MOScout Daily Update: Thomas in Senate 6? - Hanaway Investigates Signature Collectors - AFP for Stinnett - Law Not Conceding Right Side and more…
Situational awareness: The day before the long Thanksgiving weekend is a traditional bad news dump day. Let the press release get buried in four days of news and become old news by the time reporters dig back in on Monday.
Thomas Eyes Senate 6?
One MOScouter says that former Rep. Lisa Thomas “is now said to be heavily exploring a run for Senate in the 6th District. She’s shown she’s willing to self-fund and is the only woman in the race from the lake side... Definitely a compelling path to victory for her.”
Also
Thomas made much ado about the National Ball Park Village review during her primary with Rep. Jeff Vernetti, who managed to unseat her, the incumbent. But the Lake Expo reports that the review revealed no wrong-doing and the project was resumed.
AFP for Stinnett
Americans for Prosperity hitting the doors for Rep. Melanie Stinnett…
What It Means
Apparently Brian Gelner has still not made a final decision whether he plans to jump in.
But time is ticking, as this shows: interest groups are committing. AFP has already chosen their candidate and is actively out educating voters on Stinnett a year out from the election.
Hawley for Judge
BloombergLaw reports that Senator Josh Hawley’s wife is interested in becoming one of Missouri’s federal judges.
The candidates for a spot on the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit include US District Judge Sarah Pitlyk of the Eastern District of Missouri and Jesus Osete, principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Prominent conservative litigator and US Senate spouse Erin Hawley has also expressed interest in the new vacancy…
And
Josh Hawley—a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee that vets judicial nominees—deferred to his spouse when asked if she’d expressed interest in the judgeship. But he did say that he wouldn’t recuse himself from the vetting process if she were under consideration. Republicans lead the panel with a 12-10 majority. “Why would I recuse myself from voting for someone who I think would be terrific?” he told Bloomberg Law.
· BECAUSE IT’S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST?? Have we thrown all normal ethics of governing out the window?
Hanaway To Investigate Signature Collectors
Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced an investigation into Advanced Micro Targeting, Inc. (AMT), the company hired to collect signatures for People Not Politicians redistricting referendum. See the Civil Investigative Demand here. (They’re still using Andrew Bailey letterhead).
According to the press release, “preliminary information indicates that AMT may have supplied illegal immigrants to Missouri clients without disclosing their ineligibility to work.” It’d be a stronger statement if they said what the “preliminary information” consists of.
The Republican National Committee wasted no time putting the news into their latest campaign blast…
St. Charles County Exec Race: No-Lane Law
Some heavy GOP grassroots leaders and elected conservatives attending the Jason Law event in St. Charles in a couple weeks.
What It Means… Law is NOT surrendering the ultra-right to Bill Eigel in the County Executive’s race. He plans to compete for every GOP primary vote and not get pigeonholed into a specific “lane.”
Mo Dems Hire Comms Director
Press release: The Missouri Democratic Party (MDP) has brought on Tristin Amezcua-Hogan as its new Communications Director…
Amezcua-Hogan is an experienced labor and political communications professional based in Kansas City, MO with a wide-range of work for a number of notable stakeholders locally and nationally, including: the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO, former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, former State Senator and Kansas City Councilwoman Jolie Justus, Kansas-based voter advocacy and education nonprofit Loud Light, and the storied Los Angeles, CA-based political and government consulting firm Cerrell Associates.
Warm Retires from MARC
Press release: At the November meeting of the MARC [Mid-America Regional Council] Board of Directors, David Warm announced he will be retiring as executive director in 2026. He has served in his role for 35 years.
· MARC Board Chair Janeé Hanzlick, Johnson County commissioner, also announced at the Nov. 25 meeting that she has formed a committee to identify a firm that will lead the national search for a new executive director. Warm will continue serving in his role until a replacement is named.
$5K+ Contributions
Growth and Opportunity PAC - $100,000 from Herzog Contracting Corp.
MO State Teachers Assoc Legislative Impact Co - $5,625 from Greater KC Region Association.
STLCO PAC (pro-Brian Williams) - $25,000 from Hoffmann Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.
Professional Fire Fighters of Eastern Missouri 2665 PAC Fund - $8,656 from Professional Firefighters of Eastern Missouri.
Lobbyist Registrations
Julie Murphy added Gateway Early Childhood Alliance, Sentio Biosciences, Surdex, a Bowman Company, and Scale, AI Inc.
Madeline 'Maddie' L’Ecuyer added the clients of The Thelemaque Group.
Happy Birthday
Happy birthdays to JaCinda Martin-Sutherland, Jamie Corley, and Jane Dueker.
Thanksgiving: Ward Cook, and Robin Wright-Jones.
Friday: Rep. Jim Kalberloh, Dave Schatz, Jeff Messenger, Janet Hirschman, and Lenny Jones.
Saturday: Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, and Joe Don McGaugh.
Sunday: Cassie Grewing Henderson, Alison Gee, and Lara Granich.
MOScout Schedule
I’m off for a long Thanksgiving weekend. Back in your inbox on Monday!