Any Issues This Cycle Besides Trump?

As Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden unveils his “gun plan” today, one wonders whether any such specific issues will matter in this election cycle.  It may just be a referendum on Trump and everything else is just window dressing.

Trump, Trump, Trump

As the impeachment inquiry suddenly seems to have sprung a few new lines of investigation, its impact is becoming less predictable.

·         One MOScouter reminds me that there can be “tipping points” in these things.  As much as sides seem calcified, the accumulation of revelations can lead to a sudden swing in sentiment.

Schweitzer for Alderman

In the “new committees” section over the weekend was one entry showing Anne Schweitzer filing to run for alderman in St. Louis City.  Schweitzer works with messaging genius Richard Callow at Public Eye.

Schweitzer announcing the run on Facebook: One of the things I tell my clients is that when they know what they want to run for, they should file as soon as possible. There are three things every campaign needs: Money, Time, and Votes. Two of those you can get more of, one of those you cannot. That's why, a year and a half before the election, I'm writing to tell you that I am running for Alderman of the 13th ward…

Another Rex Check for Parson PAC

Rex Sinquefield gave Uniting Missouri PAC, the pro-Mike Parson PAC, $250,000 yesterday.  That will put Uniting over $1 million in money raised in this quarter.

Blunt Keeps Powder Dry
KCStar’s Bryan Lowry reports that US Senator Roy Blunt “a member of Senate Intel and GOP leadership, says he won’t have much to say on the whistleblower complaint and other disclosures until Intel [Committee] has a chance to gather more information.”
This seems like just letting it play out in a fair and impartial way.
But former Republican state senator John Lamping replies that “Yeah, it tells you he’s not running for re-election in ‘22.”

Driving the Night: Campaign Kick Offs….

·         Sen. Caleb Rowden kicks off his re-election tonight at the Atrium in downtown Columbia… Rep. Jack Bondon kicks off his Senate 31 bid at Peculiar Winery.

·         And Rep. Greg Razer kicks off at Ollie’s Local in Kansas City.  He’s running to succeed Sen. Jason Holsman in Senate 7.

Hawley Raises $$$ on Impeachment

US Senator Josh Hawley is raising money off the start of the impeachment inquiry.  See it here. 

If the House does impeach Trump, Hawley will be voting on it in the Senate. 

I guess I’m naïve to think he should maintain some impartiality ahead of this potential awesome constitutional duty.

Chugging along every day, checks into the pro-Parson PAC, Uniting Missouri.  Again today, three more large checks totaling $70,000.  It’s possible that the October fundraising numbers of the candidate committees of Nicole Galloway and Mike Parson – both constrained by limits – will be in the same ballpark.  But it looks like the gap between Parson’s PAC and Galloway’s will be a gulf this quarter.

MOScout/Human Agency Poll: Medicaid Expansion

Last week, the monthly web-poll from Human Agency tested the 2020 Missouri ballot.  See it here.

I’ve previously polled Medicaid.  But this was different, as it used the ballot language.  And while Missourians are in favor of the proposal (42% to 25%), the fact that it’s below 50% should give proponents pause.

Rex Backs Schmitt - Again

Rex Sinquefield sent $250,000 to MO Opportunity PAC.  That’s the pro-Eric Schmitt PAC.  Opportunity has now recorded $375K in large contributions since its July filing when it had approximately $750K in the bank

Sinquefield had previously donated $250K to the same PAC in February of this year.

Monthly Tracker Poll: September 16-18, 2019

N = 825, MoE +-4%

Q: In the next 12 months do you expect your personal finances to be:

Much better - 10.2%

Somewhat better - 18.6%

About the same - 55.6%

Somewhat worse - 11.9%

Much worse - 3.8%

HRCC Shake-Up

Casey Wheat is out as the executive director of the House Republican Campaign Committee.  Her employment was terminated by the five-member board of the organization.   I’m told that HRCC political director Chase Campbell is taking the reins until a new ED is hired.

Follow-Up on Possible MCFG Picks

Yesterday I wrote about who Missouri Club for Growth may support in Republican Senate primaries based on stances of education policy.

One reader who follows the issue closely added a few thoughts…

·         In Senate 25, the choice is not clear because Rep. Jeff Shawan is also a supporter of education reform.

·         In Senate 33, Rep. Robert Ross is the “clear choice there” for MCFG to pick.

Brattin PAC Gets $100K From CL PAC

The battle-lines in Republican Senate primaries are starting to be drawn quite clearly.  The Conservative Caucus’ CL PAC – funded primarily by St. Louis businessman David Steward – is backing former Rep. Rick Brattin.

Yesterday CL PAC sent $100K to a new PAC called “Brattin Brigade PAC.”

Buckle up….

Englund Will Run for Treasurer

Former Rep. Vicki Englund says that she’s formed a committee to run for state treasurer.  (It has yet to post to the Missouri Ethics Commission website).

And that she will make a formal announcement in “the next week or so.”

MOScout Poll: Gun Laws

Conducted September 11-12. 1,678 likely 2020 General Election voters. Margin of Error is +/-2.4%.

Q1: Would you support or oppose requiring background checks of all potential gun buyers?

Support: 77%

Oppose: 14%

Not sure: 9%

Driving the Day

10AM this morning in downtown St. Louis Attorney General Eric Schmitt will hold a press conference to release his report regarding allegations of clergy abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.

Leading the investigation was First Assistant to the Attorney General Tom Albus.

Early Childhood Proposal in STL?

On the heels of Kansas City’s failure to advance a tax support early childhood education, St. Louis is exploring something similar.

They’re polling now to weigh the public’s appetite for additional taxes for a new early childhood fund.  It would cover both St. Louis City and St. Louis County.

MEC Takes SNAP Challenge

Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman is not afraid.  She’s taking Empower Missouri’s SNAP Challenge.  In fact, she’s taking the challenge for a week instead of three days…

Intended to highlight the difficulties faced by Missourians who rely on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to put food on the table, the challenge will ask participants to shop for a three-day supply of food for a family of four using only the amount of money available to families from the program.

Lager Hearts Parson

In the large contributions Herzog Contracting contributed $250K to Uniting Missouri PAC.  That’s the PAC aligned with Governor Mike Parson.

Stan Herzog passed away recently.  Former Sen. Brad Lager is directing the political giving from Herzog’s companies.

• For all the talk last year about Parson getting a primary, this is one more indication that MOGOP has closed ranks behind the governor.