For Missouri's Republican gubernatorial candidate Secretary of State Matt Blunt, politics seems to be the family business. His father, Roy Blunt, has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1996 and currently as the House majority whip, and his grandfather, Leroy Blunt, served as a state representative. Now Matt Blunt, considered by many a rising star in Missouri politics, is aiming to succeed where his father failed and capture the governor's office.

Blunt is a sixth generation Missourian, whose family hails from southwestern Missouri, a region with conservative Republican roots reaching all the way back to the Civil War. Blunt and his wife Melanie, who he married in 1997, live in Springfield, the largest city in the southwest. They are expecting their first baby in March 2005.

Blunt may admit to following in his father's footsteps, but he loathes to be accused of riding his father's coattails. In fact, to dismiss any speculation, Blunt's campaign released a statement saying that Roy Blunt "is not an important part of the campaign, although he gives advice from time to time, and we appreciate that."

Still, Matt Blunt apparently benefited from his father's national fund-raising connections during his 2000 run for secretary of State when a local group linked to Roy Blunt's campaign committee donated $40,000 to his campaign. His father also helped raise money for his son's earlier campaigns.

Born in 1970, Matt Blunt grew up in Strafford, a small farming town located in the southwestern corner of the state and attended Missouri public schools.

After he graduated high school, Blunt studied at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he received a bachelor's degree in history in 1993. The Annapolis graduate served on active duty for five years, first as an engineering officer, then a navigator and administrative officer. He also participated in missions in Haiti, Cuba and drug interdictions off the coast of South America. For his service, Blunt was awarded four Navy and Marine Corps achievement medals and the Humanitarian Service Medal.

Shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Secretary of State was called up as a Naval Reservist and served six months in the United Kingdom, becoming the first statewide official to be called into active military service. He is still in the Reserves.

His military experience is showcased in his campaign as evidence of his leadership, commitment to public service and devotion to his country.

In 1998 Blunt, at the age of 27, was elected to the state House representing the 139th Legislative District. As state representative, Blunt racked up a conservative record, voting against all the major budget bills, including those for education, to keep the state from spilling too much red ink.

In 2000, Blunt became secretary of State, stepping into the same office his father held at the age of 34. In the post, Blunt has worked to reform the state's election system through the use of new technology, such as electronic voting.

In fact, Missouri in August 2004 became the first state to enable troops serving overseas to vote via e-mail by sending their ballots to a Pentagon contractor, which would then fax the votes to election officials in Missouri. But, some technology experts have cautioned that Blunt's voting initiative lacks necessary security, privacy and anti-fraud protections. Blunt, however, said the program was the best response to requests from service members for more accessible ways to vote.

He has also championed the use of technology to reduce bureaucratic red tape and government waste, as well as improve state historical archive preservation and access to state information and educational resources.

In early 2003, at 32, Blunt became the front-runner GOP candidate to challenge incumbent Democrat Gov. Bob Holden, whose popularity was sagging. Blunt handily defeated five candidates on Aug. 3 to win the GOP nomination, unlike his father, who lost a bid for the Republican nomination for Missouri governor in a bloody 1992 primary fight.

On the campaign trail, Blunt has vowed to create a smaller, more efficient state government. At the same time, Blunt -- who slates education as his top priority -- has pledged to spend more money on the state's troubled public school system without raising taxes.

Blunt has campaigned with the consistent message to bring effective leadership and better accountability to the governor's office. Blunt also asserts that his values better reflect those of Missourians -- unlike what he says are the liberal ideals of his Democratic competitor, state auditor Claire McCaskill.

Blunt has backing from prominent national leaders, including President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and benefits from a campaign flush with more than $5 million in funds as of early September.