MOScout Daily Update: Election Results - RGA Sends $2.5M to MO - New Uniting MO Ad and more...
Bush Drops Clay
Upset of the night: Cori Bush takes out the Lacy Clay. Lacy’s father, Bill Clay, went to DC in 1968, and in the 50+ years since then St. Louis has had a Congressman Clay. No more. Read Post-Dispatch article on the upset here. It’s fitting that Bush’s political rise, like Clay Sr., emerged from activism.
MedEx Passes
Missourians approved Medicaid expansion with a fair amount of breathing room: 53.2%. Interesting to see it passed in St. Charles (51.4%). St. Louis City voted for it by 88% - 11% margin.
Next up: implementation. St. Louis Public Radio quotes Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman about that prospect. See it here. Coleman, who was fiercely opposed to expansion, said there will need to be difficult discussions when lawmakers return for the 2021 legislative session. Republicans have floated the idea of passing work requirements, and Coleman said she “can’t imagine that wouldn’t become part of the conversation.” She said she believes the state will also need to cut some services that are already provided for the Medicaid population.
Page Stays
Sam Page retained the County Executive’s office with 38% in the four-way primary. Mark Mantovani was second with 29% and Jake Zimmerman third with 24%.
Senate Races
The buzz phrase of the night was “mixed bag.” There were no clean sweeps or obvious themes from the voters.
· The Conservative Caucus added at least two new members: Mike Moon beat David Cole in Senate 29, and Rick Brattin beat Jack Bondon in Senate 31. Meanwhile Sen. Bill Eigel blew out his primary opponents with 71% of the vote.
· And Holly Rehder squeaked past Kathy Swan (141 votes) in Senate 27. Rehder may or may not caucus with the CC, we’ll see.
· The “educational establishment” did OK winning with candidates like Elaine Gannon in Senate 3, and an upset from Karla Eslinger in Senate (142 votes over Robert Ross).
· Senate 25 wasn’t close in the end with Jason Bean running away with the four-way race with 45% after Eddy Justice and Jeff Shawan spent a great deal of their efforts in hitting each other.
· On the Dems side: Reps. Greg Razer and Barbara Washington won in landslides. Steve Roberts won the four-way primary in St. Louis City to succeed Jamilah Nasheed. And Angela Mosley, wife of Rep. Jay Mosley, won in Senate 13, 41% to 40% over Tommie Pierson, and Alan Green (18%).
Driving the Day: Uniting Missouri Unveils New Ad
The pro-Mike Parson PAC, Uniting Missouri, announced a “seven-figure buy,” unveiling an ad that “will begin airing on statewide broadcast and cable networks” today.
It says that Parson is “Tough on crime. Strong on jobs. Governor Mike Parson is working for Missouri.”
And
The Republican Governors Association sent $2.5M to their state committee yesterday. They previously had given $1.1M this year, so it brings their total investment in the state to over $3.6M. If history is any indication, most of that money will find its way to the Uniting Missouri PAC. It appears to be the RGA’s preferred vehicle to help Parson.
What It Means
Parson has a money advantage over Nicole Galloway. They’re going to press that advantage and start ad early.
More election bits….
More GOP Sen Women
One outcome from last night… the number of women in the Senate Republican caucus will double from three to six…
YAL Splits Its Races
Young Americans for Liberty made ten House endorsements this year, and won five of them. That will increase their numbers, but it’s not the grand slam some had hoped for.
YAL is thought to align more with Curtis Trent than Dean Plocher, so these results don’t tell us anything definitive about the upcoming Majority Floor Leader race.
Carter Sr. Loses
The only House incumbent to lose a primary was Chris Carter. He lost to Marlon Anderson by 54 votes, within the margin for a recount.
City Returns Gardner
St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner easily beat her opponent 61% to 39%. What was thought to once be a close race turned into a blow-out, perhaps as Gardner received a lot of free media over Republicans angry with her handling of the McCloskeys’ gun-waving.
Finneran Beats Gross
Rich Finneran beat Elad Gross to become the Democrats’ AG nominee. Gross ran a spirited grass-roots campaign, and was well-liked by a lot of Dem elected for his willingness to campaign all around the state.
Finneran now faces Eric Schmitt, and will start at an enormous, perhaps unprecedented, financial disadvantage.
Former Reps in STL County Council
· Former Rep. Rochelle Walton Gray lost the District 4 St. Louis County Council primary, placing second in a three-way race to Shalonda Webb.
· And former Rep. Bob Burns won his three-way primary for District 6, with 37.5% in a three-way.
West Defies GOP Leadership
Steve West won the Republican primary in House 15. He’s the dude with the racist rants on YouTube and elsewhere. West was disowned by the GOP House leadership and the Republican State Party, but Republican primary voters apparently didn’t get the memo…
More Election News
Former lobbyist Ryan Johnson won his Cass County Commissioner race, ousting an incumbent by a 52-48% margin.
Former State Public Safety Director Drew Juden lost his bid for Cape Girardeau County Sheriff.
MOScout Pick’em Champion: Pat Thomas
Four people got all the races correct: Mary Elizabeth Coleman, Mike Lodewegen, David Jackson, and Pat Thomas. Jackson, unsolicited, threw in the Eslinger upset, but… Pat Thomas won the tie-breaker. She was closest to the MedEx vote, guessing 54% approving.
Lobbyists Registrations
Rodney Gray, Susan Henderson Moore and Cara Alexander deleted American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and Scientific Games Corporation.
$5K+ Contributions
Republican Governors Association - Missouri 2020 - $2,500,000 from Republican Governors Association (Washington DC).
Missouri Democratic State Committee - $25,500 from Pipe Fitters Local Union 533 Volunteer Political Fund.
Missourians for Healthcare - $6,844 from Highlander Political Strategies LLC.
No on 2 in August - $6,300 from Pelopidas, LLC.
Taxpayers in Support of Public Education - $37,000 from CHIPP Political Account.
Majority Forward - $15,000 from Ameren Missouri.
Mighty Missouri PAC - $15,000 from American Federation for Children (Washington DC).
Conservative Leadership of the Ozarks - $7,500 from Expand Missouri PAC.