JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.—In just a little over three days since filing for Missouri’s August primary elections began, one potential candidate for governor was prevented from doing so, another was allowed to, but will now be taken to court to be removed from consideration, while a candidate for Secretary of State says he’ll stick to a local race instead after conceding the heat of the moment got the best of him.
On Thursday, the Missouri GOP said it would go to court to have Darrell McClanahan III removed from the ballot after learning of McClanahan’s ties to white supremacist groups. If he stays on the ballot, McClanahan would have the top spot on the list after drawing the lowest random number among Republican gubernatorial candidates on the first day.
The three main contenders for the Republican race, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, and State Sen. Bill Eigel all filed on the first day.
State Rep. Sarah Unsicker, D-Shrewsbury has not said if she’ll seek to run as an independent candidate for governor or take legal action against the Democratic party after it refused to accept her filing fee. Unsicker, who previously was a candidate for attorney general, was kicked out of the House Democratic Caucus after she was accused of associating with a conspiracy theorist and a white supremacist, and also accused her primary opponent of foreign election interference.
State Rep. Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, led a trio of Democrats who filed for governor Tuesday, including Eric Morrison of Lee’s Summit and Sheryl Gladney of St. Charles.
A total of 435 candidates filed at the secretary of state’s office Tuesday–an increase over 2022–but it was a little surprising to see who didn’t take advantage of an easy public relations opportunity and do it on the first day–they have until March 26.
Among them: Springfield businessman Mike Hamra, a Democrat running for governor; State Treasurer Vivek Malek, a Republican running for the first time after being appointed by Gov. Mike Parson, State Rep. Richard Brown, D-Kansas City, a candidate for lieutenant governor, Franklin County Clerk Tim Baker, also a lieutenant governor hopeful, Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, for secretary of state and Lucas Johnson, the only Democrat who has formed a Missouri Ethics Commission committee to raise money for a run for state treasurer.
To be clear, there are plenty of innocent reasons a candidate might not file on the first day. A Hamra spokesperson said it was about finding a date where the candidate’s family can join him.
“I am in no rush,” Brown said in a text to Spectrum News Wednesday, reminding that the deadline isn’t until late March. Baker said he would file Friday.
But not being there on the first day invites others who do to speculate about the intentions of their potential opponents and others.
For instance, one theory making the rounds in recent weeks is that Rowden may not be long for the secretary of state’s race and could instead decide to focus on finishing the final term of his Senate career. Rowden has not returned a message seeking comment.
On Tuesday, State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman filed for the third congressional district’s GOP primary, and rejected another hypothetical idea– that if Rowden did drop out, she would switch to that contest.
“I think people are doing everything they can to push Caleb out of the secretary of state’s race because they know he would be a formidable opponent. It sounds like they’re doing the same to me. I’m staying in the race. I was the first one in and I’m not getting out,” she exclaimed.
Coleman also speculated that one of her potential opponents, former Boone County Clerk Taylor Burks, might not file for the third congressional district.
Thursday, Burks confirmed that he would suspend his campaign after another candidate with Boone County ties, former State Sen. Kurt Schaefer, entered the race.
After not having any announced candidates for secretary of state as of Monday, Democrats saw three candidates file for the race Tuesday. One of the three has now thought better of it.
Gavin Bena, already a candidate for an aldermanic seat in Glendale, said he considered running for secretary of state, then got to Jefferson City on Tuesday only to find out that State Rep. Barbara Phifer, D-Kirkwood, who happens to be his state representative, had already filed. Phifer had previously announced she wouldn’t seek re-election to the House.
Bena said he spoke with Phifer and ultimately, after what he described as a panic attack in the ensuing time afterward, opted to run too.
On Wednesday he said passions went to his head, and has decided to support Phifer.
Phifer, who is a former Methodist minister, was first elected to the House in 2020. She declined to comment on getting into the race Tuesday. Monique Williams, of St. Louis, also filed for the Democratic primary in the race.
The state treasurer’s race remains empty on the Democratic side as of Friday morning.
Across the entire spectrum of candidates who filed starting Tuesday, only one—Shane Zimmer, a GOP candidate for the third congressional district race from Freeburg, Mo.—has been removed from the unofficial list. Zimmer withdrew.
Caucus approaches
Missouri’s brief moment in the presidential race’s spotlight will come and go on Saturday. Considering the fact that former South Carolina governor and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley has made no effort to campaign in Missouri, there’s little reason to think former President Donald Trump won’t end up winning all of the state’s 54 delegates, the second highest haul of the campaign so far. Trump’s campaign on Wednesday released a list of Missouri endorsements from more than 50 statewide and state legislative officials, many of whom had already publicly backed him. All six statewide officeholders, including Gov. Parson, were listed.
If you’re going to participate at a caucus site, you’ll need to be in line at the location by 10 a.m. Saturday. Party officials hope to announce the results by 7 p.m.