MOScout Daily Update: Wagner on GOP Gender Gap - Staffers Resigned Ahead of CLEAN - Galloway Promoted - Irwin to Centene and more...
Wagner and GOP Gender Gap
Big Politico story this morning featuring Congresswoman Ann Wagner. It explores Republican leadership’s lack of effort to appeal to women voters. See it here.
The already meager ranks of female House Republicans had just been further decimated in the midterms when Rep. Ann Wagner was readying a play to head the party’s campaign arm — in the hopes of leading a recovery.
Wagner was indisputably well-credentialed for the job: The Missouri Republican had just won in a competitive district. She had experience raising money as finance director of the National Republican Congressional Committee, as well as past success helping Republican women win campaigns. A band of supportive lawmakers stood ready to vote her into the position.
But there was one major problem: House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy didn’t want her leading the NRCC. The California Republican called Wagner to express his preference for a far less prominent male lawmaker, Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, according to three sources familiar with the conversation. Wagner could have defied McCarthy — some lawmakers and aides thought she’d win if she would have — but she realized doing so would create tension and would be counterproductive as the party tried to pivot toward 2020.
Wagner decided not to run.
“The leader had a different plan,” was all Wagner would say about her decision…
Some House Republican women are frustrated that their male counterparts aren’t taking the party’s problem with women seriously. After brutal midterm elections — in which suburban moms broke heavily from Republicans to back Democrats, and the number of GOP female lawmakers shrank from 23 to 13 — Republican women are telling their overwhelmingly male colleagues that if they don’t solve their women problem they won’t win back the majority…
Senate Staffers Make Precautionary Resignations
It appears that last week just ahead of the CLEAN deadline two Senate staffers resigned their position in order to keep career options open.
Josh Foster, former chief of staff to Sen. Ed Emery, and Zach Monroe, chief of staff to Sen. Jeanie Riddle, are no longer listed on the Senate staff website.
One source confirmed that they resigned ahead of the deadline, but says that they may return depending on how some job opportunities shake out.
Both are considered candidates for an opening at Ameren as the senators they staff are chair and vice-chair of the Commerce Committee which handles utility legislation in the Senate.
We’ll see…
Justus for KC
KC mayoral hopeful Jolie Justus had a fundy last night at Trezo Mare in the Northland. Tipster says, “Big event… Very well attended, and broad support across party lines.”
The prospect of Justus becoming mayor of Kansas City cheers KC-ers because she has instant relationships with the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general having previously served with them in the state senate. Justus, though liberal, is particularly gifted at connecting with folks regardless of ideology, and forging a compromise they can accept.
Ashcroft Asks for Auditor Assistance in Hawley Investigation
Well, this has taken a serious turn.
When Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft first announced an investigation into allegations that Josh Hawley had a political advisor directing his AG staff, I assumed it’d be a half-hearted, check the boxes and find nothing routine.
But Hawley’s unhinged twitter rant, followed by a squawking rebuttal letter, seemed to give the allegations a bit more weight than I’d assumed.
And now Ashcroft is asking the Democratic State Auditor Nicole Galloway to help out. It’s taken a serious turn.
Galloway Promoted
Press release: CenturyLink announced Doug Galloway, Director of Governmental Affairs based in Jefferson City, has assumed additional responsibilities throughout the Midwest. Currently Galloway is responsible for legislative and regulatory activities in Missouri and Kansas. On December 1 he assumed the same responsibilities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Nebraska. Galloway has over 40 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. He will continue to serve on the Board of Directors for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, the Missouri Telecommunications Industry Association, and the Missouri One-Call System. Additionally, he has joined the Board of Directors for the Illinois Telephone Association and the Indiana Broadband Telecommunications Association. CenturyLink is the second largest U.S. provider of telecommunications and data services to global enterprise customers in more than 60 countries and in all 50 states within the U.S.
Irwin to Centene
Post-Dispatch reports that former Civic Progress Executive Director Tom Irwin has been hired by Centene to be “vice president for regional development and political affairs.”
Bracing for Constitutional Crisis?
Jack Danforth is among 44 former US Senators penning an op/ed in the Washington Post saying that “the rule of law and the ability of our institutions to function freely and independently must be upheld.” See it here.
“[W]e feel an obligation to speak up about serious challenges to the rule of law, the Constitution, our governing institutions and our national security. We are on the eve of the conclusion of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation and the House’s commencement of investigations of the president and his administration… We all took an oath swearing allegiance to the Constitution. Whatever united or divided us, we did not veer from our unwavering and shared commitment to placing our country, democracy and national interest above all else. At other critical moments in our history, when constitutional crises have threatened our foundations, it has been the Senate that has stood in defense of our democracy. Today is once again such a time…”
Bits
In the large contributions below is a huge donation from former St. Louis City Alderman Antonio French to his campaign committee. It’s an in-kind contribution in form of “assuming responsibly for the remaining debt” from his 2017 mayoral bid. See an article about some of that debt here.
A Washington Post opinion piece looks at the CLEAN redistricting. See it here. The irony is that legislation designed to eliminate the weirdly shaped districts that were responsible for the term “gerrymander” in the first place could end up creating other weirdly shaped districts albeit ones with more partisan balance.
New Committees
Pro-Life Pioneer PAC was formed. Its treasurer is Mark Milton.
Hillary Shields formed a candidate committee (Shields for State Senate) to run for Senate 8 as a Democrat in 2022.
Raymond Lampert formed a candidate committee (Citizens For Raymond Lampert) to run for House 137 as a Democrat.
Helena Webb formed a candidate committee (Webb For House Rep) to run for House 100 as a Democrat.
Andrew Lear formed a candidate committee (Andrew Lear For City Council) to run for Springfield City Council.
Derrick Neuner formed a candidate committee (Friends Of Derrick Neuner) to run for St. Louis City 12th Ward Alderman as a Democrat.
$5K+ Contributions
Friends of Antonio French - $66,564 from Antonio French.
United Food & Commercial Workers Local #655 Elect Political Action Fund - $6,186 from UFCW Local 655.
Lobbyists Registrations
David Klarich added Greenleaves LLC.
Jessica Petrie and David Winton added Missouri Food Bank Association.
Lynne Schlosser deleted Missouri Association Or Realtors.