MOScout Daily Update: Campaigns Go Negative - New Senate 27 Poll - Star Hits Contreras - Post Hearts Hamra and more…
Campaigns Turn Negative
In the governor’s race and the attorney general’s race, the Republicans have been slugging it out on TV. Now the negative ads are coming to lieutenant governor’s race and the treasurer’s race as well.
In the treasurer’s race…
Vivek Malek is out with an ad punching Cody Smith for missed votes…
But Malek’s taking fire as well…
Lori Rook sent out a mass text railing against Malek and directing people to her website attacking him where she highlights his years as an immigration attorney and says “he’s been bought and paid for by lobbyists and they want to continue using him as a puppet to hijack your tax dollars.”
And Gateway Leadership PAC, the pro-Cody Smith slams Malek in a new TV ad….
Meanwhile in the LG’s race, Lincoln Hough’s PAC blasts Dave Wasinger in a new ad, calling him “Democrat Dave.” Dave Wasinger is not a conservative. He's a Democrat. Wasinger served on the University of Missouri's board of curators as a liberal democrat implementing Obama's radical DEI agenda. Democrat Dave supported a billion dollars of big government spending, backed pro-abortion radicals, and supported tuition and fee increases…. Don't be fooled…
And in state senate races, there are new TV ads going negative…
Senate 23: Phil Christofanelli hits Adam Schnelting….
Senate 15: David Gregory pounces on Mark Harder…..
MOScout/Remington Poll: Senate 27
Survey conducted July 28 through August 1, 2024. 296 likely 2024 Republican Primary voters
participated in the survey. Survey weighted to match expected turnout demographics for the 2024 Republican Primary Election. Margin of Error is +/-5.7% with a 95% level of confidence. Totals do not always equal 100% due to rounding. Survey conducted by Remington Research Group on behalf of Missouri Scout.
Q1: Candidates in the Republican Primary for Missouri’s 27 th State Senate District are Jamie Burger, Chris Dinkins, and Jacob Turner. If the election were held today, for whom would you vote?
Jamie Burger: 31%
Chris Dinkins: 21%
Jacob Turner: 20%
Undecided: 28%
Q2: Candidates in the Republican Primary for Governor of Missouri are Jay Ashcroft, Bill Eigel, and Mike Kehoe. If the election were held today, for whom would you vote?
Jay Ashcroft: 34%
Bill Eigel: 19%
Mike Kehoe: 29%
Someone else: 5%
Undecided: 13%
Q3: Candidates in the Republican Primary for Attorney General of Missouri are Andrew Bailey and Will Scharf. If the election were held today, for whom would you vote?
Andrew Bailey: 40%
Will Scharf: 31%
Undecided: 29%
Senate 7: KC Star Hits Contreras
The Kansas City Star hits Pat Contreras for his negative ad against Rep. Patty Lewis.
Obviously, this commercial from Pat Contreras is neither the first nor the last garbage political ad of the cycle. But his willingness to go after Lewis on such shady grounds confirms our decision as an editorial board to endorse Lewis. He also strikes me as an exaggerator… Just now, on Wednesday evening, I received not one but two different new mailers from the Contreras campaign, quoting all the flattering things that our editorial endorsing Lewis said about him. And yes, making it look like we endorsed him, though he doesn’t actually make that claim. Maybe his unfair attack on Lewis will be rewarded; politicians go negative because those tactics often work. Hopefully, voters in our district will decide that this time, they won’t.
Senate 21: AFP’s Big Mail Support for Richey
According to a new filing with the Missouri Ethics Committee, Americans for Prosperity spent a fresh $21,000 on mailings for Rep. Doug Richey in his race against Rep. Kurtis Gregory in Senate 21
Senate 11: Church Makes Political Donation
Kacen Bayless reports that “Joe Nicola’s church in Independence has given $3,150 to a political action committee called Truth and Light supporting his candidacy. The PAC in turn has contributed to Nicola’s campaign committee at least three times, including twice since 2023. Federal law bans churches and other charities from engaging in political activity, including donations and endorsements for or against candidates, in exchange for being exempt from paying federal taxes. However, Nicola said in an interview that his church, New Covenant Ministries, was not subject to those rules because it was not registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.”
Nicola is running against Rep. Aaron McMullen in the Senate 11 Republican primary.
· Veteran consultant: I have never seen something like this in my many years in this business.
Bell in Soulard
Last evening at Molly’s in Soulard Wesley Bell had his last major fundraiser. Scott Rosenbloom’s law firm was the main host with several other firms. Special guests and supporters included Sen. Steve Roberts, STL Sheriff Vernon Betts, former Judge Jimmie Edwards, and attorney Mark Johnson.
· Also in attendance was a journalist with the New York Times. While St. Louisans are focused on what this race means to them, it also has national implications…
Post Pick Hamra as Most Electable
Post Dispatch gives Mike Hamra the nod for being more electable than Crystal Quade.
But half the point of holding party primaries — after the imperative of choosing a candidate who can do the job well — is choosing the candidate likeliest to win the job in the general election. Quade is running a strong, credible campaign, but she isn’t ultimately offering Missouri’s stubbornly right-leaning electorate anything they haven’t seen (and rejected) from Democrats before. On that front, we’d suggest that Democratic primary voters consider the possibility that Mike Hamra may be their best strategic choice.
Lobbyists Registrations
Matthew Hortenstine deleted MO Coalition for Video Lottery LLC.
$5K+ Contributions
American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $250,000 from Rex Sinquefield.
American Dream PAC - $100,000 from Uniting Missouri.
American Dream PAC - $25,000 from Missouri Corn Growers Association.
American Dream PAC - $10,000 from Nodaway Valley Bank.
BILL PAC (pro-Eigel) - $10,000 from M3 Hilltop Ranch LLC.
BILL PAC - $10,000 from Jesse Wiggins.
BILL PAC - $10,000 from Jesse Wiggins.
Club for Growth Action - Missouri Federal Committee - $500,000 from Paul Singer (Palm Beach, FL).
Lincoln PAC (pro-Hough) - $15,000 from Missouri C PAC.
CLCP PAC (pro - $10,500 from Jabel Companies LLC.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom (pro-choice IP) - $37,787 from Abortion Action Missouri Foundation.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $7,000 from Abortion Action Missouri.
Living Well PAC - $15,000 from Walgreens (Deerfield, IL).
Missouri Right to Life Political Action Committee - $10,000 from Phillip Desloge.
PT-PAC of Missouri - $11,239 from Axes Physical Therapy.
Missouri Voter Project - State PAC - $5,500 from Shayn Prapaisilp.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Dawn Nicklas, Mike Talboy, Zac Sweets, Starkey Wilson, Jim Viebrock, and Kim Gardner.