This week’s Politically Speaking zeroes in on how President Donald Trump will affect Missouri’s election cycle — particularly U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s re-election bid against Attorney General Josh Hawley.
On the surface, Trump should benefit Hawley — especially because the GOP chief executive won Missouri by nearly 19 percentage points in 2016. Missouri’s public opinion polls show his approval ratings hovering around 50 percent. But Trump has faced a torrent of controversy this week with the Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen court proceedings.
Hawley has consistently praised Trump’s administration on the campaign trail — and received Trump and Vice President Mike Pence’s endorsement. McCaskill hasn’t been as critical as some of her Democratic colleagues, but noted on an episode of Politically Speaking that Trump’s presence in Missouri could unify Democratic voters around her candidacy.
This week’s episode also focuses on some of proposed charter amendments that St. Louis County resident could vote on in November. They include:
- Campaign contribution limits for county-level offices.
- Requirements to post financial information online.
- More power to the St. Louis County Council to make decision on county finances.
St. Louis County residents will also decide on a 1/8th of one cent sales tax for the St. Louis Zoo. Some of the estimated $20 million proceeds could go toward an animal breeding facility and potential adventure park in north St. Louis County.
Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Follow Jo Mannies on Twitter: @jmannies
Music: “Concealer” by Thursday
