GOP firm Remington Research, polling for the Missouri Scout, has good news for several Missouri Republicans who might try to oust Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill next year. Although McCaskill has yet to draw a high-profile GOP challenger, Remington tested four prominent Republicans whose names have come up recently, and they all post modest leads over the incumbent. McCaskill trails Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer 50-43, state Treasurer Eric Schmitt by 49-45, Rep. Vicky Hartzler by 48-44, and Rep. Jason Smith by 48-45. While her opponents likely start out with lower name recognition, only 40 percent of respondents had a favorable opinion of McCaskill and 45 percent an unfavorable one.
Ostensible primary frontrunner Rep. Ann Wagner’s recent surprise decision not to run has opened up the floodgates for Missouri Republicans who are interested in challenging the vulnerable McCaskill. Hartzler previously refused to rule out running, and her past campaign manager recently reiterated that she still hasn’t made up her mind, relaying that she has no timeline for when she might reach a decision. Meanwhile, Smith’s political director said on Friday that his boss isn’t “actively considering” it, which isn’t exactly a “no.” Schmitt was previously reported to be thinking about running Luetkemeyer’s name has been mentioned, but neither men have said anything about their interest in the race publicly yet.
While Republicans are salivating over challenging McCaskill, the incumbent posted yet another gangbusters fundraising quarter, hauling in $3.1 million and finishing June with $5.1 million on hand. McCaskill faces a tough challenge to win a third term in this 56-38 Trump state, but a potentially crowded Republican primary would only give her more time to build up her war chest ahead of next year while her opponents expend their resources to win the GOP nomination.