MOScout Daily Update: Schatz' No-Trump Ad - Hawley Raising $$ for Hartzler - Mega-Donors MIA - Schroer Teases Presser and more...

Schatz Hits The Air

Sen. Dave Schatz is on the air.  I saw the ad last night while I was waiting for the Cardinals game.  It’s a pragmatist (fixing problems), but also populist (no fancy college degree) message. See it here.

Team Schatz says its “a $590,000 television buy in markets across Missouri.”

The ad frames the US Senate race as a choice between “The DC Way” and “The Missouri Way.”

Schatz obviously represents the Missouri way…

·         “No fancy degree”

·         “Blue-collar know-how”

·         “The most pro-police, pro-life state in the nation.”

And

Interesting to note what’s missing… Trump.  In MOScout polling of state senate districts, Trump’s approval rating among Republicans in the mid-70s.  Team Schatz seems to think with other candidates like Eric Greitens, Eric Schmitt, Billy Long, and Mark McCloskey going full-on Trump mode, they’re betting that lane is already too crowded.   

Too Late?

We’re now about two months away from the primary.  Schatz has been in single digits to this point. With his campaign employing a “wait until you see the whites of their eyes” strategy.

So now we’ll see if he can make his move with the limited time left. 

A look back at previous races shows that there can be a lot of movement in the final months as voters start to pay attention and ads start running.

Hawley Raising $400K for Hartzler

Politico’s Natalie Allison reports that “Josh Hawley is fundraising around Missouri this week with Vicky Hartzler, events expected to raise another $400k for her Senate campaign. (Reminder, the #MOSen primary remains a tight race, Greitens is still scaring national Republicans and Trump has yet to weigh in).”

Schroer Teases Announcement

Rep. Nick Schroer will hold a press conference tomorrow with the Missouri State Fraternal Order of Police, and FOP Lodge 15.  The advisory promises a “very special announcement,” which will presumably be an endorsement of Schroer’s Senate 2 campaign.

·         Schroer is running against Rep. John Wiemann to replace Sen. Bob Onder.  Recent MOScout polling showed Schroer with a lead, but huge undecideds still in the race.

The Retreat of the Mega-Donor

Jason Hancock writes about the two PACs (100 PAC, RightPath PAC) involved in Senate Republican primaries.  Read it here. In previous cycles we’d be watching for checks from the mega-donors in these Republican races.  But so far this year their involvement has been muted. 

·         Rex Sinquefield – He’s written a few checks, but his new team is much more targeted (and more discreet) in using the power of his checkbook.

·         David Humphreys – Once heavily involved in races as he advanced labor reform issues, Humphreys has retreated after a break with MOGOP over abortion restrictions that didn’t include an exception for rape.

·         David Steward – It looked a few years ago that Steward would join the ranks of regular mega-donors, but like the others on this list, he hasn’t written any $5K+ checks this year.

·         Herzog Contracting – The firm of the late mega-donor last popped up in the large contribution listings in December 2021.

Abortion Exceptions in Crosshairs

Kaiser Health News reports on the move by pro-life advocates to push beyond the usual abortion exceptions of rape, incest and danger to the mother’s life.  See it here.  In Missouri, if Roe falls the only exception will be to save the mother’s life.

·         [P]ositions taken by both sides of the abortion debate have ebbed and flowed repeatedly in the 49 years since the Supreme Court declared abortion a constitutional right…

·         But it’s abortion opponents’ efforts in many conservative states to exclude most exceptions — for rape or incest or to save the life of the mother — that have drawn headlines recently.

·         The efforts do not appear to have wide appeal. The majorities of Americans who support allowing those exceptions are nearly as large as the majorities who oppose abortion late in pregnancy, according to opinion polls.

New Committees

The Fitswell Foundation for Ethical Governance was formed.  It’s a PAC. Its treasurer is Nathan Rinne.  He’s had some run-ins with the City Hall down in the Lake of the Ozarks.  See the paperwork here.

Lobbyists Registrations

Jerry Hobbs added Aspire Advocates.

David Sweeney added Green Street St. Louis.

Catalyst deleted MADP (Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty), and MASMIE (Missouri Alliance for Severe Mental Illness Exclusion).

Andy Blunt, Chris Moody, Jay Reichard, Ginger Steinmetz, and Noel Torpey deleted Workday.

Andy Blunt, Jay Reichard, Angie Schulte, Ginger Steinmetz, and Noel Torpey deleted Kansas City Southern.

Andy Blunt and Jay Reichard deleted Light & Wonder.

Andy Blunt deleted Systems & Methods Inc., and Wellpath.

Chris Moody and Ginger Steinmetz deleted John Bardgett & Associates.

Ginger Steinmetz deleted MTC Truck Driver Training.     

Noel Torpey deleted B & B Amusement of Illinois, and The Timken Company.

$5K+ Contributions

Lathrop Gage Consulting Political Action Committee - $20,000 from Missouri Time Sales Service, Inc.

CLCP PAC - $10,000 from Missouri Soybean Association.

CWA-COPE Political Contributions Federal Committee - $5,250 from Communications Workers of America- COPE PCC (Washington DC).

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Randy Pietzman, Miles Ross, and Steve Lynch.