Open US House seats draw large field of Missouri Republicans

Jul 30, 2022, 8:13 AM | Updated: 8:15 am

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Dozens of aspiring Missouri Republican candidates are jumping at the chance to run in November for two rarely open U.S. congressional seats.

U.S. Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long are running for the Senate in Tuesday’s GOP primary, leaving Hartzler’s central 4th Congressional District and Long’s southwestern 7th Congressional District seats open.

The Republican primary for Hartzler’s seat includes state Sen. Rick Brattin, cattle rancher Kalena Bruce, former Kansas City-area news anchor Mark Alford, former Boone County Clerk Taylor Burks and former St. Louis Blues player Jim Campbell. Burks and Campbell were the top two fundraisers as of mid-July, although Campbell is primarily self-funded and has not been spending money.

Republicans seeking Long’s seat include state Sens. Eric Burlison and Mike Moon and former state Sen. Jay Wasson, along with pastor Alex Bryant and Dr. Sam Alexander. Wasson is leading in fundraising.

All but two sitting Missouri representatives won their seats when the positions became open, which is rare in Missouri.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver has served the Kansas City area since 2005, and GOP Rep. Sam Graves has represented northern Missouri since 2001. Both Cleaver and Graves won after incumbents opted not to run for reelection.

One reason is that there are no federal term limits. Incumbents also typically have name recognition, a financial advantage and the ability to claim credit for local programs and government funding, Central Missouri University political scientist Robynn Kuhlmann said.

“This is why we tend to see a surge of candidates during open seat elections,” she said. “Generally speaking, open seat elections are the chance to enter into the arena with a much more even playing field.”

An overloaded GOP pipeline of aspiring candidates is compounding competitiveness in Missouri’s Republican primaries, longtime state Republican political consultant John Hancock said.

Republicans hold a nearly two-thirds majority in the state House and Senate, a traditional launching pad for political careers. They’re barred from running for reelection after eight years of service, leaving candidates grasping for other political opportunities.

“The term limit is either imminent or it’s coming, and opportunities are few and far between for political advancement,” Hancock said.

He expects open congressional and statewide seats to continue luring large fields of Republican hopefuls.

In the Republican-controlled 4th and 7th Districts, Democrats face steep odds, Kuhlmann said.

“Because of this, the candidates that emerge successfully out of these two Republican primaries may very well be in for a coronation despite a looming general election,” she said.

The dynamic encourages candidates to stake out increasingly conservative positions to win the primary.

“I am the most conservative lawmaker in Jeff City,” Burlison said during a July 20 debate.

Top issues among the Republican candidates include abortion, immigration, American energy independence and gas prices, inflation, and “the usual midterm fight against the President’s party and its apparatus,” Kuhlmann said.

“These races are all too close to call,” Hancock said. “It could be a very late night Tuesday.”

____

Associated Press writer David A. Lieb contributed to this report from Jefferson City.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

(Facebook Photo/Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County)...
Associated Press

Arizona judge has cases reassigned following DUI arrest

The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that all cases currently assigned to a Yavapai County Superior Court judge recently arrested on suspicion of extreme DUI will be reassigned to other judges.
3 days ago
Haitian migrant Gerson Solay, 28, carries his daughter, Bianca, as he and his family cross into Can...
Associated Press

US, Canada to end loophole that allows asylum-seekers to move between countries

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement.
6 days ago
Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and...
Associated Press

Indigenous skateboard art featured on new stamps unveiled at Phoenix skate park

The Postal Service unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps at a Phoenix skate park, featuring designs from Indigenous artists.
6 days ago
(Facebook Photo/City of San Luis, Arizona)...
Associated Press

San Luis authorities receive complaints about 911 calls going across border

Authorities in San Luis say they are receiving more complaints about 911 calls mistakenly going across the border.
12 days ago
(Pexels Photo)...
Associated Press

Daylight saving time begins in most of US this weekend

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
20 days ago
Mexican army soldiers prepare a search mission for four U.S. citizens kidnapped by gunmen in Matamo...
Associated Press

How the 4 abducted Americans in Mexico were located

The anonymous tip that led Mexican authorities to a remote shack where four abducted Americans were held described armed men and blindfolds.
20 days ago

Sponsored Articles

(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...

Here’s what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.
...
Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Company looking for oldest air conditioner and wants to reward homeowner with new one

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.
(Desert Institute for Spine Care photo)...
DESERT INSTITUTE FOR SPINE CARE

Why DISC is world renowned for back and neck pain treatments

Fifty percent of Americans and 90% of people at least 50 years old have some level of degenerative disc disease.
Open US House seats draw large field of Missouri Republicans