MOScout Daily Update: Ellebracht Seeks Judgeship - Derges Documentary - Samuels Drops - Senate Debate and more...
Ellebracht Seeks Judgeship
Rep. Mark Ellebracht has applied for the circuit judge vacancy in Division 3 of the Seventh Judicial Circuit (Clay County) that will be created by the June 2, 2022, retirement of Judge K. Elizabeth Davis.
There are five other applicants: Louis Angles, Paemon L.H. Aramjoo, Calan T. McConkey, Alisha D. O'Hara, and Daniel L. White.
The commission expects to interview applicants beginning at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, June 7, 2022… Immediately after the interviews, the commission will meet to select the names of three nominees to send to the governor. Thereafter, Governor Michael L. Parson will have 60 days to appoint one of the three nominees as circuit judge in Division 3 of the Seventh Judicial Circuit.
· Ellebracht running for re-election in House 17. He’ll face Bill Allen in November. Allen originally filed as a Libertarian, but withdrew and re-filed as a Republican.
Derges Documentary?
Springfield News-Leader reports that a documentary defending Rep. Tricia Derges against her indictment is in production.
· Former Rep. Lynn Morris, who held Derges' seat prior to her election and left due to term limits, also appears in the trailer, criticizing House Republicans' discipline of Derges. Morris now serves on the Christian County Commission.
· Mark McCloskey, a St. Louis attorney who with his wife brandished guns at protesters outside his home in 2020 and is running for U.S. Senate as a Republican, is also listed in the credits for the trailer.
See a preview here (8 minutes long) here.
Axios Google Search Dashboard
Axios unveiled a new place to waste a few hours if you’re so inclined. You can punch in any congressional district and see what issues the voters are Google searching. See it here.
· I’m honestly not sure how useful this is as a tool. MO’s 2-CD, for example, doesn’t show many searched about abortion, but “supreme court” gets more traction.
Samuels Drops
On Friday before the long weekend, Ben Samuels dropped out of the CD-2 race. He had been running as a Democrat trying to unseat Congresswoman Ann Wagner. Samuels said that the new congressional map was a killer for his campaign.
After months of deliberations, the Missouri General Assembly passed a new Congressional map two weeks ago. They did so with the explicit goal of making the Second District—the only swing district in the state—“more secure” for the incumbent Republican. They succeeded by drawing a new district that’s almost unrecognizable relative to the current district…
In effect, the Republican state legislature has changed the rules of the game. After exhausting all of our legal options, because of how the General Assembly has gerrymandered this district, I am withdrawing from this race…
What It Means
· Rep. Trish Gunby’s path to the Democratic nomination gets a lot easier without Samuels (and the million dollars he raised) in the race.
· But she still faced a solid Republican district – one that will be very difficult to flip even with the prospect of Roe v Wade or the Uvalde shootings energizing suburban women.
Driving the Day: US Senate Debate
Springfield News-Leader reports…
The top candidates in Missouri's U.S. Senate Republican primary will gather in Springfield for a debate Tuesday night.
Former Gov. Eric Greitens, U.S. Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long, Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz and Mark McCloskey have been invited to the Oasis Convention Center at 7 p.m.
Springfield attorney Ginger Gooch and former Greene County Prosecutor Darrell Moore will moderate the debate, which is hosted by the Greene County Republican Central Committee's TARGET fundraising arm.
Uvalde Conspiracy
Politico Playbook quotes a St. Louisan saying that Uvalde was a leftist conspiracy. See it here.
· “Why did it happen three days ago?” asked JIM HOLLIS, a lifetime NRA benefactor from St. Louis. “I’m not sure that there are not forces someplace that somehow find troubled people and nurture and develop them and push them for their own agendas.”
Help Wanted
Andrew Yang’s Venture for America seeks Director of St. Louis.
Venture For America is changing the face of entrepreneurship. We search the country for talented recent college grads who are eager to make a meaningful impact in their careers and in the community. We help them find jobs at startups in one of our thirteen U.S. cities across industries from edtech and clean energy to consumer goods. Then we help unlock their limitless potential as creators and builders by providing access to programming, funding resources, and an expansive network….
As the Director of St. Louis, you will be the face of Venture For America in the city. You will help build awareness and excitement within and around the local community, and support our Fellows in their professional journeys. You will cultivate an active and engaged community for the St. Louis Fellows, identify and foster relationships with Company Partners, and be responsible for maintaining and building donor relations.
Salary Range: $68,000 – $78,000
Lobbyists Registrations
Jane Christine Drummond added Healthcare Services Group.
Drew Weber added SKDM Holdings LLC, and Steepleview Farm LLC; and deleted Imperial Catering Company Inc, and Gourmet Grub LLC.
John Arthur Young added QuikTrip Corporation.
Salvatore Panettiere deleted Extenet Systems Inc, and Fred Dreiling LLC.
$5K+ Contributions
Chouteau PAC - $25,000 from Cornerstone 1791.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Ethan Todd and Joan Barry.