With 11 days left until the Nov. 5 election, Missouri’s gubernatorial candidates are in the final stretch of reaching out and trying to connect with voters.
During a recent event in Hillsboro, Democrats gathered to listen to a slate of local and statewide candidates that included state Rep. Crystal Quade, the Democratic nominee for governor.
“I have never been more excited about an election in this state since I've been doing this work,” Quade told the crowd. “And it's not just because I'm running to be the next governor and I'm happy to get to vote for myself in that role. I am so excited because of what I am seeing across the state of Missouri,” Quade said.
Quade, who was first elected to the House in 2016, has served in that chamber the past eight years. Six of those years she served as minority floor leader.
She announced her candidacy for governor in 2023. In August of this year, she won her primary with 50% of the vote.
Jewel Kelly, who ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, said Democrats couldn’t have picked a better candidate for governor.
“I feel that she's very compassionate, very approachable. She knows her stuff. She's been, you know, the floor leader for six years, and you know, she leads by example,” Kelly said.
Two days later in St. Clair, people gathered to meet the Republican candidate for governor – Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe.
“We're listening to Missourians. We're understanding what they need, we're understanding what they don't need, and we're making sure that we're in tune with that message as we move forward,” Kehoe said to supporters.
Kehoe was appointed lieutenant governor by Gov. Mike Parson in 2018. He was elected to the position in 2020.
In August, he won a contentious gubernatorial primary with 39% of the vote.
Washington resident Diane Jones plans to vote for Kehoe. She said she supported him during the primary as well.
“He comes from a business background, and I love his backstory. I mean, he's a true guy that faced a lot of adversity, and people saw something in him, and that's why he is where he is,” Jones said.
Like other statewide races in Missouri, the governor’s office is likely to remain Republican this election.
Missourians have not elected a Democrat statewide since voting in 2018 to reelect Auditor Nicole Galloway for a second term. And the state has not elected a Democratic governor since 2012.
A SLU/YouGov poll of likely Missouri voters published in August has Kehoe ahead of Quade with 51% of the vote. Quade had 41%, while 6% were undecided.
Steven Rogers, director of the SLU/YouGov poll, said this was the closest race in the poll.
“Kehoe is leading across say, both men and women, independent voters and many key demographics,” Rogers said. "And so Crystal Quade is going to have a large uphill battle in order to win the statewide race,” Rogers said.
Policy priorities differences
Quade knows that Democrats are underdogs to win a statewide race. But she also said she has a history of connecting with voters on issues they care about, regardless of party.
“I proudly say I had my yard signs right next to Donald Trump yard signs when I first ran in 2016, not because I agree with the former president on all of these issues, but there are places where we [Republicans and Democrats] can agree with each other,” Quade said.
In an interview on The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, Quade said serving in the superminority in the House the past eight years means she knows how to work with Republicans.
“I've had several pieces of my legislation passed, they just didn't happen to have my name on it, because I have built relationships with folks on the other side,” Quade said.
Some of those issues Quade is passionate about include access to child care and the quality of education.
“The folks in the state of Missouri know where we have been failing on so many things, whether it's education funding, we can't find enough teachers,” Quade said.
Quade said child care is something she has cared deeply about throughout her political career.
“It's been wildly frustrating in Jefferson City, the lack of getting anything done in the child care space,” Quade said.
Quade has also said if elected governor, she would advocate for higher pay for workers in Missouri’s Children’s Division.
Last September, reporting by St. Louis Public Radio revealed thousands of child abuse and neglect cases were still open due to staffing shortages within the Children’s Division.
Quade said her background as a social worker has made protecting Missouri’s children a priority for her.
“It's no secret we've had so many reports showing not only are we losing children in the foster care system, we've had children unfortunately pass away due to lack of investigators being able to follow up and actually do the jobs that they deeply want to do, because we're so understaffed,” Quade said.
Another issue that could be on the radar for the next governor is the fate of the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.
Jackson County voters in April rejected a sales tax measure that would have helped fund a new baseball stadium for the Royals and improved Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs play.
In June, the Kansas Legislature passed an incentive bill designed to lure one or both teams across the state border.
Quade has said that she wasn’t totally sold on the idea of state incentives to keep both teams. But she’s open to discussions.
“I'm not saying that I would vote yes, for that, or no, it would depend on what the parameters are,” Quade said.
One tax that Quade is not in favor of is local and state taxes on groceries. She has sponsored legislation in the past that would have eliminated them.
