JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Former Rep. Ron Hicks, R-St. Peters, will support Democrat Chris Koster for governor, he said on Sunday’s episode of This Week in Missouri Politics.
While he’d be crossing party lines to support Koster, Hicks said in a follow-up interview it’s easier for him to support someone he knows.
“I’m just voting with the person I know,” he said. “Missouri knows Chris Koster. Missouri doesn’t know [Greitens].”
Hicks said he’s worked with Koster and that makes it easier to support him, while he doesn’t know how Greitens would work as governor.
“I’ve worked with Koster, even before I was in politics. I didn’t know who Eric Greitens is,” he said. “I’ve seen Chris Koster work. Do we agree on everything? No. I can guarantee Greitens and I would agree on everything either.”
Koster, he said, treated him and his wife with respect.
“He’s been good to us. He’s been good to me as a rep, as a person, he treated my wife with respect,” Hicks said. “My wife was shocked. It’s not very often they want to talk to both of us – no one ever wants to talk to both her and me.”
While many have called Koster a right-leaning Democrat, Hicks said he’s more in the middle of the road.
“I think he’s been fair to Missouri…I think he’s right for Missouri,” he said. “A lot of Republicans are feeling the same way.”
More importantly, Hicks thinks voters will see Koster as the best choice for the state.
“Missourians are smart,” he said. “You have to remember one thing when it comes to voting. Missouri knows what they’re doing. They’re educated. They know what they’re doing and they’re going to make the right choice.”
Koster’s campaign welcomed Hicks’ support as another sign of the broad base he’s built for his campaign.
