystery.)
The poll also included a similar battery of questions about Bob Clark, the billionaire construction CEO and St. Louis native who was a fundraiser for Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Wainwright, 43, pitched for 18 years, all with the Cardinals, and retired from baseball after the 2023 season. He finished with 200 wins, 2,202 strikeouts and a lifetime ERA of 3.53.
But despite the thought and effort, Wainwright doesn’t look poised to jump into the race anytime soon. He’s a FOX MLB game analyst and Democratic sources don’t believe he will ultimately run.
Although depending on how Democrats do against Republicans in this year’s annual congressional baseball game for charity, Democrats might take a fresh run at Wainwright to get him elected and break the party’s four-year losing streak — as well as help win the majority.