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Campaigns turning focus to get out the vote efforts in final weekend

St. Louis, MO – With no statewide races on the ballot the highest profile races have come down to two state senate races in St. Louis and Jefferson Counties, and in this last weekend all four campaigns are focused on their get out their vote efforts.

Ashcroft knocking on doors
Ashcroft knocking on doors

“The phrase, ‘it’ll all depend on turnout’ is heard at least once in every campaign,” said Brad Green, Executive Director of the Missouri Campaign, a Republican fundraising organization. “It’s cliché, but it’s true. And with no competitive statewide races at the top of the ticket to drive turnout, GOTV becomes even more imperative for candidates on every level. Close races are won b the candidate who’s best able to motivate their voters to get to the polls and [get out the vote] provide candidates that opportunity”

With the final media buys decided and major decisions made in the last weekend, campaigns have a final, singular focus on their ‘get out the vote’ (GOTV) plan in the final days.

“We knew from the beginning that each race will be won or lost by our ‘get out the vote’ efforts. Our candidates are ready for Tuesday,” said Courtney Cole Executive Director of the Missouri Democratic Party Senate Project.

In the 24th senatorial district in western and central St. Louis County, Rep. Jill Schupp (D-St. Louis County) and Jay Ashcroft are vying to replace retiring Republican Senator John Lamping, a particularly negative ton has taken over, as the Schupp  campaign attacking Ashcroft’s stance on women’s rights and the Ashcroft campaign releasing a blistering attack on Schupp’s voting record on sex offenders.

Schupp with voters
Schupp with voters

Schupp’s campaign began Saturday morning with teams of 75 heading out to help identify new supporters and remind Democratic voters to get to the polls on Tuesday. Before the election, Schupp’s campaign expect to mobilize 500 volunteers to contact over 10,000 voters.

“We have several hundred energized, excited volunteers that will contact tens of thousands of voters between now and Election Day”, Mike Pridmore, Schupp campaign manager, said.

“Few would dispute that a non-presidential year without a contested statewide race in Missouri would come down to voter turnout,” Joe Lakin an Ashcroft spokesperson, said. “The Ashcroft campaign has continued doing this weekend what it has been doing for months…executing an organized and aggressive voter outreach and turnout program. Jay, our staff and our volunteers have been working around the clock to ensure our supporters are mobilized before polls open on Tuesday. In our contact with thousands of voters today, alone, we believe Ashcroft supporters are motivated and excited to vote for Jay on Tuesday.”

In Jefferson County, Rep. Jeff Roorda is squaring off with Rep. Paul Wieland in a race to replace former Senator Ryan McKenna who resigned to become the director of the Department of Labor. This race has been a marquee matchup from the first day of filing with both campaigns pulling no punches.

The race received a bit of national notoriety when Roorda — a former police officer who works with the police union — was part of fundraising efforts for the legal defense of Officer Darren Wilson. Roorda never shied away from his work earning him the scorn of national and St. Louis media outlets and a bump in the polls in his senate race. However, Roorda has been suffering from President Obama’s overwhelming unpopularity in the 22nd district.

Roorda with voters
Roorda with voters

Roorda’s campaign has been aided in the closing days by a $70,000 donation from a Rex Sinquefield-affiliated group, the majority of which is being spent on Roorda’s race.

“We are making contact with over 15,000 Roorda voters in the last 72 hours before Election Day,” Roorda’s campaign manager, Ryan Burke, told the Missouri Times.“This robust GOTV effort will help us get to our win number.”

While the Roorda campaign has run a seemingly higher profile, the Wieland campaign has run a more conservative effort that seems to have executed their campaign plan with very few mistakes, and the efficient and virtually flub-free campaign could prove a break out race for up-and-coming GOP operative, Jarett Jensen, who is running the campaign.

“The Wieland senate team is on target to meet and also exceed our voter contact goals for this weekend through door-to-door and telephone contacts,” Jensen said. “Our volunteers are fired up.  And Jefferson County voters are energized in the belief that our election is their best opportunity to send a message to President Obama and the liberal Democrats by rejecting their candidate of choice, Jeff Roorda.”

Wieland door knocking
Wieland door knocking

Two potentially close races in House districts 14 and 17 in western Missouri seem to be trending Republican, while the Independence-based 20th district still has Rep. John Mayfield (R-Jackson County) in a tough re-election fight that is still too close to call. In Boone County Reps. John Wright (D-Boone County) and Caleb Rowden (R-Boone County) are trending towards re-election.

Republicans are also poised to pick up a house seat in the bootheel where republican Don Rone is poised to replace retiring Rep. Steve Hodges (D-New Madrid). Some felt that the Democrats could replace republican Rep. Kent Hampton (R-Dunklin County) until attacks on Democratic candidate Walter Deering’s invitation to Barack Obama to visit Kennett began. Another Republican pick up is likely to be Randy Pietzman, who ran a solid campaign to replace Rep. Ed Schieffer (D-Lincoln County), currently fighting to win in the senate.

In the St. Louis area, Deb Lavender is trending toward victory in what would be a Democratic pick up, while Rep. Vicki Englund is in a toss up re-election fight that could be an absolute nail-biter. One positive note for Democrats is the apparent tightening of the 105th district, where Rep. Mark Parkinson (R-St. Charles County) is likely to fight off a Democratic challenger but by a smaller margin than many felt he would have.

In the pivotal Jefferson County the seats held by Roorda and Wieland will likely both be represented by Republicans after Tuesday, and Democratic Reps. McKenna, Frame, and Harris are all locked in very close re-election fights.