The Missouri primaries will be held on Tuesday, August 6th. I live right across the river on the Illinois side near St. Louis and have family members and relatives who live in the Show-Me State; therefore, the Missouri elections do have importance for me.
Democratic prospects do not look very great at all this fall, but there are important ballot measures to vote for and against. Thankfully, the "right-to-work" for less proposal is not on the ballot for this year.
Also, there is a big primary for St. Louis County Executive race on the Democratic side.
Remember to go vote on Tuesday. Polls open at 6AM CDT and close at 7PM CDT. You are allowed to vote after 7PM, as long as you are in the line waiting to vote prior to the 7PM cutoff.
Statewide Races:
Auditor:
Republican incumbent Thomas Schweich is running again. Other candidates include Libertarian Sean O'Toole and Constitution Party's Rodney Farthing. No Democratic candidate on the ballot. O'Toole or write-in is endorsed in November.
Congressional Races:
MO-01: Democratic incumbent Lacy Clay should hold on to this seat for as long as he wants it. Clay is endorsed.
The Republicans have three candidates running: Martin Baker, Daniel J. Elder, and David Koehr. None of the three are endorsed.
Robb E. Cunningham is running for the Libertarian Party.
MO-02: Republican Incumbent Ann Wagner is favored to win.
Running against her is Democrat Arthur Lieber and Libertarian Bill Slantz.
Lieber is endorsed.
MO-03: Same here, as GOP incumbent and possible 2016 Gubernatorial candidate Blaine Luetkmeyer is the incumbent.
Velma Steinman and Courtney Denton are running for the Democrats. Denton is endorsed.
He will have opposition, however, as Leonard Steinman and John Morris are also running for the GOP. None are endorsed.
Steven Hedrick is running for the Libertarians and Harold Davis is running a write-in campaign.
MO-04: Same as MO-02 and -03. GOP incumbent Vicky Hartzler will get another term in office.
She will face a primary challenger in John Webb. Webb is endorsed for the Primary.
The Democrats will put up Nate Irvin to run. Irvin is endorsed in the general.
The Libertarians will have a primary, as Randy Langkraehr and Herschel Young are running. Young is endorsed for the primary.
MO-05: The other Democratic incumbent in Missouri's congressional House delegation, Emanuel Cleaver, is favored here, but he will have four other primary challengers in Mark Memoly, Bob Gough, Eric Holmes, and Charles Lindsey. Cleaver is endorsed.
The GOP's primary is also contested. Bill Lindsey, Berton A. Knox, Michael Burris, and Jacob Turk are running to try to dethrone Cleaver. None are recommended.
Roy Welborn is running for the Libertarian Party.
MO-06: Republican incumbent Sam Graves is running here, but he has three other challengers in Kyle Reid, Christopher Ryan, and Brian Tharp. No one is endorsed.
The Democrats are running Bill Hedge, Edward Dwayne Fields, and Gary Lynn Crose. Hedge is endorsed.
Russ Monchil is running for the Libertarians.
MO-07: Billy Long, the successor to now-Senator Roy Blunt, is the GOP incumbent, but he will face a challenger in Marshall Works. Works is endorsed.
Jim Evans and Genevieve Williams are running for the Dems. Evans is endorsed in the primary and the general.
Kevin Craig is running for the Libertarians.
MO-08: Republican incumbent Jason Smith, who won a special election to replace GOPer Jo Ann Emerson, is favored to win here.
Barbara Stocker is running for the Democrats. Stocker is endorsed.
Rick Vandeven running for the Libertarians.
Two write-ins are running: Doug Enyart and Terry Hampton.
Missouri House:
MO-HD86: This seat is open due to the death of Democratic incumbent Rory Ellinger.
The action is all on the Democratic side, with Fareedah Sidqui, Joe Adams, Dawn Price, and Mary Ann Merz. Merz and Adams are recommended, but Adams is more deserving of carrying on Ellinger's spirit and thusly endorsed.
MO-HD112: GOP incumbent Paul Wieland is not running due to term limits.
The Democrats will have Larry Steinkamp and Robert Butler running. Butler is recommended.
The GOP will line up Rob Vescovo, Charles Groeteke, and Avery Fortenberry to keep the seat red. No one is endorsed.
MO-HD157:
GOP Incumbent Mike Moon of "Impeach Jay Nixon" fame is running, along with primary challenger Julie Ruzicka. Ruzicka is recommended.
Vince Jennings is running for the Democrats. Jennings is endorsed.
Missouri Senate:
MO-SD02: GOP incumbent Scott Rupp cannot run here again due to term limits.
The GOP has a three-way battle to succeed Rupp: Tea Party/Missouri Right To Life-backed Dr. Bob Onder and former State Representatives Vicki Schneider and Chuck Gatschenberger are running for his seat.
No Democrat or any other third party is running.
Schneider is the least objectionable of the three GOPers running here, so she is endorsed, or a write-in is also encouraged as well.
MO-SD24: GOP incumbent John Lamping is not running for re-election.
The Democrats are running Jill Schupp. Schupp is endorsed in the Primary and General.
The GOP has a three-way competition for this open seat in Robb Hicks, Jack Spooner, and Jay Ashcroft. Spooner is recommended.
Jim Higgins is running for the Libertarians.
Ballot Proposals:
Amendment 1 ("Right to farm" amendment): A NO vote is strongly endorsed.
Amendment 5 (RKBA amendment): A NO vote is strongly encouraged.
Amendment 7 (Tax increase for roads): A NO vote is endorsed.
Amendment 8 (Veterans Lottery Ticket): A YES vote is encouraged.
Amendment 9 (Data and Privacy Protection): A YES vote is highly encouraged.
Three other ballot proposals are considered for November, including Amendments 2, 6, and 10. Due to the days of early voting being chopped down to 6 business days (no weekends), a NO vote on 6 is strongly encouraged in November.
St. Louis County Executive:
The Democratic primary for this race is getting the most attention, with incumbent Charlie Dooley and challenger Steve Stenger battling it out in ads on St. Louis DMA television screens. Ronald Levy is the third wheel. There are no perfect options in this contest, but Levy gets the endorsement over either of the two major contenders.
The far less publicized GOP primary between Rick Stream and Tony Pousosa is beginning to rev up. No endorsement.
Ted Brown is running for the Libertarians, and Joe Passanise is doing the same for the Constitution Party.