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A look around the region at the week that was in electoral politics and a glimpse of the week to come.This election cycle brought about an unprecedented flow of initiative petitions -- 143 to be exact. Even though an innumerable amount of trees were sacrificed in paperwork, only four items have any chance of making it to the ballot. Earlier in May, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan announced that various groups had turned in signatures for the following ballot initiatives: A bid to transition oversight of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department away from state control. A measure that would raise taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products by 73 cents. Changes to how “payday loan” …
A Missouri ballot initiative aimed at curtailing interest rates at “payday loan” entities is getting some national attention. For an episode of PBS’s Need to Know, airing locally this weekend, the program traveled to the Show Me State to follow around activists who are collecting signatures for an initiative petition. If the ballot measure makes it to the ballot and if voters approve it, interest rates on certain lending companies would be capped at 36 percent. Supporters of the initiative argue that the loan agencies place poorer Missourians in a cycle of debt. But opponents counter that the…
The last few iterations of this column have noted how several candidates for the U.S. Senate utilized creative means to entice fundraising efforts. For instance, Rep. Todd Akin (R-Wildwood) used his rhetorical scuffle with President Barack Obama over student loans in a fundraising pitch. And Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) has directly attacked third-party organizations that are pre-emptively attacking the incumbent lawmaker as she makes a difficult bid for re-election. McCaskill’s campaign staff continued on a creative path in an email that was sent to supporters earlier this week. They …
Former state Rep. Gina Walsh (D-Bellefontaine Neighbors) continues to rack up endorsements in her bid for the 13th District Senate seat. Walsh this week said that she had been officially endorsed by St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, not a surprising development since the Democratic official attended her kick-off party earlier this year. She also received backing from St. Louis County Councilman Mike O’Mara (D-Florissant), Councilwoman Kathleen Burkett (D-Overland) and Councilman Pat Dolan (D-Richmond Heights). Walsh was also endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents…
There’s one less Democratic candidate in the race for the 1st Senatorial District, which encompasses a sizable portion of south St. Louis County. Michael Vogt, an Affton resident who served four terms in the Missouri House, withdrew his candidacy earlier this week. Vogt, an attorney, raised only $100 during the past fundraising quarter, a far cry from either Rep. Scott Sifton (D-Affton) or former state Rep. Sue Schoemehl (D-Oakville). Whoever wins the primary between Sifton and Schoemehl will face incumbent state Sen. Jim Lembke (R-Lemay). While the redistricted 1stDistrict is more Democratic…
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri) made an appearance this week on The Colbert Report, a popular satirical news show on Comedy Central. The first-term senator spent time on the show talking about her latest ad, which hones on third-party organizations that have been running ads against her. “Stephen, as he always does, used his character to point out the absurd loopholes in federal election law that allow corporations and special interests to anonymously influence the political system. I applaud the work he and his show do to educate America about 501(c)(4) organizations and secret money,” …
Rep. Todd Akin (R-Wildwood) got some press in late April after President Barack Obama alluded to the U.S. Senate hopeful’s comments about government-backed student loans. At a debate in Columbia, Akin said the following about pending student loan legislation: "America has got the equivalent of the stage three cancer of socialism because the federal government is tampering in all kinds of stuff it has no business tampering in. So first, to answer your question precisely, what the democrats did to get rid of the private student loans and take it all over by the government was wrong, it was a …
Chalk this up as one of the more unusual transportation vehicles utilized during the 2012 election season: St. Louis City attorney Ed Martin’s campaign for attorney general is using a retrofitted ambulance aimed at showcasing the Republican’s opposition to President Barack Obama’s health care plan. Martin’s campaign announced last week that the “Ed Martin for Attorney General Campaign ‘Stop Obamacare’ Ambulance” would be traveling around the state to collect signatures against the health care law passed in 2010. “We are inviting citizens from across the state to come out to the ‘Stop …
The tea party movement’s activism may have helped tip the 2010 election cycle to Republicans, especially since dedicated volunteers helped Republicans win the U.S. House and close the gap in the U.S. Senate. So it’s no surprise that candidates—including the three major Republicans running for the U.S. Senate in Missouri—are trying to gather support from tea party organizations and political figures. But one of the interesting aspects of the movement is its inherent decentralization—no one entity speaks for everybody. For instance, former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman announced a few weeks …
This week, lawmakers from across the country have introduced measures to prevent the shuttering of various United States Postal Service offices. Last summer, the agency announced it would evaluate the operations at more than 3,000 offices nationwide, including a handful in St. Louis County and the city of St. Louis. Click here for a list of all Missouri branches of the U.S. Postal Service under evaluation. Maplewood-Brentwood Patch recently reported that any decision on closures under the current round of "rightsizing" would not come until next month at the earliest. But both of Missouri's U.…
