MOScout Weekender: Unruh Named Prez - Weekly Poll CD-2 - Realtors for Transport Tax - Who Won the Week and more....
Unruh Gets Promoted
Word is that Craig Unruh is being named President of AT&T Missouri. Unruh has been their Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs. I have no idea how someone so nice has clawed his way to the top of corporate America.
And
One lobbyist texts me: Now starts the speculation on who will replace Unruh…. It’s a big job.
MOScout Weekly Poll: 2nd Congressional District
This week’s poll looks at CD-2 where Congresswoman Ann Wagner faces Democrat Cort VanOstran.
Dems have been poking me that this is one to watch. The suburban district is theoretically where educated women, repulsed by President Donald Trump, are most likely to abandon the GOP. (Here’s the fascinating chart of polling. It shows white men without college degrees ditching the Dem Party in 2008 when Obama was elected. And now the same phenomenon occurring with white degreed women due to Trump).
This poll doesn’t show any tsunami coming to radically change the nature of this district however. Cook Partisan Voting Index says its +8 GOP (Trump won by 10; Romney by 16).
TOPLINES
Q: Do you approve or disapprove of Donald Trump’s job performance as President?
Approve: 50%
Disapprove: 46%
Not sure: 4%
Q: The candidates in the General Election for United States Congress are the Republican Ann Wagner and the Democrat Cort Van Ostran. If the election were held today, for whom would you vote?
Ann Wagner: 51%
Cort Van Ostran: 40%
Undecided: 9%
Q: Which political party best represents your views on abortion?
Republican: 48%
Democratic: 36%
Not sure: 16%
Q: Which political party best represents your views on guns?
Republican: 48%
Democratic: 41%
Not sure: 11%
Q: Which political party best represents your views on immigration?
Republican: 52%
Democratic: 41%
Not sure: 7%
Realtors Send $250K to Transportation Tax Campaign
In the large contributions the Realtors sent a hefty check to SaferMO.com, the campaign committee to pass the increase gas tax this November.
The explanation from one close observer: “Not only do the Missouri Realtors understand the urgent need to raise money for roads, they get that Missouri needs to be ready to match federal dollars with whatever comes out of Washington for infrastructure. Those states with ready matching millions go to the front of the line.”
And
“The Realtors have a battle-tested army of more than 20,000 members, one of Missouri’s largest trade associations who have won big with two statewide constitutional amendment elections in the last eight years, most recently amassing 1.5 million votes to bar sales taxes on services…”
Who Won the Week?
Robert Sauls won the week... See the whole list here.
America First To Spend in MO
From National Journal’s Hotline… OUTSIDE GROUPS: “America First Action and America First Policies … plan to make a combined initial expenditure of about $12.5 million in 10 congressional races and two Senate races. … They will begin spending the money after Labor Day and anticipate additional purchases of TV, radio and digital ads as the November elections near.” The groups plan to spend in the open WV-03 seat and one held by Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC 13) where “none of the four major outside groups backing GOP or Democratic House candidates have bought TV time.” (Wall Street Journal) Other House targets include the open MN-08 and MI-11 seats and the seats held by Reps. Claudia Tenney (R-NY 22) and Pete Sessions (R-TX 32). “The remaining $2.5 million will be spent by America First Policies” on the Senate seats held by Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO). (CBS News)
What It Means
Senator Claire McCaskill has significantly outraised Attorney General Josh Hawley, but after all the third-party money has flooded in, the saturation will make any spending difference between the two camps indistinguishable to the average voter.
Lobbyists Registrations
Mark Levison added Tristar Property Associates LLC, and 490 North Kingshighway LLC; and deleted Proclaims.
$5K+ Contributions
SaferMo.Com - $25,000 from Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc.
SaferMo.Com - $250,000 from Missouri Realtors.