Democratic visitors confront redder Missouri

Oct. 30—The most prominent Democrat running for statewide office visited St. Joseph on Monday evening, anchoring a message meant to rally blue voters who may have come to accept Republican dominance.

State Rep. Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, who serves as leader for her party in the Missouri House of Representatives, won her legislative seat in November 2016, the same year former President Donald Trump handily won the state. Once considered competitive ground for both parties, Missouri went to Trump by 20 points that year, over former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"As minority leader, I've actually been to St. Joe a few times, so it's really exciting to be back," Quade said. "I'm really excited, as a governor candidate, to hear, from a statewide perspective, what folks want us to be working on."

Quade has served as the top state House Democrat for much of her time in office. She is now likely to be the Democratic nominee for governor in the November 2024 election, in which incumbent Gov. Mike Parson will not run, as he is term-limited. The actual primary election for gubernatorial candidates will not occur until August 2024. The most prominent conservative running to replace Parson is Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, R-Jefferson City.

The top issue will likely be focused on the aftermath of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, in which the U.S. Supreme Court permitted states like Missouri to impose near-total bans on abortion. Democrats hope a ballot issue on abortion will help their turnout in 2024.

"What we have seen in our state is attacks time and time again at each individual person's freedom," Quade said. "Whether that's in the doctor's office, whether the schools that you pick and send your kids to can teach what teachers are supposed to be teaching. We've seen government overreach time and time again."

In 2016, a red tide delivered the GOP most statewide elected offices. An exception was Missouri auditor, an office which is not elected in presidential years. Then-Auditor Nicole Galloway challenged Parson for reelection in 2020, and lost by 17 points, winning only three counties. Buchanan County has not voted for a Democratic gubernatorial contender since 2012, when then-Gov. Jay Nixon won reelection.

The 2016 setback initiated a series of defeats, despite strong campaigns from Democrats running for governor and U.S. Senate, who lost their races by margins much smaller than Clinton's defeat. Quade, and organizers like Jess Piper, have responded to such trends by arguing that Democratic voters have become ignored and insufficiently activated by national political figures.

The chief problem identified by them is situations where there is no Democrat to vote for. Piper ran a bid for the Missouri House in Northwest Missouri's rural Iowa-Nebraska border counties. She lost by about 50 points, but since that time, has become a prominent rural Missouri organizer. Piper introduced Quade at Monday's event, held at the Pony Express Museum.

"We have to actually compete. So, last year, we had 40% of (legislative) seats that went uncontested. Two point five million Missourians had no one to vote for. No Democrat to vote for. So we have to run, we have to compete everywhere, and we have to say that there are progressive people in every single district and they deserve representation as well."

Andrea Denning of Platte City is among those hoping to re-ignite Democratic campaign efforts. Her would-be district, No. 13, is today represented by Sean Pouche, R-Kansas City. It covers eastern Buchanan County, and much of the Kansas City Northland. Rather than rally around one particular issue, Denning said, a competitive candidate must relate to many interest groups.

"I have such a large district; there is a variety of issues in each area," she said. "It may be health care for most people, affordable and accessible health care. So a lot of those things are just vital to everyone."

Andrew Gibson, a Democrat intending to seek election in District No. 10, which covers most of St. Joseph, also attended the event. No. 10 is currently held by Republican Rep. Bill Falkner, the former mayor.

Marcus Clem can be reached at marcus.clem@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowClem