MOScout Daily Update: Labor in Senate Primaries - LG Polling Memo - $500K More to Malek - Floor Leader 2027? - $$$ for Chiefs? and more…
Senate Scouplettes
Senate 7: Look for an announcement from Rep. Patty Lewis that the Laborers are the latest to endorse her campaign. And it’s said that they’ll be contributing $30K to her PAC, Ready to Lead.
Senate 27: I’m told that the AFL-CIO voted to endorse Rep. Jamie Burger in his 3-way primary.
Senate 29: Rumor is that the Carpenters are eying a significant investment in the race on behalf of challenger Susan Haralson. “It’s more bad news for [Sen. Mike] Moon, since Haralson, a respected local businesswoman, resides in Christian County, where 53% of District 29 voters reside, and where Moon has never been on a ballot.”
What It Means
Organized labor is poised to play a big role in primaries – both Republican and Democrat. In addition to endorsements that offer credibility to working class voters, union PAC have money.
Some of the largest PACs in the state, as measured by cash on-hand, are those of organized labor.
· Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council MO-KS PAC - $1,820,338
· Missouri and Kansas Laborers' PAC - $1,283,941
· IUOE Local 101 PAC - $930,132
Exclusive: Victory LG Polling Memo
Victory Enterprises, one of the main consulting firms in Missouri politics, is circulating a polling memo they conducted on behalf of their client Fighting for Missouri Families. That’s the PAC that supports businessman Matthew Porter, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor. The message: This race is wide open for anyone to win with 75% of voters’ undecided.
The poll (see the memo here) was conducted last week and has a margin of error of 4.38%.
Lincoln Hough: 8.4% (Definitely 2.8%/Probably 5.6%)
Matthew Porter: 5% (Definitely 1%/Probably 4%)
Holly Rehder: 5% (Definitely 1.2%/Probably 3.8%)
David Wasinger: 4% (Definitely .6%/Probably 3.4%)
Unsure (75.8%)
House Floor 2027
With Rep. Alex Riley having the floor leader position locked up, it now appears that the next House floor leader race is beginning to take shape. One MOScouter tips: “I have heard from several new candidates (mostly uncontested in GOP primary) that freshmen Rep. Jeff Myers has called them offering to be helpful and has indicated he will be running for Floor Leader in 2026.”
· Other names that could end up in the mix for that race... Reps. Brad Christ, Dane Diehl, Wendy Hausman, Ben Keathley, and Cameron Parker…
Malek Adds $500K
In the large contributions, Pacifica Consulting Services, which appears to be a family business, added about $500,000 to the pro-Vivek Malek PAC. This brings the total contribution of Pacifica to $2.8 million for this campaign.
· Malek has, far and away, the largest war-chest in the state treasurer race.
$$$ for Chiefs?
MOIndy’s Jason Hancock gets all the gubernatorial candidates on the record about the possibility of subsidies to keep the Chiefs in Missouri. Read it here.
· Jay Ashcroft: “opposed to providing taxpayer subsidies to keep sports teams.”
· Bill Eigel: “The Chiefs will make the right decision and remain in Missouri, but it won’t be because of taxpayer handouts for sports teams or stadiums on my watch.”
· Mike Kehoe spox: “Mike Kehoe will not watch passively as other states poach our businesses.”
· Crystal Quade: “We need to elect leaders who will work with the Chiefs to make sure all sides get a fair deal…”
· Mike Hamra: “State leaders should explore every reasonable option to keep the Chiefs in Missouri.”
Senate 15: Harder Solicitation-Gate
Jack Suntrup reports on St. Louis County Councilman Mark Harder using his “official county email to ask a utility lobbyist how to collect a contribution days before a campaign fundraising deadline.” Read it here.
· “How do I pick up my check?” to a lobbyist for Missouri American Water on Sept. 27, according to an email obtained by the Post-Dispatch. “I need to turn it in by Friday. Let me know,” Harder added.
· State law prohibits local government employees from using public funds to support “the nomination or election of any candidate for public office.”
