Press "Enter" to skip to content

Winners and losers from the 2014 General Election

Winners

John Diehl & Todd Richardson – 117 members is an amazing accomplishment. They have historic majorities to work with and it will be interesting to see how they attempt to manage that many members, but they can now pass most anything they choose to. A Republican majority was a huge change, a supermajority brought another 3 months to the legislative process, and this ubersupermajority will certainly bring even more changes to the legislative process.

Senator-elect Jill Schupp – She ran an exceptional campaign that in a tough year for Democrats statewide and nationally stayed focused and won a tough race in an amazingly bizarre political environment in St. Louis County. Most believe she will be a senator that is willing to filibuster, and that will make a big difference in a small caucus.

Jefferson County Republicans – Senator-elect Paul Wieland led a ticket that won all but one house seat in a countywide sweep of Jefferson County. Wieland used the stunning unpopularity of President Obama to lead the ticket to victory and finish a movement that many feel they can trace back to Ed Martin’s congressional campaign in 2010.

St. Louis County Executive-elect Steve Stenger – Missouri has a new political star in the young County Executive of the largest county in the state. He has a beautiful young family and has been tested in the toughest most bizarre campaign anyone can remember. There will be many headaches to this job, but if he can navigate the troubled waters of Ferguson and right the county, he is a politician to watch.

State Auditor Tom Schweich – How does a statewide official go unopposed? He was always going to be re-elected even against a Democratic opponent, but it’s a remarkable accomplishment to win all 114 counties and the City of St. Louis. His victory speech didn’t disappoint either, the Republican primary for governor will be a war Schweich vs. Sinquefield.

Republicans in SD1 – With Senator Sifton expected to soon announce a run for Attorney General, and a top potential candidate Rep. Vicki Englund losing her re-election bid, SD1 rises to the top of the list of GOP 2016 senate targets.

Attorney General Chris Koster – He spent a lot of money and frankly didn’t get a great deal to show for it, but one thing he did get was the trust and support of rank and file Democrats. Also, last night was a stark reminder that Missouri Democrats don’t have any margin for error. They have a top tier candidate to hold the Governor’s mansion who starts the race favored to win, and would likely do themselves a favor not to inhibit him, but to support him.

HRCC – What more can you say except: scoreboard. Scott Dieckhaus, Jon Ratliff and their team has a dominant infrastructure. They are now inside the City of Kansas City and knocking on the door of St. Louis City. The scoreboard says it all.

The Kelley Group – They may have won the two biggest races in this cycle, the primary and the general for St. Louis County Executive. They have made sure that every Democrat in statewide office has to meet three people: Bob McCulloch, Steve Stenger, and Mike Kelley. Most top firms typically have a race that launches them into a whole other level and this race was that for The Kelley Group.

Senator Eric Schmitt – Things are good for Senator Schmitt, after a huge fundraising quarter the only candidate who was rumored to take him on was Rep. John Wright and he lost re-election to a house seat in Boone County, leaving – as of today – no top contender even mentioning running for state treasurer.

Barklage & Knodell – They had a good night being behind the Wieland campaign and many of the house races in Jefferson County and the bootheel. However, their best work may have come in a defeat coming within a few hundred votes of electing a Republican as St. Louis County Executive. They took a race that really never should have been close and capitalized on every opportunity and nearly made history.

Victory Enterprises – Victory also had a great cycle winning the Onder campaign big, being behind the Schatz lack of a campaign, and winning the Right to Farm campaign. However, they may have done their best work in a losing effort as well in the Ashcroft campaign. They did everything possible to win and in defeat may have launched the career of Jay Ashcroft. Keep in mind his father lost his first race (a congressional run), too.

Targeted tax cuts for housing developments – Supporters had a big night, it’s unlikely that big freshman Republican class was elected to raise taxes on development, and Senator-elect Schupp looks likely to be a forceful advocate of development in the Senate. Last night also saw the end anti-development Rep. John Wright’s career and the end of the Senate careers of a couple Post editorial page darlings who fought them.

Reps. Ben Harris and Linda Black – It won’t take renting a hall to have a meeting of the rural democratic caucus Ben and Linda can just have a seat on a park bench they are the only ones left. Maybe they will have a bit larger role going forward in teaching other democrats how to survive in the Obama era.

 

Losers

House Democrats – Just scoreboard. Losing 7 seats to an existing supermajority leaves them reeling and they have to go back to the drawing board. Its getting unhealthy for the state.

St. Louis County Republicans – This is a great year for Republicans in Missouri and nationally, and yet they lose a state senate seat, and in a year where Republicans pick up 7 seats statewide, they only hold even. There was a lot of effort and work done, but you have to start to wonder if this is just a blue county with an expensive media market, and outside of south and extreme west county that effort may be better spent in other places.

Jefferson County Democrats – They have taken a beating ever since Congressman Gephardt left office. After he left, the county was orphaned between three congressional district and the national trend for counties like Jefferson have taken hold. Their last stand may be attempting to make a strong showing for statewide candidates in 2016. Still scoreboard.

Rep. John Wright – One of the Democratic party’s rising stars, he was widely mentioned as the party’s best hope to challenge Senator Schmitt for State Treasurer lost a house seat in the republican wave. His career doesn’t have to be over, but he will have to re-establish himself as a vote getter in a lower office before launching statewide.

Anything attached to President Obama – No one has cost more Democrats in the General Assembly their careers outside of David Barklage than Barack Obama. If Missouri voters see you as more sympathetic to a failed president than your opponent, you lose – three cycles in a row now. Whether Missouri Democrats can shake the unpopularity of the president in 2016 may be the real question to if they can stage a comeback.

Extremist Republicans – 117 Republicans might seem like a great thing for the fringe Republicans, but not so fast. Now Speaker Diehl can override any veto without the votes of some of his more cranky extremist members. Previously the Speaker could get held up on major issues with reps who wanted to impeach the Governor or other nonsense. This session, he doesn’t have to strike deals with radicals to override the Governor. In fact, he even has enough room to allow some swing district Republicans to vote against some bills to help their re-election efforts.