GOP candidates gather at Neosho watermelon feed to stump for votes

Aug. 2—NEOSHO, Mo. — With just a year to go before the primary election in August 2024, candidates for statewide office in Missouri are already stumping for votes.

Republican candidates for four of the five state-level offices that will be open in the November 2024 election gathered Tuesday night in Big Spring Park for the annual Newton County Republicans Free Watermelon Feed.

Nick Myers, chairman of the Newton County Republican Central Committee and the Missouri State Central Committee of the Republican Party, said the event provided an early chance for candidates to connect with voters and address issues.

Myers said the 2024 election is unusual.

"It's the first time since the 1860s we Republicans hold every statewide elected office; there are no Democrats whatsoever," Myers said. "It's also the first time I can remember, for the executive offices, that there are no elected incumbents. The governor is not running, so the secretary of state and lieutenant governor are running for governor, which opens their offices. The treasurer and the attorney general are appointed, so there are no elected incumbents on the ticket."

Lynn Morehead, of Seneca, was one of the more than 100 people who turned out despite the heat.

"I'm here mainly to listen to the candidates and get a better idea who I'm going to vote for," Morehead said. "It's big just to get their ideas and what they're going to do if they get elected and everything."

Candidates, issues

Nine announced candidates for statewide office took the stage Tuesday. Candidates included:

—For governor: current Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, Weldon Springs state Sen. Bill Eigel and McDonald County native Chris Wright.

Ashcroft talked about electing people who do what they say they're going to do when running for office. He touted his work on election integrity as secretary of state and said he will seek criminal justice and education reform if elected governor.

Eigel said Missouri needs a "wartime governor" to battle the status quo and what he called the "grift that's built into our state budget."

Wright said he believes emergency first responders and teachers are all "grossly underpaid" and that he wants to address human trafficking and utility rates.

—For secretary of state: Warrensburg state Sen. Denny Hoskins and Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller.

Hoskins touted his work in the Senate on tax cuts and the voter ID bill passed in 2022. He said he would create an election integrity task force to respond to any challenges to fair elections before or after an election.

Schoeller said a lack of bipartisanship among local election judges in some parts of the state threatens transparency in elections and touted his work to allow people from one county to work in the elections of another county.

—For treasurer: St. Louis state Sen. Andrew Koenig, Carthage state Rep. Cody Smith, and Vivek Malek, who was appointed treasurer in January by Gov. Mike Parson.

Koenig talked about limiting the size of state government by limiting the amount of money that goes to Jefferson City.

Smith touted his experience for the past five years as chairman of the House Budget Committee, the body that writes the state budget each year, and said he was "100% pro-life and 100% pro-gun."

Malek said he's been helping farmers and business owners fight inflation by promoting the use of MoBucks, a state low-interest loan program. He also encouraged people to go to the state treasurer's website to search for unclaimed money and property being held by his office.

—For attorney general: former federal prosecutor Will Scharf.

Scharf touted his work as a federal criminal prosecutor and talked about the "much bigger fight," against "encroaching radical leftism."

Current Attorney General Andrew Bailey did not attend, although he has announced plans to run for the seat.

Missouri state Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, who is from Shell Knob, gave a short keynote address prior to the candidates having their say.

The Trump trainA few of the speakers at the event brought up the latest indictment of former President Donald Trump.

Scharf called Tuesday a "terribly sad day for American democracy. ... In a federal courtroom today in Washington, D.C., this dishonest, corrupt special counsel Jack Smith indicted President Trump over made-up charges relating to Jan. 6. This should offend all of us because President Trump isn't being indicted for anything he did, President Trump is being indicted for what he stood for as president and what he stands for today as a conservative candidate for president of the United States of America."

Eigel also said he stands with Donald Trump.