Hoping to fill the vaccum left by incumbent Gov. Matt Blunt's decision not to seek re-election, Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-MO) is planning to run for governor rather than seek another term in Congress. Hulshof joins the current lieutenant governor and state treasurer in the GOP primary to determine who Democratic AG Jay Nixon gets to defeat in November. In doing so, Hulshof adds his R+6.5 district to the list of open seats Republicans will be defending this fall.
11 thoughts on “MO-Gov, MO-09: Hulshof Leaving Congress to Run for Governor”
Comments are closed.
But MO’s filing date isn’t until March 25
I want a contested Dem primary in MO-09.
Such a primary can do the following, if done correctly.
a) It raises name recognition for the candidates on our side. A candidate in a contest is probably more likely to get news coverage for campaigning than one who is unopposed or certain to me.
b) It takes votes from Hulshof. In Missouri, the voter shows up and is asked which ballot he wants. Hulshof usually recieves around the same number of votes unopposed as the Dem candidates in Congressional primaries. But, if there is a contested Dem primary, then voters in traditionally Democratic counties are more likely to request a Democratic ballot. Therefore reducing the number of people in Hulshof’s area of strength.
I think Hulshof is the strongest Gubernatorial candidate right now. Steelman didn’t win impressively in 2004 over a low-spending candidate. Kinder barely won in general. Hulshof has some danger to him because he will do well for a Republican in the Columbia-St. Charles corridor (IOW, Columbia, St. Charles County, and the areas in between).
Plus, Hulshof may make it harder for Jefferson County resident Jay Nixon to put up a landslide in St. Louis County.
Of course contested primaries can be like chemistry. You can make a lot of good things with chemistry. Or you can blow yourself up.
Don’t you just love open primaries? Ha.