MOScout Daily Update: Gregory in for Auditor - Long Announces - Parson Pardons McCloskey - KFPD's 5 Vote Election Day and more...

Gregory Joins Auditor Race

Rep. David Gregory will formally announce today that he’s running for state auditor.  The move is not a surprise as he’s been laying the groundwork for months – including pulling in a large $200K contribution for his PAC (Show Me Growth PAC) earlier this year.

Gregory’s announcement will be this morning at 9:30AM.  He’s making it at the St. Louis Police Officer’s Association hall, fueling speculation that he may have their backing in his bid.

See Gregory’s announcement video here.  It shows Gregory traveling the state in his pick-up, talking to Missourians. 

If corrupt politicians are using your tax dollars to line their friends’ pockets, I’ll expose them.

If they’re using your money to harass churches, I’ll fight it.

If they’re using your money to indoctrinate your children with divisive critical race theory or defunding our police, I’ll root it out.

And I won’t let them get away with illegally using your money to fund abortion, support illegal immigration or restrict our second amendment rights…

The woke left has gotten away with this for years.  When I become auditor, they won’t get away with it anymore.

Gregory joins Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick who announced last week. 

·         This puts some pressure on Speaker Rob Vescovo to make a decision about his candidacy.

Long Announces

Congressman Billy Long went on Fox TV last night and announced what we’ve been talking about for a week or two… he’s running for US Senate. 

Politico reports… The congressman is tying himself closely to [Donald] Trump. On Tuesday afternoon, prior to the airing of the interview with [Tucker] Carlson, Long met with the former president at Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan, according to three people familiar with the sit-down.

Long's advisers include Jamestown Associates, the prominent Republican media firm that crafted ads for Trump’s presidential campaigns, and Caroline Wren, who was a top fundraiser on Trump’s reelection effort. Long has also signed on Kellyanne Conway, who was counselor in the Trump White House and managed the final months of his 2016 campaign, to serve as a senior adviser….

·         Get ready for a frenzy to replace Long in CD-7.  Spotted at the Newton County Watermelon Feed… possible CD-7 candidates Sam Alexander and Joelle Cannon… and US Senate candidate Mark McCloskey.

Parson Pardons McCloskeys

Among the new pardons from Governor Mike Parson were Mark and Patricia McCloskey.  On the one hand, it wasn’t a huge shock given that the governor has previously said he’d pardon them.

On the other, it was surprising because it inserts the governor into the US Senate race. 

·         One reader: Other GOP candidates in the senate race—even candidates with legal troubles—aren't getting the same kind of favorable treatment from Parson that McCloskey is getting with this pardon. Effectively an endorsement?

·         Another: Parson pardoning McCloskey to crowd out Billy’s big announcement on Tucker was really something.

3-0 and 2-0

St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports of single digit turnout in St. Louis yesterday, including this head-shaker…

In St. Louis County, the Kinloch Fire Protection District put two separate propositions on the ballot — each calling for a 25-cent increase. Both measures won with a combined total of five votes.

Not a typo.  Five votes.

Gunby Motivation

A lot folks are questioning Rep. Trish Gunby’s reasoning for running for congress.

·         Dems have consistently failed to flip 2-CD (and frankly Gunby feels more like Bill Otto in 2016 than Cort VanOstran in 2018).

·         Republicans control the congressional redistricting process in Missouri, so the consensus is that the district will become even more Republican in 2022.

·         Incumbent Ann Wagner starts with high name ID, and money in the bank.

·         The last thing MODems need is to go find another candidate for a potential swing House district.

·         With Democrat Ben Samuels pulling in $350K so far in fundraising, it’s not clear Gunby will necessarily win the primary right now.

One Republican wonders if maybe Gunby is thinking redistricting might make her 2022 re-election harder, so why not take a long-shot at going to DC than have to slog through a tough re-elect to be in the minority of the Missouri House.

GOP Leadership Slate?

This invitation to a reception Thursday (see it here) implies that several Republicans are banding together into a “slate,” running for House leadership.  At the top is Rep. Jon Patterson, in a seemingly competitive run for House Floor Leader. The others on the invite: Reps. Jim Murphy (speaker pro-tem), John Simmons (assistant floor leader), Don Mayhew (majority whip), and Barry Hovis (majority caucus chair).

One MOScouter questions whether this sort of alliance is helpful.  “I don’t think they gain any votes on this, only lose some from the candidates for leadership running against others in the slate.  For example, I know Bennie Cook is running for caucus chair. This all but guarantees he votes against everyone on that list.”

Walsh Hospitalized

Rep. Sara Walsh on Twitter posted that her husband has been hospitalized. 

Friends, please pray for my precious husband Steve Walsh. He is very sick and is in the hospital. We serve a miracle working God and tonight please help me get prayers lifted up for Steve’s healing and recovery. Steve is my sweet love and my best friend in the whole world.

Dem Fears, Hopes…

Politico has ana article that the national political environment has Dems worried about 2022.  See it here.

During a closed-door lunch last week with some of his most vulnerable incumbents, House Democrats’ campaign chief delivered a blunt warning: If the midterms were held now, they would lose the majority.  Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) followed that bleak forecast, which was confirmed by multiple people familiar with the conversation, with new polling that showed Democrats falling behind Republicans by a half-dozen points on a generic ballot in battleground districts. Maloney advised the party to course-correct ahead of 2022 by doing more to promote President Joe Biden’s agenda, which remains popular with swing voters.

But in Missouri Dems are resting their hopes on the belief that Donald Trump has driven dramatically higher Republican turnout during the last couple cycles.  And without him on the ballot in 2022, Missouri will revert to a more competitive situation.

We’ll see….

New Committees

Jenna Roberson formed a candidate committee (Jenna Roberson for Missouri) to run for Senate 2 as a Democrat.

Final 4 Missouri was formed.  It’s a PAC.  Its treasurer is Dave Roland.

$5K+ Contributions

Living Well PAC - $24,500 from MARF.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Robin Carnahan, Dick Wiles, Don Soph.