Mike Hamra, a Springfield business owner and restaurant operator, has filed Missouri Ethics Commission paperwork in the Democratic party race for governor of Missouri. Hamra said earlier this summer he was exploring the race.
"I’ve been considering running for governor, and filing a committee with the MEC is the next step in that process. I’ve been encouraged by the positive feedback and support I’ve received during this exploration, and I look forward to sharing my final decision in the coming weeks, likely before the end of this month," Hamra said in a statement to Spectrum News and other media outlets Wednesday.
State Rep. Crystal Quade, the Minority Floor Leader, also from Springfield, announced her campaign for governor in July. Quade has support among elected Democrats in the General Assembly, organized labor and former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, among others.
Last week, Quade voiced confidence she could consolidate support and avoid a serious primary challenge but that if one emerged, she said it would stand in contrast to a heated GOP primary that features Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and State Sen. Bill Eigel.
Lt. Gov. race
Months after signaling his interest in running for Lt. Governor of Missouri, House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres stepped forward Wednesday with the trappings of a campaign for the post.
Plocher, who is term-limited after the 2024 legislative session, touted his work in the House promoting 2022 tax cuts, and legislation in the just-completed session that ended state taxes on social security benefits. Plocher and House Republicans advocated for a more strict version of legislation banning gender transition treatments for minors. The version that ended up becoming law came from the Senate and includes a four-year sunset.
On crime, Plocher was also a high-profile critic of now-former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, who resigned under legislative pressure last May after a bill that passed the House would have allowed the Governor to appoint a special prosecutor for violent crime in St. Louis. He also advocated for legislation that would put the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department back under a state-appointed board. He told Spectrum News last month that legislation would be back on the table for consideration next year.
“Missouri is my home. It’s where my wife Rebecca and I chose to raise our children, but we still have work to do to secure their future. We must protect our farmland from China, our classrooms from liberal indoctrination, our families from Biden’s failed economy, and our communities from the progressive crime wave,” Plocher said in a statement Wednesday.
Other announced Republican candidates for the race include State Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, Franklin County Clerk Tim Baker and Paul Berry III, a former candidate for Congress and for St. Louis County Executive.
On the Democratic side, Missouri State Rep. Richard Brown, the Assistant Minority Floor Leader from Kansas City, and Anastasia Syes, of St. Louis County, have declared campaigns with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
U.S. Senate endorsement
Lucas Kunce earned a key endorsement Wednesday in the Democratic race to face incumbent Republican Sen. Josh Hawley next year.
The SEIU Missouri/Kansas State Council, which represents more than 14,000 healthcare workers, nursing home workers, social service workers, first responders and higher education faculty and janitors said it was backing Kunce’s campaign over his two Democratic rivals, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell and State Sen. Karla May.
“SEIU members are essential workers who have tirelessly served our communities across Missouri throughout the pandemic, and they deserve a U.S. Senator who wakes up each day ready to work to improve the lives of Missouri’s working families, not big-money donors,” said SEIU Missouri/Kansas State Council President Lenny Jones in a statement released by the Kunce campaign.
Kunce has support from several labor organizations, including the Missouri AFL-CIO, the Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters, the St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council and others.
House Speaker’s race
The House GOP caucus voted Wednesday to nominate Majority Leader Steve Scalise for Speaker of the House, but that doesn’t guarantee he’ll win the post in a vote of the full House, which was reportedly set for Tuesday before it was scrapped.
In the St. Louis area’s delegation, Scalise had the announced support of U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer and U.S. Rep. Sam Graves. U.S. Rep. Mary Miller had announced her endorsement of U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee for the post.
A spokesperon for U.S. Rep. Mike Bost said he'll be voting for Scalise. He had been facing pressure from his primary challenger, former State Sen. Darren Bailey, to endorse Jordan. His office released this statement:
"A private ballot election has nominated Steve Scalise to be speaker. Now is the time for House Republicans to unify, move the party forward, and get back to legislating on behalf of the American people. As soon as the nomination is brought to the Floor, Rep. Bost will be voting live on television for Steve Scalise, just like Jim Jordan and the majority of his conservative colleagues."
Spectrum News’ Taylor Popielarz on Wednesday reported that according to a source with direct knowledge, Jordan plans to vote for Scalise on the floor and was encouraging his colleagues to do so.
Miller had been among those who delayed Kevin McCarthy’s eventual election as Speaker back in January, when she voted for Jordan.
U.S. Rep. Jason Smith has also not publicly come out for a candidate.
None of the Republicans representing the St. Louis area voted to support removing McCarthy, who lost the job when a handful of Republicans along with the Democratic caucus voted in favor of a motion to vacate.
Democrats nominated U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and were expected to unite behind him. He would need the unlikely support of enough Republicans to become Speaker.