The Missouri Farm Bureau’s (MOFB) political action committee endorsed three statewide incumbents Wednesday — rounding out the slate of Republican statewides running for re-election this year.
The group threw its weight behind Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, and Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick as they campaign for re-election with less than a month to go until Nov. 3. MOFB already endorsed Gov. Mike Parson and Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe in their respective races.
Auditor Nicole Galloway is the lone statewide official who did not get a MOFB nod. However, she is challenging Parson for governor, not running for re-election to her position.
Schmitt faces Rich Finneran, Ashcroft is up against Yinka Faleti, and Fitzpatrick is running against Vicki Englund.
“Eric Schmitt is a fighter for Missouri. As attorney general, he has taken on businesses trying to defraud and harm Missourians, as well as liberal states that try to impose their values on us. We need him in our corner for the next four years,” Trent Drake, chairman of the MOFB PAC, said.
“Jay Ashcroft has done a tremendous job as secretary of state. He has protected ballot integrity, run fair elections, and made it easier to do business in our state. We need more competent leadership like Jay Ashcroft in government,” said Dennis Feezor, vice chairman of the MOFB PAC.
“During his time as state treasurer, Scott Fitzpatrick has shown he is careful and trustworthy in managing state funds. During tough times in the state budget, we need a treasurer who uses wise judgment and makes stable investments. Scott Fitzpatrick is the right person for the job,” Kyle Durham, secretary of the MOFB PAC, said.
It’s up to the MOFB trustees — each county appoints a PAC trustee — to make the endorsements. The statewide board is split into seven regional endorsement committees, aligned with congressional districts, and are tasked with interviewing candidates and making the endorsing decisions.
Trustees review a candidate’s voting record (if applicable), interviews, and understanding of agriculture and rural issues. Non-incumbents generally complete a questionnaire about where they stand on certain issues important to MOFB members to be considered, as well. After reviewing all the material, the trustees then vote on the candidates to back.
For more on who the MOFB has backed in this election cycle, click here.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
