KC candidate for MO Senate touted support from Rep. Cleaver. Did he actually endorse?

When Pat Contreras first announced an exploratory campaign for one of the most important Kansas City districts in the Missouri Senate, he touted support from some of the area’s powerful officials.

But, it turns out, he doesn’t have their endorsement. A hurried attempt to round up support led to widespread confusion over who is backing who in the race.

An April press release announcing Contreras’ exploratory committee for District 7 in the Missouri Senate claimed that Contreras had “already earned early support for a potential run” from Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.

“The weekend the vacancy for the 7th Senatorial District was announced, both candidates in the Democratic Primary were contacted and told Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II was not endorsing in the primary,” said Cleaver’s campaign spokesman, Phil Scaglia.

Scaglia said they corrected Contreras the weekend his campaign put out the statement that indicated Cleaver had expressed support for a potential run.

As for Lucas, he “does not plan to issue an endorsement in the State Senate primary,” said Lucas spokesperson Morgan Said.

“(Lucas) has great respect for all candidates in the race and looks forward to helping ensure Kansas City sends a State Senator to Jefferson City in November who protects basic human rights, respects local governance, and promotes Missouri and Kansas City as a place for all families to thrive,” she said.

Said did not respond to a follow up asking whether Lucas felt that Contreras’ initial press release was inaccurate.

A spokesperson for Contreras’ campaign said in an email that many leaders encouraged him to run.

“While some have felt the need to stay out of the fray, Pat looks forward to working with everyone who will roll up their sleeves with him,” said Shawn Hernandez, the spokesperson.

Contreras, the vice president of business development at McCownGordon Construction, is embroiled in a competitive Democratic primary against Rep. Patty Lewis who was first elected to the House in 2020. Endorsements from Cleaver and Lucas could have proved pivotal to the race.

The district is one of the most crucial for Kansas City and includes prominent areas such as Union Station, Westport, the Plaza, Brookside and Waldo.

The now-vacant district was previously held by former Democratic Sen. Greg Razer, who vacated his seat after Gov. Mike Parson appointed him to the State Tax Commission in April. Razer quickly threw his support behind Contreras minutes after being appointed.

The questions surrounding Contreras’ endorsements offer a window into the increasingly tight race between Contreras and Lewis. Some Lewis supporters, in interviews, placed the blame at Razer’s feet, saying he signaled to officials that there wasn’t going to be a primary for the seat.

Rep. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Kansas City Democrat who supports Lewis, said in an interview that she was frustrated with the way in which Razer handled leaving office and endorsing Contreras.

“He was deceptive in terms of talking about this race with other folks, who I think jumped the gun on endorsing Pat Contreras,” said Nurrenbern, who is running for another seat in the state Senate.

Rep. Emily Weber, a Kansas City Democrat also supporting Lewis, appeared to echo Nurrenbern’s concerns, saying there was “a little bit of confusion” among Kansas City Democrats about the race.

“A lot of the people that you saw that endorsed are not on that endorsement list anymore,” Weber said. “It’s due to the fact that they didn’t know that there was going to be a primary. You know, a lot of us didn’t know that the seat was going to be open.”

Razer acknowledged in an interview that when he talked to people about the race, he told them he hoped that there wasn’t going to be a primary and that Democrats could coalesce around one candidate.

He added that Contreras did not lie about receiving support from Cleaver and Lucas. He said both officials were supportive of his campaign and then pulled back once Lewis got in the race out of respect.

“I think it’s important to notice they didn’t endorse her,” he said. “It’s not like they left Pat to endorse Patty. It was just a sign of respect.”

However, one official included in the initial press release for Contreras, Kansas City Councilmember Wes Rogers, a former state representative, appears to have flipped his support to Lewis. Rogers did not respond to multiple calls for comment.

Candidates earn other endorsements

Contreras has support from other top Kansas City-area leaders, including former Secretary of State Jason Kander, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker and former Mayor Sly James. He’s also backed by Freedom, Incorporated, a Kansas City-based civil rights organization.

Hernandez, the spokesperson for Contreras’ campaign, said in an email that there was “great excitement when Pat announced that he was exploring this race. His record of delivering results for Kansas City brought many leaders to encourage Pat to run.”

“When Pat formally announced his candidacy, he did so with many of those same endorsements, including the outgoing Senator, Greg Razer,” Hernandez said. “Since then, his resolve to change Jefferson City into a place that gets things done has attracted many more. While some have felt the need to stay out of the fray, Pat looks forward to working with everyone who will roll up their sleeves with him.”

Lewis, on the other hand, has also built up a broad swath of support and has been endorsed by a slew of Kansas City-area lawmakers. She’s also backed by prominent organizations such as Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO and PROMO Missouri, the state’s major LGBTQ rights advocacy group.

There was also some confusion over one of the endorsements that Lewis’ campaign touted in a press release. Rep. Michael Johnson, a Kansas City Democrat, said in an interview that while he was listed as endorsing Lewis, he has endorsed Contreras.

“I think that the race is going to be very, very competitive, but I did come in with Patty, and so I unfortunately hadn’t actually…given that endorsement, but I’d just given my full support,” he said. “I think along the way, it was probably taken out of context.”

Johnson said he and Lewis have talked and “resolved everything.”

Lewis, in a statement provided by her campaign, said she “had one miscommunication with a single endorser which we’ve rectified.”

“I can’t speak to the many endorsements my opponent has claimed but not earned,” Lewis said.

The statement also touted the “broad coalition of endorsements” she’s received in the race.

“I first ran for State Rep for the same reason that I became a nurse: because I wanted to help people,” she said. “In the last four years, I’ve gotten a lot done for the people of Kansas City and I look forward to continuing to help as their State Senator.”

Inside the race

The fundraising race also appears to be close between the two candidates. Contreras’ campaign committee had roughly $127,500 in cash on hand at the end of June while the political action committee supporting his candidacy had around $128,100.

Lewis’ campaign committee reported around $121,100 at the end of June and the PAC supporting her had roughly $80,600.

The race comes at a pivotal moment for Kansas City with the future of the Chiefs and Royals uncertain and the 2026 World Cup looming. Fights over guns and LGBTQ issues are also likely to be major issues in the Missouri Senate in the coming years.

Razer said that there’s little daylight on policy between Conteras and Lewis. However, he said Contreras’ personality was a better fit for the Senate.

“I like Patty so much that I think she could do a wonderful job. But Patty is more of a behind-the-scenes, quiet worker, which there is a place for that, and I look forward to working with Patty and supporting her future races,” he said. “She has a quiet approach. That’s not Pat. Pat can walk into the room and win you over in a second, and we need that — at least for these next two years.”

Weber, however, touted Lewis’ track record within the General Assembly and the relationships she’s built.

“I watch her as an elected official…and she’s worked across party lines to work on some amazing healthcare legislation,” Weber said. “She’s also been able to work with the other side, but also, you know, call them out when they need to be called out.”

Weber described Lewis as “ready to stand up and do the hard work.”

“I want somebody who’s going to be in there and start from day one on issues that we need to protect,” she said. “She’ll take the 3 a.m. spot for a filibuster, show up and do the job inside and outside of the building.”

Whoever wins the Democratic primary will face off against Republican Joey LaSalle in the general election.