MOScout Daily Update: Everyone Loves Fitzwater - Long Joins Valentine Team - Cinder Girl - Election Deniers to SPFD and more...
Fitzwater Stock Rises
Rep. Travis Fitzwater’s come-from-behind victory in Senate 10 has made him a hot commodity. One tipster describes the scene…
· Lobbyists who were not returning Fitzwater’s calls in July are now lining up for a meeting.
· The Conservative Caucus has already reached out to him, and he has the conservative credentials that they like. Though he was shunned by them, their donors, MRL, and almost everyone else in July.
Those playing the long game see him on the path for Senate leadership…
· He’s no-baggage-scandal-free, well-liked, and has the temperament for leadership.
· He is unlikely to face another tough election in the Senate.
· Business leaders in St. Louis as well as conservative donors will all find things to like.
Meanwhile
Rep. Nick Schroer’s social media postings haven’t exactly been calming fears that “the chaos caucus” faction of “the conservative caucus” will dissipate next session…
Long Joins Valentine Campaign
Jacob Long is joining the Trudy Busch Valentine campaign as communications director. He previously served as communications director for St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, and chief communications officer for the 22nd Judicial Circuit. Before public service, Long was an Emmy award winning reporter/anchor at television news stations across the country.
What It Means
· Valentine’s campaign is attracting talent. In a state like Missouri where folks are starting to just write off Democratic statewide candidates, hires like this are an important vote of confidence.
· Some Dems believe an opening has emerged between the Dobbs decision to overturn Roe V Wade, and the Republicans’ scramble to the right-side during the primary. In Arizona, for example, Dems are running this ad, trying to capitalize on the abortion issue.
AFP 5-1
Still assessing who won and lost last week, Americans for Prosperity backed five winning candidates with only one loss (J Eggleston in Senate 12)
· Eric Schmitt (US Senate)
· Curtis Trent (Senate 20)
· Mary Elizabeth Coleman (Senate 22)
· Tony Lovasco (House 64)
· Darin Chappell (House 137)
Cinder Girl
Sen. Holly Rehder’s memoir, Cinder Girl, is out tomorrow. See it here.
Growing up on welfare, food stamps, and Greyhound buses, Holly Thompson Rehder quit school at fifteen to help take care of her mother and younger sister after a devastating car accident. Getting married and pregnant soon thereafter, like so many other young girls caught in the poverty-cycle, Holly decided that the life she had been born into was not what she intended to give her child.
But unlike others who wind up mired in a lifetime of poverty, dysfunction, and despair, Holly used her resourcefulness, faith, and sheer stubborn American grit to fight her way out of the gutter. Two decades later she was a successful businesswoman. And today, she is a rising political star who serves as an inspiration to young women across the state of Missouri—and indeed, the entire nation—all while never forgetting where she came from…
· Jeff Roe tweets: Buy this book! It’s Ozark meets Hillbilly Elegy…
Election Deniers Plan Springfield Meeting
Springfield News_Leader reports that “Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow and one of the most prolific propagators of debunked election conspiracy theories in the U.S., is hosting a weekend-long convention in Springfield later this month.”
· The event, called the "Moment of Truth Summit," will be held at University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield from Aug. 20-21. It will feature a presentation by Lindell, "speakers from all 50 states," a "world premier" of a movie centered around conspiracy theories of election fraud, "expert discussions," "unveiling of new evidence," "calls to action" and more. The 48-hour event will also be livestreamed to his website, called Frank Social…
· Election conspiracies like those touted by Lindell have taken root among some Republican elected officials in Missouri. Last August, during an elections committee meeting held by state lawmakers, several people who testified — including Rep. Ann Kelley of Lamar — said they had attended the "cyber symposium" and shared what they had learned. In that same hearing, county clerks and a staffer in the Missouri Secretary of State's office said the election was "very secure" in Missouri and there were no known issues.
BiState Legislative Softball
Press release: Greater St. Louis, Inc. is bringing together legislative leaders from Missouri and Illinois for the 2022 Bi-State Softball Showdown, which will celebrate the bi-state, bipartisan cooperation that makes the St. Louis metro strong. The game will take place Monday, August 8, on the field at Busch Stadium. To kick things off, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt will throw out the ceremonial first pitch…
Team captains Rep. Jay Hoffman of Illinois and Rep. Dean Plocher of Missouri have released their rosters and both teams promise a fun evening of competitive, but friendly, play… Joining Plocher to lead Team Missouri will be Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, who will serve as an Honorary Captain….
Team Missouri: Rep. Marlon Anderson, Rep. LaKeySha Bosley, Sen. Justin Brown, Rep. Ron Copeland, Rep. Rick Francis, Rep. Kurtis Gregory, Rep. Mike Henderson, Rep. Hannah Kelly, Rep. Tracy McCreery, Rep. Jay Mosley, Sen. Caleb Rowden, Rep. Mark Sharp, Rep. Cody Smith, and Rep. Lisa Thomas.
$5K+ Contributions
House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $25,000 from Cheyenne International LLC.
House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $15,000 from Lathrop Gage Consulting PAC.
House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $10,000 from LE03-AWIN Management Inc.
Lincoln PAC - $8,000 from RQC PAC.
Lincoln PAC - $8,000 from MO DSV PAC.
Page PAC - $10,000 from Robert Blitz.
Legal Missouri 2022 - $50,000 from Elevate Missouri LLC.
Legal Missouri 2022 - $10,000 from BD Health Ventures LLC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Shawn Furey, Robbyn Wahby, Greta Bax, and Casey Millburg.