Missouri politics may be the best arena to ask “what if?” For instance, what if Republican Matt Blunt had decided to run for re-election in 2008? Would he have defeated then-Attorney General Jay Nixon? Or would he have been swept under the relative Democratic wave that year? And what if Chris Koster had decided to run for attorney general as a Republican? Would he have emerged victorious out of a GOP primary or would have been defeated by more conservative candidates? Political prognosticators can only dream. But a more recent version of that fun and exciting exercise comes about with …
Back when she ran for governor in 2008, then-state Treasurer Sarah Steelman sent out a press release touting the support of non-elected individuals. It was meant as a jab of sorts against U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, a Columbia Republican who had scooped up support from elected officials across the state. Flash forward four years later, and Steelman is running for the U.S. Senate seat. In a crowded primary, she's considered one of three credible candidates for the chance to face off against Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri). This time around, Steelman has some advantages. She's the only …
Wagner to Meet with Pachyderm Supporters Meanwhile, Ann Wagner, a Ballwin Republican who is running for the 2nd Congressional District House seat, will be the main speaker at the St. Louis County Pachyderm Club dinner this Friday. The dinner will take place at 7 p.m. at Trattoria Branica Restaurant in Frontenac. Wagner is running against three other people for the GOP nomination in the 2nd District, including former Webster Groves Councilman Randy Jotte. Two lesser-known candidates from St. Charles County, James O. Baker and John Morris, are also in the contest. The Democratic field includes…
Missouri’s first round of caucuses are now over, leaving behind a trail of tranquility and disorder. Chaos was the case in St. Peters, where the St. Charles County Republican Caucus ended without any delegates being allocated. The confrontational event became a national story, resulting in stories both on CNN and in the New York Times. Because of that event, and other examples of confusion detailed in the national and local media, the GOP caucuses were generally perceived of being chaotic and unorganized. Former Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) appeared on KSDK on Sunday, for instance, and described …
After weeks of explanations and prognostications, caucus time arrived this weekend for Republican party supporters throughout Ballwin and St. Louis. A previous column explained Missouri's caucus process. A key point worth remembering, however, recently was reiterated Missouri Republican Party spokesman Jonathan Poutry regarding how and when delegates' votes are counted. “Unlike many other caucus states, there will not be a straw poll attached to the caucus. Caucus-goers will be voting for delegates, and with few exceptions, these delegates will not be bound to a particular candidate,” Poutry …
This column took note a couple of weeks ago of a bid to designate St. Louis Brewery and the Boulevard Brewing Company as the official brewers of Missouri. That effort was all well and good, but it pales in comparison to an effort to enshrine Jim the Wonder Dog as the official historical state dog of Missouri. For those who may not know, Jim the Wonder Dog was an amazing canine from Marshall, MO. Legend has it that Jim the Wonder Dog could understand multiple languages and correctly guess the winner of sporting events. And according to former Columbia Tribune photographer Jenna Isaacson …
The kickoff of Missouri’s biennial filing day is often littered with surprises. But this year’s iteration may have taken the cake. Obviously, the biggest news is Rep. Russ Carnahan’s (D-MO) decision to run in the 1st Congressional District. The St. Louis City Democrat had considered running in the GOP-leaning 2nd Congressional District, but instead decided to enter into a race that will have him battling U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay (D-MO). That race will be closely watched, since the district that encompasses all of St. Louis City and some of St. Louis County has a heavy Democratic lean. In essence, …
The wee hours of Thursday morning brought about big chances for state Senate districts in St. Louis County. The tentative document, detailed in coverage from the St. Louis Beacon, means that Sen. Jane Cunningham (R-Chesterfield) is now in a district with Sen. Brian Nieves, (R-Washington). And districts represented by Sen. Jim Lembke (R-Lemay) and John Lamping (R-Ladue) also saw significant changes. If this sounds familiar, that's because the map had to be redrawn after the original document was declared unconstitutional. More analysis will surely come over the next days and weeks. For now, …
The word “non-binding” was thrown around often when either previewing or analyzing Missouri’s GOP primary. And with good reason: The real battle for delegates will take place at the party’s March caucuses. Although former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum easily won Missouri's Republican primary, it doesn't necessarily ensure that he'll get the Show Me State's delegates. Santorum's primary victory – along with wins in the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses – helped revive the former Pennsylvania senator’s campaign against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The delegate situation will be decided at the…
Campaigns these days can no longer just rely on advertisements and direct mail to deliver a message. They also need to have a quick-fire presence on the Web. That aforementioned statement is not necessarily revolutionary. Campaigns have utilized the Web as both a messaging tool and an opposition research mechanism for more than a decade. But with more and more people getting information about politics and politicians through the Web, the demand is high for manpower to update Twitter pages, fill Facebook pages, manage e-mail lists and organize YouTube videos. For instance, Sen. Claire …
