MOScout Daily Update: Schmitt’s Diving Catch - McCreery Gets FOP - Vogel $$$ Coming? - Screwworm Fears and more…
Quick Friday update…
Schmitt’s Diving Catch
Senator Eric Schmitt’s diving catch has gone viral. The Baseballer posted on “50-year-old Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt ends up with a bloody nose after laying it all on the line to make this catch at the 2026 Congressional Baseball Game.”
He even made the Axios newsletter this morning…
Senate 6: Big Vogel $$$ Rumored
In Senate 6, the rumor is that we’ll see a large personal check ($300,000?) from Jake Vogel next week.
Vogel’s candidate cash on-hand tally was about $200,000 behind Rep. Rudy Veit’s as of the last filing. A big infusion could support the campaign down the stretch.
· The primary is now about seven weeks away.
Senate 24: McCreery Gets FOP
Sen. Tracy McCreery won the nod of the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police. “Their support reflects a shared commitment to public safety, strong communities, and practical leadership that brings people together to solve problems. I look forward to continuing this work on behalf of the people of Missouri.”
Why It Matters: The incumbent Democrat’s nailing down the law-and-order endorsement takes one more possible lever away from Republicans’ hope to make this a competitive district in November.
CD-6: Willett Rally
In CD-6, Nathan Willett held a rally last night. See the Twitter crowd pan here. Speakers included: Will Akin, Jaycee Carille, Whitney Carille, Ross Grundyson, and Bill Maas.
· Willett is trying to stoke some grassroots fire, but a lot of Jeff City pols think it’s a long-shot mission to take a congressional seat from Axiom Strategies in Jeff Roe’s home turf.
Screwworm Fears
The Missouri Department of Agriculture has a webpage up giving Missouri farmers information about the New World Screwworm. See it here.
In preparation for the potential re-emergence of NWS in the U.S., Missouri assembled a New World Screwworm joint working group. Led by State Veterinarian Steve Strubberg, the working group is comprised of representatives from USDA, Missouri Department of Agriculture, University of Missouri Extension, Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The working group prepared a Missouri NWS Response Plan. In light of the U.S. detection, Missouri has activated the Response Plan.
Fears that screwworm spreading is just one of the factors behind the record beef prices.
Distance Matters
A recent working paper (not yet peer reviewed) looked at “how driving distance and appointment availability shape the effects of abortion bans.” It found that the farther someone must drive after a ban, the larger the increase in births.
But the paper notes that “most Missouri counties saw little to no increase in driving distance following its ban.” That’s because many Missouri residents were already functionally using out-of-state access. “Missouri residents in the Kansas City area had been traveling to facilities in Kansas before Dobbs, and the ban did not change this situation.”
What It Means
If Amendment 3 passes and a renewed outright ban is reimposed, its greatest impact would be on rural Missouri.
Candidate Withdrawal
Kim Miller withdrew in House 11. Miller is a Republican. He was running in Rep. Brenda Shields’ district. She’s term-limited. This leaves two candidates in the primary: Taylor Crouse and Tina Goodrick.
Lobbyist Registrations
Jeff Howell added Missouri Society of Eye Physicians & Surgeons.
Rodney Boyd and Kelvin Simmons added American Car Rental Association.
$5k+ Contributions
MIC PAC - $25,000 from Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company (Columbus, OH).
Stop the Ban - $20,000 from Gary Burger Jr.
International Union of Painters & Allied Trades PAT Federal PAC - $15,000 from IUPAT Political Action Together Political Committee (Hanover, MD).
Stand for Truth PAC - $31,000 from Freeman Physicians Group PAC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays Sen. Karla May, Scott Charton, and Mark Mantovani.