| Bill Eigel | |
| State Senate: | Missouri |
| District: | 23rd |
| Term Start: | January 4, 2017 |
| Predecessor: | Tom Dempsey |
| Birth Name: | William Charles Eigel[1] |
| Birth Place: | Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Party: | Republican |
| Spouse: | Amanda |
| Children: | 2 |
| Education: | Purdue University (BS) Webster University (MBA) |
| Allegiance: |  United States |
| Serviceyears: | 2009–2016 |
| Rank: | Captain |
| Battles: | Operation Enduring Freedom |
William C. Eigel (born November 24, 1977) is an American politician and member of the Missouri State Senate.[2] [3] A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected in 2016 and assumed his seat on January 4, 2017.[2] Eigel is a former captain in the United States Air Force, having served from 2009 to 2016.[4] [5]
Eigel was a candidate in the 2024 Missouri gubernatorial election, but came in second place in the primary against Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe.
Eigel grew up in Dayton, Ohio and holds an MBA from Webster University.[6] He attended Purdue University from 1995-1999 and received a BS in industrial engineering.[7]
In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Eigel called for a special session of the Missouri legislature to implement legislation to prevent private-sector companies from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for staff and customers.[8]
In January 2024, Eigel was stripped of his committee chairmanship and Capitol parking spot following filibusters and stalling tactics meant to force a vote on an amendment to increase barriers to citizen ballot initiatives.[9] Senate majority leader Cindy O'Laughlin expressed willingness to expel Eigel from the senate chambers due to disruptive behavior. In summer 2024, her PAC transferred funds to Rusty Black's PAC for mailers against his gubernatorial bid.[10]
In February 2024, Eigel and other Republicans opposed an amendment that would allow abortion in cases of rape or incest.[11] Eigel stated that Democrats wanted to "bring back the institution of abortion so that kids can get abortions in the state of Missouri. A 1-year-old could get an abortion under this."[12] [13] He then said the proposed amendment "doesn't address" the "institutions of rape or of incest".[14]
In 2023, Eigel's BILL PAC was accused of using deceptive tactics to raise money for the 2024 Missouri gubernatorial election. Emails that prominently featured Donald Trump solicited small donations nationwide.[15] As of October 2023, almost 99% of donations to BILL PAC came from out of state.[16]
Eigel attracted wide attention for a video involving a flamethrower and burning cardboard boxes with references to book burning. He has also criticized current governor Mike Parson for calling for civility in politics.[17]