· Harder said in an interview that the email was “just an oversight on my part” and that in other instances, he either doesn’t respond or directs the person to another email address. “That happened by accident. I didn’t realize what email she had sent it on, because I get so many emails,” Harder said.
It’s not unlikely this news story makes it onto one of the negative mailers in this hot 3-way Republican primary. Harder faces Jim Bowlin and David Gregory in the race to succeed Sen. Andrew Koenig.
Onder Ad
In CD-3, former Sen. Bob Onder released his first TV ad. It’s about what you’d expect. It hits all the hot-buttons. See it here.
Dr. Bob Onder might look like a mild-mannered physician, but deep down he’s a fearless conservative. Democrats hate him. RINOs fear him. Bob Onder, a pro-Trump conservative, will clean up Biden’s mess. He’ll close the border, deport illegals and stop China. And Onder will fight the soy latte Libs pushing their socialist trash and the radical left poisoning our kids…
Osmack Kicks Off
Mark Osmack will kick-off his campaign tonight. He’s running for state treasurer, unopposed for the Democratic nomination. He says he chose today, the 80th anniversary of D-Day, intentionally. “As an Army combat vet with two deployments to Afghanistan and a Bronze Star, it is setting the tone and direction of the campaign. I am a Democrat from a trailer park, who twice went to war, who supports a woman's right to choose, stands with labor, and goes where people feel forgotten.”
Help Wanted
Aligned seeks Director of Policy. “Aligned seeks a dynamic and experienced Director of Policy to oversee our legislative and advocacy initiatives and support communications. Reporting to the Vice President (VP), the Director of Policy will play a pivotal role in shaping and advocating for policies that align with our mission, values, and goals and lead the development of external and internal messaging, building and maintaining positive relationships with stakeholders, and ensure that Aligned is viewed as the primary source, disseminator, and conduit of reliable and accurate information for education policy and advocacy.”
House Primaries
House 146 – Rep. Barry Hovis (see his bio here) is running for his final term. He faces a real challenge from Lucas Green (see his website here) a veteran who served in Iraq and put $35,000 of his own money into the campaign. I expect Hovis to hold, but it’s not a gimme.
House 148 – This is Rep. Jamie Burger’s district. He’s running for state senate. It features a retired Democratic (gasp!) judge, David Dolan running against Gary Senciboy, a local mayor who just resigned to focus on this race. Dolan has $154 COH, and Senciboy started his committee after the deadline. One MOScouter think Senciboy is the favorite, in part because he “looks like the district.”
House 153 – Rep. Darrell Atchison isn’t running for re-election. There are two GOPers here. Vinnie Clubb (see his Facebook here) is a realtor who’s had his eye on running for years and finally got the right shot. His opponent is cattle farmer and retired MoDOT employee Keith Elliott (see his website here). Elliott’s running a serious campaign, but Clubb has the big money lead ($16,036 COH versus $2,075 COH).
House 154 – This is Rep. David Evans’ seat. He’s decided not to run for another term, and there’s a 3-way primary. Lisa Durnell (see her website here) previously was a certified right-of-way specialist for MODOT now she holds “a part-time position at the Howell County Collector’s office.” She has $782 COH. Larry Lindeman (see his Facebook here) is retired from the Department of Conservation. He started his campaign committee after the April deadline. Mark Collins (see his website here) is a former Howell County Commissioner. He, too, started his committee after the deadline. This looks to be between Durnell and Collins.
$5K+ Contributions
American Promise PAC (pro-Malek) - $500,000 from Pacifica Consulting Services, LLC.
American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $25,000 from Baker Implement Company.
American Dream PAC - $25,000 from Martin Grain Company, Inc.
American Dream PAC - $5,650 from Michael Haverty (Mission Hills, KS).
Lincoln PAC (pro-Hough) - $20,000 from I.U.O.E Local 513 Political and Education Fund.
Lincoln PAC - $20,000 from MLPA Legislative Fund.
HBS MO State PAC - $35,000 from Husch Blackwell Strategies.
United We Stand PAC - $5,250 from Aaron Hankel.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Tara Peters, Ann Brand, and Connie Cierpiot.