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Statewide candidates strut their stuff for party support

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Lincoln Days events gave candidates for statewide offices a chance to feel the pulse of everyday Republicans on the issues that matter to them and the ability to hype their particular accomplishments.

State Auditor Tom Schweich speaking Friday at the MRP ballroom during Lincoln Days in Springfield.
State Auditor Tom Schweich speaking Friday at the MRP Dinner during Lincoln Days in Springfield.

“These are the preeminent grass roots organizations in our party,” Catherine Hanaway said. “They’re experienced enough to tell you directly how they feel about things.”

For 2016 Gubernatorial candidate Hanaway, she turned a perceived weakness into a strength. Hanaway served as the first female Speaker of the House in Missouri, but has not been in politics for 10 years.

“I’ve been doing what the rest of the state has been doing for the last 10 years,” she said. “I see it as most Missourian sees it – how much regular people have to fight the government.”

Hanaway also pointed out that she did not sit still during that time. She developed national connections as a U.S. Attorney and the Republican National Committee. She also became the highest paid attorney in Missouri working for The Ashcroft Group.

“Of my former colleagues as U.S. Attorneys, eight are in Congress now,” Hanaway said.

For Hanaway’s perceived zeal of announcing so soon, she stressed that she is 100 percent committed to running for governor and that she has the jump on raising money for a costly race.

“If you’re going to be Governor of Missouri, you’ve got to burn national (type) money,” she said.

Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, had a similar approach to the Attorney General race, also in 2016. Like Hanaway, Schaefer announced his intention to run early.

Recently, Schaefer is working to distance himself from any perception of being a moderate, coming he comes from one of the most liberal parts of the state.  He has sponsored SB 895, which would allow the Department of Corrections to determine the method of execution, not necessarily by lethal gas or injection. Schaefer has publicly advocated for the use of the gas chamber.

“I was a former death penalty prosecutor; I personally sent people to death row,” he said. “It is not just a deterrent; it is a penalty. It’s justice.”

Schaefer has also been front and center in education debates, particularly for higher education. His bill, SB 887, requires colleges and universities to report it’s administrative costs as a percent of its operational budget. Schaefer’s goal is to cut the bureaucratic fat and put more money into the classroom.

Current Speaker of the House Tim Jones, R-Eureka, has all-but-confirmed that he will challenge Schaefer for the AG slot.

Jones highlighted his accomplishments that spoke to conservative values. He was the chief sponsor the Missouri Health Care Freedom Act, which he described as the first shield against Obamacare. U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt used the majority of his speech Friday at the MRP Dinner to rail against Obamacare.

Jones also pointed to restricting private source information from being used as a de facto gun registry. Although he hails from a suburban St. Louis district, Jones spends time on the family farm in Southwest Missouri.

“I have a good understanding of all of Missouri,” Jones said.

The sole statewide office up for election in 2014 is Auditor. Current Auditor Tom Schweich was the only candidate to speak at the MRP dinner. It was a speech declaring Schweich’s competency for the position. He ran through his record: catching attendance inflation in city schools, auditing welfare, establishing a grading system for public officials, and investigating 25 public officials for corruption with eight already convicted.

“If you steal tax payer money, we’re going to catch you and you’re going to jail,” he said.

Although each of these individuals will campaign separately, the theme of the night Friday was unity within the party. Schaefer may have put it best when he talked about the Attorney General Race in 2016.

“I see it going Republican,” he said.