St. Louis, MO  (KTRS)  It’s an end of an era after Senator Claire McCaskill lost her bid for re-election to the U.S. Senate. The Democratic lawmaker from Missouri was defeated by Republican challenger, Attorney General Josh Hawley.

During her concession speech, McCaskill appeared upbeat.

“I know my mouth gets me into trouble and I’ve had to be careful. Not anymore will be out here fighting with you. I am not going away. I love this state and will continue to serve.” McCaskill said.

Ferguson Councilwoman Ella Jones expressed her disappointment and said she is looking to Senator Roy Blunt to guide the newly elected senator.

“I’m looking for him to guide Josh in a positive way. Even though it’s red, the blue is still watching.” Jones warned.

The Democratic lawmaker has a political career that has spanned decades in Missouri. After graduating from law school in the late 1970’s, McCaskill began working as an assistant prosecutor in Kansas City. She eventually served as a felony courtroom prosecutor specializing in sex crimes and arson cases.

A few years later, McCaskill made the leap from prosecutor to legislator. That was in 1982, when McCaskill won a seat in the Missouri State Legislature. In that role, she chaired the General Assembly’s Civil and Criminal Justice Committee. This also became a historical time in Missouri’s political arena. McCaskill became the first woman Missouri State Legislator to have a baby while in office.

Fast forward to 1992 when McCaskill once again made history in Missouri. She became the first woman to be elected as Jackson County Prosecutor. McCaskill served two terms in that position until 1999 when she was she was sworn in as Missouri State Auditor. McCaskill served as the state’s top government watch dog until 2006.

In 2004, McCaskill beat out Governor Bob Holden in the Missouri Primary Election. She made history again with this political endeavor by being the only person to defeat a sitting Missouri Governor in a primary election. However, McCaskill’s political luck ran out when she was defeated by her Republican challenger, Matt Blunt in the General Election.

Nonetheless, McCaskill showed resilience and threw her hat back into the political arena for a higher office. She ran for the U.S. Senate and ultimately defeated incumbent Senator Jim Talent in 2006. This achievement was also another first for McCaskill. She became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri. She was re-elected in 2012 when she defeated Republican challenger Todd Akin. Until mid-August, polling showed the candidates running neck and neck. Following a television interview, Representative Akin came under fire when he claimed that women who were the victims of what he described as a “legitimate rape” rarely ended up pregnant. His comments caused controversyand drew criticism by members of both parties, ultimately costing him the election.

Hawley’s win helped secure GOP dominance in the U.S. Senate.