Filing Season is over in Missouri, and here is the overview of the races (barring any unforseen changes)
U.S. Senate:
On the Republican side, Sen. Jim Talent gets to face off against four unknowns/frequent candidates. The Senator will face Isaiah Hair Jr. (R-STL), Joyce P. Lea (R-KC), Roxie Fausnaught (R-Granby), and Scott Babbitt (R-St. Joseph). Expect a big Talent victory, with protest votes being distributed at random.
On the Democratic side, Auditor Claire McCaskill will face off against frequent candidate Bill Clinton Young (D-KC) and Mikhail Tsukerman (D-STL). Claire will obviously win big. But, the $200 filing fee is why you get so many random people filing for this race.
Frank Gilmour is the Libertarian who will be recieving the typical 1% that Libertarians draw in Missouri races.
You can go under the fold for more on the State Auditors race, U.S. House, Missouri Senate, and Missouri House.
State Auditor:
On the Republican side, the race has 3 state Reps, a felon, and an unknown. Jack Jackson (R-Wildwood), Mark Wright (R-Springfield), and John Loudon (R-Chesterfield) are the State Reps. Al Hanson (R-Concordia) was the 2002 nominee for the Auditors race, and he was also a convicted felon. Sandra Thomas (R-Kansas City) is the unknown. I personally expect Wright to win, since Jackson and Loudon are probably going to split their bases. In the scheme of things, the GOP race for State Auditor is a race between three stooges (Jackson, Wright, and Loudon).
On the Democratic Side, Buchanan County Auditor Susan Montee (D-St. Joseph) is facing Hope Sickmeier (D-Ashland). Montee is the obvious frontrunner. Being an actual auditor and not a politician should be helpful for her too.
Charles Baum is the Libertarian candidate.
Now that I made you all sit though two paragraphs on the State Auditors Race, here's the U.S. House analysis.
U.S. House:
MO01:
Democrat: Rep. Lacy Clay (STL)
Republicans: Mark Byrne (STL), Leslie Farr (STL), and Lou Mansfield (Florissant)
Libertarian: Robb Cunningham (St. Ann)
MO02:
Republicans: Rep. Todd Akin (STL) and State Rep. Sherman Parker (St. Peters)
Democrats: Rich Lesh (St. Charles), George Weber (Eureka), John Hogan (St. Charles), and Charles Karam (Chesterfield)
Libertarian: Tamara Millay (STL)
MO03:
Democrats: Rep. Russ Carnahan (STL) and Jim Frisella (STL)
Republican: David Bertelsen (STL)
Libertarian: R. Christophel (STL)
MO04:
Democrat: Rep. Ike Skelton (Lexington)
Republicans: Lloyd Sanders Sr. (Richland), Alan Conner (Long Lane), Jeff Parnell (Rogersville) and Jim Noland (Preston)
Libertarian: Bryce Bolthouse (Warrensburg)
MO05:
Democrat: Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (KC)
Republican: Jacob Turk (Lee's Summit)
Libertarian: Randy Langkraehr (Warrensburg)
MO06:
Republican: Rep. Sam Graves (Tarkio)
Democrats: Sara Jo Shettles (Liberty) and Opal Dockery (Lamar)
Libertarian: Erik Buck (Liberty)
MO07:
Republicans: Rep. Roy Blunt (Springfield), Mitchell/Midge Potts (Springfield), Clendon Kinder (Joplin), and Bernard Kennetz (Nixa)
Democrats: Ron Lapham (Bolivar), Charles Christrup (Cape Fair), and Jack Truman (Lamar)
Libertarian: Kevin Craig (Powersite)
MO08:
Republican: Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (Cape Girardeau)
Democrats: Veronica Hambacker (Salem), Gene Curtis (Matthews), and Earl Durnell (Cabool)
MO09:
Republican: Rep. Kenny Hulshof (Columbia)
Democrat: Duane Burghard (Columbia)
Libertarian: Steven Hedrick (Warrensburg)
Expected matchups in November:
Clay/Tossup, Akin/Tossup, Carnahan/Bertelsen, Skelton/Tossup, Cleaver/Turk, Graves/Shettles, Blunt/Tossup, Emerson/Hambacker, Hulshof/Burghard.
Aaand.. it's nice to see that the Libertarian Party is thriving in Warrensburg.
How about the Missouri Senate?
Currently, it's 22/11 Republicans, with a vacant seat.
17 seats are up this year, 12 Republican seats and 5 Democratic seats.
