Republicans are still looking for a candidate to run for Boone County's state senate seat, following Chuck Basye's withdrawal from the race. No one stepped up to run at a meeting held by Missouri's Republican 19th Senatorial District Committee to find a candidate Sunday, underscoring the challenges facing the GOP in the redrawn district.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft's office sent a letter notifying the committee it has until 5 p.m. on May 23, to nominate a candidate, according to a copy of the letter reviewed by KOMU 8.

Former Democratic Rep. Stephen Webber is now the only candidate in the race. This comes after Basye ended his candidacy bid on April 25, citing his prostate cancer diagnosis .

Webber is looking to replace term-limited state Sen. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia. Webber last ran for the seat in 2016 , narrowly losing to Rowden.

Tony Lupo, chair of the Boone County Republican Central Committee, said he didn't expect anyone to announce their candidacy at the Sunday night meeting. Lupo said committee members are trying to encourage people they know to run for the seat.

"People are on the spot trying to make that decision whether they have the time and the money and, and if they can put together a platform that they want to run on," Lupo said. "So it's a difficult decision to say, hey, I'm going to jump into the race."

Lupo said it's possible redistricting could be one reason why its difficult to find a replacement. Missouri's Senate District 19, which used to include Cooper County , was redrawn in 2022 to cover just Boone County. Without more rural Cooper County, the seat now likely leans toward Democrats.

The election for the seat will be held on Nov. 5.