Quade said her bill also allowed the legislature to create a fund to help cities dependent on that money.
On what the state can do to address crime, Quade said it requires investment in law enforcement funding and training, as well as mental health care and addiction.
She also wants to investigate more ways local municipalities can govern their own communities when it comes to guns.
Kehoe said even though polls indicate a victory he’s not taking anything for granted leading up to Election day.
“I'm going to continue to work hard, and Missourians will decide on Nov. 5,” Kehoe said.
Kehoe says his No. 1 issue if elected would be addressing crime in the state. He said he intends to introduce that plan on Day One.
“We want businesses to feel safe, and we need to make sure we're backing the blue. We've got to give the resources to men and ladies across our communities, let them know that our community is with them and the state is with them,” Kehoe said.
Kehoe is in favor of is taking away local control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The department has been under local control since 2013 after Missouri voters approved a measure in 2012.
Bills that would make that change have failed in the legislature the past few sessions.
“I'm a proponent for state control because I think that the state should have a say in what that police board makeup looks like,” Kehoe said on The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air. “I am a big fan of Chief [Robert] Tracy. He's doing a fantastic job. I want him to stay and work here, and I think this would be a tool even though I know he is outwardly against it, I think this would be a tool that would ultimately help him.”
Another priority for Kehoe is the economy. He told supporters in St. Clair he wants to eliminate the state’s income tax over time.
“If we want to be competitive with other states, we need to make sure we get our tax rate in line with our competition,” Kehoe said.
On state money for the Chiefs and the Royals, Kehoe said he’s open to discussions.
“It's not about giving subsidies to a sports team, in my opinion, it's about let's look at the economic impact that organization is making to our community and to our state. And then what do people together want to do to make sure they stay here,” Kehoe said.
Throughout the primary season, Kehoe pushed back against attacks from his Republican opponents that he wasn’t conservative enough.
One policy that has received Republican criticism that he stands by is the increase in the state’s gas tax.
“We still are one of the lowest gas taxes in the United States, but yet we've secured some funding to make sure Missouri's roads and bridges are safe for our families, and we have the capacity to do what we need to do for economic development,” Kehoe said.
During his victory speech in the August primary, Kehoe spoke of uniting the Republican Party in Missouri.
He said since that speech those efforts have paid off.
“Republicans across the state are coming to our rallies that were with another candidate,” Kehoe said. “And they're telling me that, but they understand that - now we're on to Nov. 5, and I'm happy to carry that conservative flag,” Kehoe said.
Abortion rights amendment could affect race
Amendment 3, if passed, would put the right to have an abortion in the Missouri Constitution.
Anita Manion, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, said Democrats, including Quade’s campaign, are hoping to benefit from Amendment 3 being on the ballot.
“I think that Crystal Quade is really relying on the fact that people tend to respond when they feel that something is being taken away from them, and so a lot of Missourians feel that the abortion ban, which is one of the strictest in the country, is taking something away from them,” Manion said.
Kelly said with the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, he believes momentum is on Democrats’ side.
“Getting the abortion amendment on the ballot is a game changer. It's something that we haven't had in previous election cycles,” Kelly said.
Quade said she has already heard from state lawmakers saying if Amendment 3 passes, they will attempt to undo it through the legislature.
“It's so important that we are electing, you know, a governor and state senators and state representatives who will respect the will of voters and uphold that and not just go back and undo it. And that's the big, big part of our campaign,” Quade said.
However, a yes vote on 3 doesn’t necessarily translate to a vote for Quade or other Democrats.
The August SLU/YouGov had voters approving Amendment 3 with 52%. That’s one percentage point more than Kehoe, who is staunchly against Amendment 3, has in the same poll.
Rogers says their poll found a fair number of Amendment 3 supporters, who are also voting Republican.
“This does not necessarily mean an Amendment 3 voter is necessarily going to be a Crystal Quade voter,” Rogers said.
Kehoe said there could be single-issue voters who come out for this amendment.
“So, it could make it motivate some folks. But again, there'll be a lot of people that are motivated to vote against Amendment 3, and we think those people would also resonate with our message,” Kehoe said.
Jones believes there are going to be Missourians this election who split their ballot when it comes to Amendment 3 and who they want their governor to be.
“Just because someone is voting Republican doesn't mean they're automatically going to vote no on 3, and vice versa, you know? And I think that’s a factor,” Jones said.
Other issues on the Missouri ballot that could influence the governor’s race include increasing the minimum wage and legalizing sports betting.
