MOScout Daily Update: Coats to Lead Kehoe Campaign - Parson Set to Announce New Treasurer - Plocher 2024 - Wagner Joins Bailey's Office and more...
First in MOScout: Kehoe Campaign Taps Coats
Derek Coats will be named Campaign Manager for Kehoe for Governor. Coats is currently Deputy Chief of Staff for Roy Blunt and has been a fixture in MO politics for over two decades. He was with Kit Bond’s office before he went to work for Blunt.
· See Blunt speak about Coats on the Senate floor here.
What It Means
· Coats has been Blunt’s state director was twelve years and was Bond’s district director before that. Bottomline: he knows the state.
· Team Kehoe is being much more aggressive than Team Ashcroft – both in fundraising, and now in building out their team. It’s seen as necessary because Ashcroft starts with a higher built-in name ID with Republican voters.
Driving the Day: Parson to Pick Treasurer
Governor Mike Parson will hold a 3PM press conference today to announce his state treasurer appointment. And not a moment too soon. Inauguration is two weeks from tomorrow.
There’s been a lot of names this past month, but no consensus among the “chattering class” about where Parson will land tomorrow.
· One late name in the rumor-mill: Carrie Almond (see her bio here).
· The only non-woman whose name seems to have some traction: Vivek Malek.
Plocher’s Pre-Session Fundy
Speaker Dean Plocher will hold a fundraiser January 3, the night before session starts. It’s at the Marriott Courtyard in Jefferson City from 7:30PM – 9PM, and he’ll be accepting checks for both his candidate committee and his PAC. See the invite here.
What It Means
· Looks like Plocher’s raising money and laying the groundwork for a 2024 campaign.
And
When folks hear that a speaker is eying higher office, they’ll often recite a recent roll-call of speakers who either lost or backed off a campaign… Vescovo (played footsie, never ran), Haahr (returned to private sector), Richardson (went to work in state government), Diehl (resigned), Jones (opted against statewide race), Tilley (abandoned LG race), Richard (did go to state senate), Jetton (consulting business), (Hanaway (failed statewide races).
But
Plocher has a few advantages some of his earlier predecessors didn’t…
· First, it appears his signature issue is going to be tackling crime. That’s popular with Missourians. He has a Republican majority to get something substantive passed, and a Republican governor who seems to agree with prioritizing crime as an issue. He could legitimately have something to run on.
· Second, assuming he telegraphs his intention early enough, he could clear the field – with enough money and enough endorsements. Unlike Catherine Hanaway’s era, Missouri is now-solid-red state. You freeze out the primary, and you win the general.
Wagner to Work for Bailey
St. Louis Business Journal reported that “incoming Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said Wagner would join his team next month as senior advisor and chief counselor, following Bailey's swearing in next month.”
· Bailey said in a statement that "my highest priority is assembling a team with the experience, character and commitment to serving a cause greater than themselves, and Ray's entire career exemplifies those values."
· Wagner said he "believes strongly that Andrew has what it takes to protect our communities, while upholding the rule of law and maintaining our previous liberty that is essential to our very way of life."
Folks on the Move
· Jesus Osete, general counsel for Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, told folks he was leaving the office. He’s joining the Jefferson City office of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner where he will be “providing trial and appellate services to a geographically diverse clientele.”
· Eric Bohl has left the Farm Bureau where he was Director Of Public Affairs and Advocacy at Missouri Farm Bureau. No word yet on his next project.
Lobbyists Registrations
Richard McIntosh, David McCracken, and John Gaskin added Habitat for Humanity-St. Louis.
Scott Penman and Kaycee Nail added The ALS Association; and deleted Missouri State Medical Association.
Kandice Sanaie added Cigna Corporate Services LLC.
Ryne Patterson Lilly added Triumph Foods, LLC.
Michael Steiner added Susan G. Komen.
Jordan Zakery added Excellence In Education National, Inc., DBA Excellence In Education In Action.
Kerry Messer deleted Missourians For Personal Safety, andMissouri Association of Christian Child Care Agencies, Inc.
$5K+ Contributions
MIC PAC - $31,713 from FEAPAC of Missouri (Oklahoma City, OK).
Show Me Integrity Action Fund - $5,150 from Mary Hellwig (Sacramento, CA).
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Claudia Kehoe, Bob Jacobi, Pat Kelly, Ellen Sherberg, Bart Korman, Dan Bryar, Benjamin Murray, and Melissa DeStefano Furey.