MOScout Weekender - Weekly Poll - Who Won the Week - and more....
Welcome to the MOScout Weekender…
MOScout Weekly Poll
As we start to look to the general elections, I started with what’s considered to be the most competitive state senate seat – Jefferson County’s Senate 22.
Here are the toplines….
Q: Do you think Missouri is heading in the right direction or do you think it is going off on the wrong track?
Right direction: 41%
Wrong track: 38%
Unsure: 21%
Q: Do you approve or disapprove of Donald Trump’s job performance as President of the United States?
Approve: 52%
Disapprove: 43%
Unsure: 5%
Q: The candidates in the 2018 General Election for State Senate are the Republican Paul Wieland and the Democrat Robert Butler. IF the election were held today, for whom would you vote?
Paul Wieland: 42%
Robert Butler: 39%
Undecided: 19%
Q: Do you want to amend Missouri law to increase the state minimum wage to $8.60 per hour with 85 cents per hour increase each year until 2023, when the state minimum wage would be $12.00 per hour?
Yes: 59%
No: 27%
Undecided: 14%
While Wieland is clearly still in danger (his “lead” is within the margin of error), his position is much improved from when I polled this in March. At that time, Butler led Wieland (44%-38%). Trump’s approval then was 50% and the right direction/ wrong track was flipped (38%-50%). Perhaps optimism about the economy is helping GOP candidate.
Also this explanation… “I believe we were at the fever pitch of Greitens hysteria the last time we were in on SD 22.”
See the full poll here: moscout.com/s/MOScout-Weekly-Poll-Senate-22-81718.pdf
Who Won the Week
Wondering who won the week?.... That can be found here: http://www.moscout.com/s/WWTW-Aug1818.pdf
Bits
Alixandra Hallin Cossette, who served as Minority Counsel for House Democrats last session, joins Chuck Hatfield and Stinson Leonard Street this week. She recently added Cossette to her name after marrying Brendan Cossette, Chief Operating Officer for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce. Hallin-Cossette is one of the "Alexes" who, together with Alex Curchin for the GOP, developed a solid reputation while staffing the Greitens' impeachment committee. She has a Masters of Public Health and a J.D. cum laude from St. Louis U.
Lame-duck Cole County Prosecutor Mark Richardson informed the Missouri Ethics Commission that he wouldn’t be charging Eric Greitens for a violation. The Commission had sent Richardson evidence after finding reasonable ground to believe a crime was committed. See it here.
Press release: Charles A. (Drew) Juden, current Director of Department of Public Safety, will depart the agency effective August 31, 2018. Governor Mike Parson has asked Colonel Sandra K. Karsten to serve as Acting-Director of Missouri’s Department of Public Safety during the transition. Colonel Karsten will also continue her role as superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The first-rate Jason Hancock tweeted “Some personal news.... w/@BryanLowry3 shipping off to DC next month, I'll be taking over as @KCStar's lead political reporter. I'll still be spending lots of time roaming the Missouri Capitol. But I'm excited to get to the opportunity to cover Topeka as well….”