SEDALIA, Mo. — The 10-day long annual Missouri State Fair features a beauty pageant, animal shows, rodeos, and more. But for men and women with names on the statewide ballot in 2016, it’s 10 days to kiss babies, press flesh, and tout rural support.
Republican and former Missouri House Speaker Catherine Hanaway joined Missouri Cattlewomen as a celebrity chef just one day after announcing her new farm coalition. Businessman John Brunner was also spotted at the fair. Brunner tweeted a photo of himself with Attorney General Chris Koster, the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor in 2016. Brunner, a Republican, tweeted the photo with a caption that read in part: “Excited for this matchup next Nov!”
Brunner, Hanaway, fellow Republican gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and Koster will all present for the annual “Ham Breakfast” hosted by Gov. Jay Nixon this morning. Secretary of State Jason Kander, a Democrat set to challenge U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, was in attendance. State senator Kurt Schaefer, a Columbia Republican running for Attorney General, was also in attendance today. His only declared opponent, University of Missouri Law Professor Josh Hawley, was not.
The fair, which is more than 100 years old, attracts thousands of visitors every year, many from rural communities with heavy numbers of farmers. Attendance of the event, participation in a particular agriculture-themed activity and a few photos playing games, eating cotton candy or shaking hands has all become a rite-of-passage for Missouri statewide candidates.
Promoting Missouri CattleWomen by being a celebrity chef at their Beef Showcase. pic.twitter.com/qKEoJZFBwb
— Hanaway For Governor (@HanawayForGov) August 20, 2015
Look who we ran into this morning at the Ham Breakfast. Excited for this matchup next Nov! #mogov cc @Koster4Missouri pic.twitter.com/oCDwmWaD24
— John Brunner (@JohnBrunnerMO) August 20, 2015
Collin Reischman was the Managing Editor for The Missouri Times, and a graduate of Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
