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Patrick Lee (Missouri)
Patrick Lee was a 2016 write-in candidate who sought election to the U.S. Senate from Missouri.[1]
Biography
Lee earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri in 1972. His career has included work as a research analyst for the state of Missouri, a realtor, and a free-lance writer. He educates and enterains the public by portraying historic figures such as Thomas Jefferson and Daniel Boone.
He is affiliated with the Crossing Church, Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society, and the American Council of Spotted Asses. He has donated more than 176 pints of blood to the American Red Cross since 1968.[2]
Elections
2016
Ballotpedia rated the race for Missouri's U.S. Senate seat as a battleground, in part, because of the Democratic Party's effort to turn a state that leaned Republican into Democratic territory. However, incumbent Roy Blunt (R) won re-election, defeating Jason Kander (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Blunt also defeated Jonathan Dine (L), Fred Ryman (Constitution Party), Johnathan McFarland (G), and write-in candidates Gina Bufe and Patrick Lee.
Kander's strategy was to run as a political outsider and try to paint Blunt as a Washington insider. According to The Kansas City Star, “Kander labels Blunt the 'consummate Washington insider' and insists Blunt has lost touch with voters who sent him to the Capitol. Kander further contends that Blunt is far too cozy with lobbyists and is in fact married to one while three of his children are lobbyists.” In response, Blunt tried to tie Kander to "Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama, both of whom are unpopular in the state.”[3]
Satellite groups also sought to influence the race by spending $44,961,510. In the last weeks of the race, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee planned to spend $3.5 million to support Kander's bid to unseat Blunt. Republicans also spent money on the race to protect Blunt's seat and their majority in the Senate. The Senate Leadership Fund invested $2.5 million in Missouri in September.[4][5][6]
In his concession speech, Kander encouraged his supporters, especially his young supporters, to stay involved in politics despite the results. He said, "They need to know that I'm not OK with them stepping away, that this country is a place you've got to stay invested in. This generation is not going anywhere."[7]
In his victory speech, Blunt said, "What a great moment for our state." Blunt, who distanced himself from Trump during the campaign, was optimistic about Republican control of the presidency and Congress. He said, "A Republican president and a Republican Senate and a Republican House can do things to change this country and focus again on opportunity."[7]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Roy Blunt Incumbent |
49.2% | 1,378,458 | |
| Democratic | Jason Kander | 46.4% | 1,300,200 | |
| Libertarian | Jonathan Dine | 2.4% | 67,738 | |
| Green | Johnathan McFarland | 1.1% | 30,743 | |
| Constitution | Fred Ryman | 0.9% | 25,407 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0% | 95 | |
| Total Votes | 2,802,641 | |||
| Source: Missouri Secretary of State | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Jason Kander |
69.9% | 223,492 | ||
| Cori Bush | 13.3% | 42,453 | ||
| Chief Wana Dubie | 9.5% | 30,432 | ||
| Robert Mack | 7.3% | 23,509 | ||
| Total Votes | 319,886 | |||
| Source: Missouri Secretary of State |
||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Roy Blunt |
72.6% | 481,444 | ||
| Kristi Nichols | 20.2% | 134,025 | ||
| Ryan Luethy | 4.4% | 29,328 | ||
| Bernie Mowinski | 2.8% | 18,789 | ||
| Total Votes | 663,586 | |||
| Source: Missouri Secretary of State |
||||
Campaign themes
2016
Lee made the following statement to Ballotpedia regarding his political philosophy:[2]
| “ |
Congress has been "kicking the can" on important issues for years. My campaign theme is "NO MORE Kicking the Can." It is time for our elected leaders to BE leaders. My web site features both Position Summaries and Position Details on 8 major issues, on all of which Congress is kicking the can. The most significant issue is debt, piling up hundreds of billions of dollars of debt year after year with no plan for paying it off. Other issues are
At every campaign appearance, I have a gallon paint can hand-cuffed to my left wrist. Printed on that can are the words, "Kicking the Can." Superimposed over those words is a red circle and a diagonal slash, meaning NO MORE! I wear green shoes at every presentation. You'll just have to ask why ... [8] |
” |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Patrick Lee Missouri Senate. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Email submission to Ballotpedia, July 29, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Information submitted through Ballotpedia's biographical submission form on August 1, 2016
- ↑ Kansas City Star, "Roy Blunt the insider vs. Jason Kander the outsider sums up U.S. Senate contest in Missouri," accessed September 27, 2016
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed November 12, 2016
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Missouri Senate race unique in complex national cross-currents of 2016," accessed September 30, 2016
- ↑ National Review, "Missouri’s Senate Race Wasn’t Supposed to Be This Close," accessed September 30, 2016
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Military Times, "Incumbent Blunt defeats Kander in Missouri Senate race," accessed November 12, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
