Claire McCaskill (born July 24, 1953) is an American Democratic politician, currently the junior Unite States Senator from the state of Missouri and former State Auditor of Missouri. She defeated Republican Senator Jim Talent in 2006 by a margin of 50% to 47%. Along with Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, she is one of two female senators in the 110th United States Congress freshman class. She is the first woman elected to the Senate from Missouri in her own right.