Races of note include
SD2: The incumbent here will be decided by the April special election. But Rep. Scott Rupp (R-Wentzville) and Wayne Henke (D-Troy) are due for a rematch in November.
SD4: Five Democrats vie for this St. Louis seat. Including Yaphett El Amin and Jeff Smith.
SD8: Sen. Matt Bartle (R-Lee's Summit) gets a primary challenge from State Rep. Bob Johnson (R-Lee's Summit). Democrat Jason Norbury (D-Lee's Summit) will face the winner.
SD18: State Rep. Wes Shoemyer (D-Clarence) takes on State Rep. Bob Behnen (R-Kirksville) for this open seat.
SD22: State Sen. Bill Alter (R-High Ridge) will face Ryan McKenna (D-Crystal City).
SD30: State Sen. Norma Champion faces off against former State Rep. Doug Harpool for this Springfield-area seat.
The two unopposed Republicans are Delbert Scott (R-Lowry City) and Gary Nodler (R-Joplin).
Overall- I like our odds to make the Senate bluer. Although it'll take picking up 6 or 7 seats to pull that off.
How about the Missouri House?:
Currently 97 Republicans and 66 Democrats serve in the Missouri House.
I honestly don't know the most noteworthy races, but I do know that the current finance laws keep the state races competitive, since contributors can't just pour money into campaigns. As well, these campaigns are usually conducted off the air.
Congratulations to the following Missouri state House Republicans, who will not be facing Democratic Opposition in November:
1. The winner of the 13th House District primary to replace Scott Rupp
2. Allen Icet (84th-Wildwood)
3. Neal St. Onge (88th-Ballwin)
4. The winner of the 89th district primary to replace Jack Jackson
5. Steven Tilley (106th-Perryville)
6. Kevin Threlkeld (109th-Washington)
7. Tom Self (116th-Cole Camp)
8. Brian Baker (123rd-Belton)
9. Bryan Stevenson (128th-Webb City)
10. Ron Richard (129th-Joplin)
11. Michael Parson (133rd-Bolivar)
12. Ray Weter (142nd-Nixa)
13. Van Kelly (144th-Norwood)
14. Wayne Cooper (155th-Camdenton)
15. Scott Lipke (157th-Jackson)
When I last talked to you 5 days ago, 36 Republicans were unopposed. Obviously a lot of progress was made in the 3 filing days.
In 2004, 32 Republicans were left unopposed. Ten of them are unopposed this year too. (The 5 unopposed members who were opposed in 2004 are Rupp, Tilley, Baker, Parson, and Cooper)
Before you get mad at failing to find 15 candidates with $50, I have better news.
40 of the 66 Missouri House Democrats are unopposed this fall.
23 of those 40 were unopposed in 2004. Basically a lot of people who actually faced opposition in 2004 will get a free ride this November. That includes the usual Jackson County/STL Democrats, and freshman Democrats like Joe Aull (26th-Marshall), Ron Casey (103th-Crystal City) and Brad Robinson (107th-Bonne Terre).
The Democratic state house members/seats with Republican candidates are Jim Whorton (3rd-Trenton), Rachel Bringer (6th-Palmyra), The 9th district (Shoemyer), Witte (10th-Vandalia), The 11th district (Henke), Jeff Harris (23rd-Columbia), Ed Wildberger (27th-St. Joe), Martin Rucker (29th-St. Joe), The 37th district (Brooks), Low (39th-KC), Meiners (46th-KC), LeVota (52nd-Independence), Dougherty (53rd-Independence), Wright-Jones (63rd-STL), Donnelly (73rd-STL), Liese (79th-Maryland Heights), Bogetto (94th-STL), Yaeger (96th-STL), Meadows (101st-Imperial), Roorda (D-Barnhart), 104th district (Wagner), Frame (105th-Eureka), Villa (108th-STL), Dake (132nd-Miller), and Lampe (138th-Springfield).
It appears that the wildly unpopular Matt Blunt just can't inspire Republicans to get up and file for the State House.
Overall, The Democrats have candidates in 148 of 163 districts. The Republicans have candidates in 122 of 163 districts.
Democrats have 194 candidates in 148 districts. Republicans have 152 candidates in 122 districts.
Conclusion:
With the reign of err of Matt Blunt, the prospects of the Missouri Democratic Party to win this fall are pretty good. Blunt's Republican Assembly did his bidding on Medicaid and everything else, and they're going to get hit hard for that. From Neosho, to New Madrid, to Tarkio, to Hannibal, and all points in between, 2006 will be a good election for Missouri Democrats.
Ok Missourians and other people, it's time for you to react!