MOScout Daily Update: Wide Open STL Exec Race - Kehoe Tax Plan Enters 10-Week Campaign - Moon, Wolfin Leading No Voters and more…
Wide Open STL County Exec Race
A polling memo from Tulchin Research shows the St. Louis County Executive race wide open with ten weeks remaining until the primary election. The poll was conducted from May 14-18 with 400 likely 2026 Democratic primary voters in St. Louis County, Missouri. The margin of error for the survey is ±4.9%. And everyone is within that margin of error of each other.
Jake Zimmerman: 18%
Angela Walton Mosley: 15%
Brian Williams: 14%
Undecided: 52%
What It Means
One reader thinks it must be “infuriating” for Williams to see Mosley neck-and-neck on name ID alone considering he’s been running for ten months. But as Williams and Zimmerman begin to deploy their cash, this race will surely show some separation.
Gas Tax Boomerang?
One MOScouter warns that attempts to score “easy political points” could be a vulnerability in the upcoming election cycle…
With Tricia Byrnes’ letter on the gas tax suspension going around, members of the House should pause before they sign on. While it may seem like easy political points, the gas tax funds everything at MoDOT. If they are fixing a pothole in your road, that’s how it’s funded.
· The mailer attacking your position is an easy one too, because there is no guarantee retailers lower their prices. The hit piece writes itself “Tricia Byrnes wanted to let big corporations keep more profit instead of using the money to fix your road.”
Kehoe Moves Amendments
Last week Governor Mike Kehoe announced that he was placing Amendment 1, Amendment 2 (HJR 23/3), Amendment 4 (HJR 3), and Amendment 5 (HJR 173/174) on the August primary election ballot. The primary election will take place on August 4, 2026.
Amendment 1 is the renewal of the sales/use tax for conservation and state parks.
Amendment 2 would require all charter counties to elect a county assessor.
Amendment 4 is the concurrent majorities to approve voter-initiated constitutional amendments.
Amendment 5 is the enabling constitutional amendment for the Kehoe tax plan.
What It Means: 10 Week Campaigns
It creates a suddenly shortened campaign for the controversial Amendments 4 & 5.
Scuttlebutt around the building during session was that we’d see a massive infusion of money from Rex Sinquefield to the pro-Amendment 5 campaign.
· Be on the lookout for big checks on both sides.
Wolfin Retains ‘Rep. No’ Title
According to GovWatch’s final vote tallies from session…
Rep. Bryant Wolfin voted No 297 times last session, leading all Republicans. Rep. Michael Davis was second with 232 No votes. Among House Dems, Rep. Wick Thomas was tops in the No votes, with 258.
Over on the Senate side, it’s no surprise that Sen. Mike Moon, with 133 No votes, was most likely to vote in opposition. He was followed in a distant second by Democratic Sen. Patty Lewis with 55 No votes.
And
Perfect attendance prizes are in order for Rep. Alex Riley and Sens. Joe Nicola and Patty Lewis. They were all absent for zero votes last session. With honorable mentions for Reps. Marlon Anderson, Michael Davis, Scott Miller, and Emily Weber, and Sen. Mike Moon, who only missed a single vote.
Lessons from TN Community College Plan
A working paper ( ) looking at the “impacts of free community college on degrees and earnings” says that Tennessee Promise, the state’s free community college program, has worked and likely pays for itself. “Estimated gains in tax revenues from higher lifetime earnings would cover public expenditures on tuition discounts and subsidies for greater enrollment and persistence.”
Missouri’s version of this is the A+ Scholarship Program, which provides scholarship funds to high school graduates attending community colleges or vocational schools.
· Interestingly the paper suggests that the community-college path didn’t divert students away from four-year schools. Rather, free community college increased college enrollment and associate’s degree attainment without reducing bachelor’s degree completion.
Parking Revenues Double
The News Tribune’s Stephi Smith reports that “parking ticket revenue in Jefferson City has nearly doubled so far this year after the city raised fines and hired a private company to oversee parking enforcement.”
· Jefferson City collected $103,692 in parking fine revenue during the first six months of 2024, and $200,302 during the first six months of 2025.
Tuitions on The Rise
Missourinet reports that “tuitions will be going up at all four University of Missouri System campuses this fall… Ryan Rapp, Mizzou’s Chief Financial Officer pointed out that the 4% undergraduate tuition hike is still lower than tuition increases recently approved for other Missouri colleges and universities.”
Help Wanted
Catholic Charities of St. Louis seeks Executive Director Government Relations. The Executive Director, Government Relations serves as the primary representative of Catholic Charities of Missouri before the Missouri General Assembly, state executive agencies, and relevant federal legislative bodies. This role builds and sustains relationships with every Catholic Charities agency across Missouri, provides monthly advocacy briefings to each agency, and coordinates a unified Catholic Charities voice on policy matters affecting the people we serve.
Withdrawn Candidates
Scott Mathewson (Republican) withdrew from the Senate 24 race. That leaves LaVanna Wrobley as the only Republican candidate. She will face Democrat Sen. Tracy McCreery in November.
New PACs
Missouri Grit & Growth PAC was formed. It’s in support of Rep. Mike Costlow. See the filing here.
Lobbyist Registrations
Nexus Group added McKinsey & Company, Inc. United States.
$5k+ Contributions
Eigel for Missouri - $100,000 from Believe in Life and Liberty - BILL PAC.
Eigel for Missouri - $5,500 from Henry Elster.
Stop the Ban - $50,000 from Laura Cohen.
Stop the Ban - $20,000 from Courtney Klipper (New York, NY).
Conservative Leaders of Missouri (pro-Bean) - $20,000 from Warrenton Oil Company.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $20,000 from Warrenton Oil Company.
MO Majority PAC LLC - $20,000 from Warrenton Oil Company.
Missouri Prospers PAC - $20,000 from Warrenton Oil Company.
Missouri Growth PAC - $20,000 from Warrenton Oil Company.
Missouri C PAC - $20,000 from Warrenton Oil Company.
Another Viceroy PAC - $30,000 from J&J Ventures Gaming of Missouri, LLC (Effingham, IL).
Missouri Voter Project - State PAC - $25,000 from United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 655.
Missouri Voter Project - State PAC - $25,000 from ABC General Fund Missouri Federal Committee (Washington, DC).
MO Soybean Association State PAC (MO SoyPAC) - $10,000 from Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (Decatur, IL).
Heartland Action PAC - $10,000 from Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local 36.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Reps. Raychel Proudie and Renee Reuter, and Jeanie Riddle.
Congratulations
To Jessica and Henrio Thelemaque. They welcomed a beautiful 9-pound baby boy named Henrio to their family last week. “Everyone is doing great!”