U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill says she's "relieved" to not have to face wealthy businessman John Brunner in her fight to keep her Senate seat. But she's still expecting to be outspent in the race against Todd Akin.
As of July 18, McCaskill had significantly more money in the bank than Akin, who had to survive a three-way primary. But outside groups poured $15 million into the race even before McCaskill knew who she'd face in the general election.
"I worry about the independent ads, but I also trust Missourians to know that if these are ugly, bloated, distorted pictures coming from anonymous, out-of-state sources, they're probably not something you should pay a lot of attention to," she said during a campaign appearance Thursday at a small window shade manufacturer in midtown St. Louis.
McCaskill says she'll have the resources to advertise over the next 80 or so days. But she admits that a bigger presence from the Obama campaign would help her conserve her dollars.
"All of those offices that we're opening, typically that would be the presidential campaigns that would be opening those offices instead of us," she said. "So that makes it stressful because of the pressure we feel on fundraising."
McCaskill says she'd happily campaign with her fellow Democrat, but she's not expecting either side to make many campaign stops in the Show-Me State. Regardless, she said, Missouri residents will hear about the presidential race.
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