MOScout Daily Update: Dems for 2020 Gov? - Schatz, Rowden, Walsh, Walker Win Leadership Races - Walker Quits Black Caucus and more...

Who’s on Dem List for 2020?

No it’s not too early; it might even be a little late…

·         Sen. Scott Sifton has been considering a gubernatorial run. 

·         Supporters of Auditor Nicole Galloway would probably see her as first in line for that ballot spot – if she wants it.

·         Russ Carnahan, who helped House Dems in their fundraising and outreach efforts this cycle, is said to be open to a 2020 statewide run.

·         But one savvy Dem tells me that his party should be seeking a candidate from outside the political bubble, for example a woman business leader.  Such a person would be without the baggage of a “career politician.”  They’d have a business resume that plays to the Dem Party’s strength: economic issues (anti-RTW, boasting minimum wage); and they’d have a demographic profile to seize on Republican weakness with college-educated women.

Schatz Takes Pro Tem Spot

Always a twist or turn it seems to every Senate leadership race.  Sen. Dave Schatz was chosen as the speaker pro tem by the Republican Senate Caucus.  It appears that second and third ballot commitments were important, and that Schatz may have been aided by incoming senators who hadn’t quite made up their mind in the final days.  Plus, everyone says he worked hard and closed with a sprint.

Schatz is a pro-business Republican in the mold of Ron Richard.  He’s proven willing to go to bat for proposals that aren’t always popular with Republicans.  For example, incentives (like stadium subsidies) or even taxes (like Prop D) if he thinks it will help economic development.

And

Sen. Caleb Rowden was elected Floor Leader.  He was considered the favorite.  He’s proven very capable on the Senate floor in his first two years, though the leadership post does bring a new set of challenges.

Meanwhile

Dems chose Sen. Gina Walsh to return as their Minority leader.  Interestingly (noted by Jane Dueker on twitter) the Senate Dem leadership is entirely women.

House Dems Choose Quade As Minority Leader

Rep. Crystal Quade won the House Dem race for Minority Leader.  She promised a leadership process that was more open to ideas from caucus members.  Quade won it on the first ballot – a sign of strength as it required a constitutional majority and there were caucus members absent.  She was nominated by Rep. Jon Carpenter.

Walker Quits Black Caucus

In a tweet (see it here), Rep. Cora Faith Walker said that she “resigned from the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus.”  The assumption is that Walker was reacting to Rep. Steven Roberts’ election as new Black Caucus chair.  He defeated Rep. Bruce Franks for the position.  Walker and Roberts have been involved in litigation stemming from her accusation that he sexually assaulted her.

eMailbag: Galloway Not a Blow Out

If the OPPO research was really effective, the race would have been a blow out for Galloway. MOGOP has always operated under the false belief that spending on the top of the ticket helps the rest of the ticket. Down ticket candidates have to raise money to make that work. The result would have been much different had McDowell had any money to spend…

eMailbag: More on Election Turnout

The Missouri electorate in special elections and the August primary of 2018 did not look like the November ’16 electorate.  The November ’18 electorate looked very much like the November ’16 voters.  Democratic energy dissipated over the year, perhaps in part because Claire ran as a moderate while Hawley largely avoided talking about issues that fire up Dems or pretended to be more moderate on them. Trump’s trips and the Kavanaugh hearings apparently fired his base but didn’t provoke that much counter reaction.

Previewing the Weekender

No MOScout Poll this week, but the other features will be running.  Plus I’ll clear out the in-box on election stuff, so next week we can turn our attention to upcoming session.  It’ll be here sooner than we realize.

Help Wanted

Ameren seeks Missouri State Legislative Representative.  “The Legislative Representative is responsible for maintaining and cultivating favorable legislative relations through personal contact with state elected officials and their staff members and facilitating day to day activities related to the government relations function.”  See the ad here.

Lobbyists Registrations

Arthur Davis deleted Institute For Justice.

$5K+ Contributions

CLEAN Missouri - $5,125 from NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri.
Chouteau PAC - $6,000 from American Democracy Alliance - Ridgely PAC.

House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $10,000 from Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits LLC.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Kathy Swan.

Saturday: Chris Schappe.

Sunday: Former Reps. Dwight Scharnhorst, Tom Shively, and Terry Young.