HANNIBAL, Mo – Democratic candidates and supporters alike gathered this morning following the first night of Democrat Days at the Hannibal Inn in Hannibal, Missouri.
The keynote and final speaker was Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster who made light of the set up of the Hannibal Inn and the conference to open his address, more specifically the location of the pool.
“I’m reminded once a year how much I miss the smell of chlorine,” Koster said.
Koster’s speech then shifted to Demo Days itself, saying that this was his first major party function after switching from the Republican Party in 2007.
“For me, returning to Hannibal Days takes me back to that decision and the reason that I made it” Koster continued. “I came to Hannibal seven years ago because I believed, as you do, in something more – that government is more than survival of the fittest.”
Koster’s main talking points focused on healthcare and education. “The Affordable Care Act was a Republican idea for God’s sake. They’re just pissed we stole it,” Koster said.
Expanding Medicaid is something Koster also made note of during his speech. “The funding for Medicaid expansion would bring 24,000 new jobs to Missouri,” Koster stated.
Democrats Rep. Ed Schieffer, D- Troy, and Dr. Bill Hedge, who is currently running for the Missouri’s 6th District of the United States House of Representatives, addressed the crowd prior to Koster.
Rep. Schieffer opened by holding a moment of silence to remember Democrats who had passed away in the previous year. Schieffer then went on to rally support from his fellow Democrats asking the audience to exclaim their support out loud.
Schieffer switched to the roots of the Democratic Party and explained how over time the Republican Party had taken away several fundamental belief’s of the Democratic Party.
“Let’s not let them take away God, country, and family,” Schieffer said.
Dr. Hedge’s speech also addressed other important Democratic issues, but he went on to to say that he is a candidate for the middle class.
“I definitely want you to know that I am a proud Democrat and I stand for something. I stand for the middle class – when they win we all do,” Hedge said.
