MOScout Daily Update: Nixon Passes on Senate Run - COVID Exposes MO's Political Dysfunction - Gunby Forms CD-2 Committee and more...
Nixon Rules Out Senate Run
Former Governor Jay Nixon issued a statement ruling out a 2022 Senate run.
· It’s a big win for MO GOP as Nixon was considered a formidable general election candidate who might have put the state in play.
· Nixon’s statement may have been in reaction to a sense among some Dems that the possibility of his candidacy was impacting the ability of other Dem candidates to raise money.
And
Am I the only one who found something endearing in the statement being a generational mash-up of communication? Nixon’s statement was printed out on a piece of paper. He (or someone) then snapped a picture of it, and tweeted out. See it here.
We’re Not Working the Problem
The public health challenge of COVID has laid bare the terrible state of Missouri’s political community.
· In St. Louis County, the current “furor” is whether the health director, Dr. Faisal Khan, was taunted with racial slurs. Though it’s undisputed that he flipped off some members of the mask-hostile crowd at a public meeting. Read it here.
· In Springfield, a request for state help was withdrawn. The governor sent out a press release cheering the development as proof things were getting better. Then local health officials retorted that things are not getting better, the state was too slow to act. Read it here.
· In the Lake of the Ozarks, the virus spreads amid a zeitgeist that equates being anti-intellectual with being conservative. “I was strongly against getting the vaccine. Just because we’re a strong conservative family.” Read it here.
· In St. Louis City, the mayor and the president of the board of aldermen continue to wrestle over control of emergency money. Read it here.
· Governor Mike Parson – who has been King of the Mixed Messages during the pandemic – goes on Fox News to decry the mixed messages of some places having mask mandates while others don’t. “It confuses people.” See it here.
We should be working the problem instead of spending energy saying “hooray for our side.” That’s what this moment requires from our politicians: a pause on scoring points.
1,921 Missourians are hospitalized with 559 of those folks in the ICU, while 41.1% of Missourians are fully vaccinated.
Gunby Forms Congressional Committee
Rep. Trish Gunby formed a federal campaign committee to run for 2-CD. It looks like a formal announcement is coming August 2.
Gunby flipped a St. Louis County House district for Dems back in 2019. She joins Ben Samuels in a Democratic primary. The mighty Jason Rosenbaum notes that the district is most likely going to become more Republican with redistricting later this year.
· One observer: I like both Trish and Ben (who has already raised 350K), but I feel like this will be an exhausting primary, where the winner gets the prize of losing by 10+.
eMailbag on Fitz for Auditor
Temperamentally he's well suited to the job as someone who is passionate about government efficiency and has the integrity and courage to call powerful players in his own party out, as we've seen on budget issues vis a vis the governor's office, ballot issues with Ashcroft, or reforming the low-income housing program over objections of senate leaders.
Previewing the Weekender
Remington/MOScout poll tomorrow morning asks St. Louis Countians how they feel about the mask mandate….
New Committees
People Over Politics was formed. It’s a PAC. Its treasurer is Eddie Osborne (Warrensburg MO).
JeffCo Patriots was formed. It’s a PAC. Its treasurer is Jaclyn 'Jackie' Riebold (Cedar Hill MO).
$5K+ Contributions
ASAPAC MO Federal Committee - $15,000 from American Society of Anesthesiologists Political Action Committee (ASA PAC).
UAW Region 5 Midwest States Political Action Committee (PAC) (MO) - $6,000 from UAW Region 4 Exchange Account.
Lobbyists Registrations
Nexus Group added Gateway to Hope.
Catalyst added Goodwill of Western Missouri.
Roxsen Koch added US Federal Properties Co. LLC.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Bruce Darrough.