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United States Senate election in Missouri, 2018

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U.S. Senate, Missouri
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 27, 2018
Primary: August 7, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent:
Claire McCaskill (Democrat)
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Missouri
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up
Inside Elections: Tilt Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
U.S. Senate, Missouri
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th
Missouri elections, 2018
U.S. Congress elections, 2018
U.S. Senate elections, 2018
U.S. House elections, 2018

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley (R) defeated U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) and three others in the general election on November 6, 2018, to represent Missouri in the United States Senate.

Thirty-five of the 100 seats in the United States Senate were up for election in 2018, including two seats up for special election. Republicans gained four previously Democratic-held seats and Democrats gained two previously Republican-held seats, resulting in a net gain of two seats for the Republican Party and a 53-seat majority in the chamber. This race was identified as a 2018 battleground that might have affected partisan control of the chamber in the 116th Congress. At the time of the election, Republicans held a 51-seat Senate majority. Democrats held 47 seats, and the two independents caucused with them. Democrats faced greater partisan risk in 2018, as they were defending 26 seats while Republicans were only defending nine. Democrats had to defend seats in 10 states Donald Trump (R) won. The GOP defended one Senate seat in a state Hillary Clinton (D) won.

Trump won Missouri by 18.5 percentage points in 2016. McCaskill's 2012 re-election was the last time a Democrat won a statewide election in Missouri. In that election, McCaskill defeated U.S. Rep. Todd Akin (R) by 15.7 percentage points. In the 2016 Senate election, incumbent Sen. Roy Blunt (R) defeated Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander (D) by 2.8 percentage points.

The third party and independent candidates were Jo Crain (G), Japheth Campbell (L), and Craig O'Dear (I).




Democratic Party Click here to read more about the Democratic Party primary election.
Republican Party Click here to read more about the Republican Party primary election.

Candidates and election results

See also: Statistics on U.S. Congress candidates, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Missouri

Josh Hawley defeated incumbent Claire McCaskill, Craig O'Dear, Japheth Campbell, and Jo Crain in the general election for U.S. Senate Missouri on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Josh Hawley
Josh Hawley (R)
 
51.4
 
1,254,927
Image of Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill (D)
 
45.6
 
1,112,935
Image of Craig O'Dear
Craig O'Dear (Independent)
 
1.4
 
34,398
Image of Japheth Campbell
Japheth Campbell (L) Candidate Connection
 
1.1
 
27,316
Image of Jo Crain
Jo Crain (G)
 
0.5
 
12,706
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0
 
7

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 2,442,289
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Missouri on August 7, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill
 
82.6
 
500,162
Image of Carla Wright
Carla Wright
 
6.8
 
40,971
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
John Hogan
 
2.6
 
15,928
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
David Faust
 
2.6
 
15,902
Image of Angelica Earl
Angelica Earl
 
2.6
 
15,453
Image of Travis Gonzalez
Travis Gonzalez
 
1.6
 
9,453
Image of Leonard Steinman II
Leonard Steinman II
 
1.3
 
7,634

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 605,503
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Missouri on August 7, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Josh Hawley
Josh Hawley
 
58.6
 
389,006
Image of Tony Monetti
Tony Monetti
 
9.8
 
64,718
Image of Austin Petersen
Austin Petersen
 
8.3
 
54,810
Image of Kristi Nichols
Kristi Nichols
 
7.5
 
49,554
Image of Christina Smith
Christina Smith
 
5.3
 
34,948
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Ken Patterson
 
2.9
 
19,537
Image of Peter Pfeifer
Peter Pfeifer
 
2.5
 
16,557
Image of Courtland Sykes
Courtland Sykes
 
2.1
 
13,862
Image of Fred Ryman
Fred Ryman
 
1.3
 
8,763
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Brian Hagg
 
1.0
 
6,913
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Bradley Krembs Candidate Connection
 
0.7
 
4,885

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 663,553
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Green primary election

Green primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

Jo Crain defeated Jerome H. Bauer in the Green primary for U.S. Senate Missouri on August 7, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jo Crain
Jo Crain
 
57.5
 
902
Image of Jerome H. Bauer
Jerome H. Bauer
 
42.5
 
666

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,568
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Missouri

Japheth Campbell advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Missouri on August 7, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Japheth Campbell
Japheth Campbell Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
5,357

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 5,357
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages


Claire McCaskill, senior U.S. senator from Missouri
Claire McCaskill.jpg

Campaign website Facebook Twitter

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: Yes

Political office: U.S. Senate (assumed office: 2007), Missouri Auditor (1999-2007), Missouri House of Representatives (1982-1988)

Biography: McCaskill attended the University of Missouri where she earned a B.A. in political science in 1975 and a J.D. in 1978. She served as a prosecutor for Jackson County, Missouri, before becoming state auditor in 1999.[1]

Key messages
  • McCaskill said she was an independent senator who worked across party lines to address Missouri priorities. She pointed to her work on addressing the opioid epidemic and said she would preserve healthcare coverage for Missourians.[2]
  • McCaskill highlighted her connections with her constituents and ties to the state of Missouri. She contrasted herself with Hawley, who she said was a career politician focused on running for higher office rather than serving the state.[3]




Josh Hawley, attorney general of Missouri
Josh Hawley square.jpg

Campaign website Facebook Twitter

Party: Republican

Incumbent: No

Political office: Attorney General of Missouri (assumed office: 2017)

Biography: Hawley received his bachelor's degree from Stanford University and his J.D. from Yale Law School. Prior to being elected Missouri Attorney General in 2016, Hawley taught constitutional law at the University of Missouri law school and served as senior counsel to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where he was the co-counsel on Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. [4]

Key messages
  • Hawley said he was a constitutional conservative and highlighted his role in First Amendment religious exercise cases before the Supreme Court of the United States prior to his political career.[5][6]
  • Hawley talked about his service as attorney general. He said he took on large companies harming Missourians such as pharmaceutical companies manufacturing opioids and technology companies compromising personal information.[5][6]
  • Hawley said McCaskill was too liberal for the state and having her in the Senate could jeopardize Republican priorities like confirming conservative Supreme Court justices.[5][6]


Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
U.S. Senate election in Missouri, 2018
Poll Poll sponsor Josh Hawley (R) Claire McCaskill (D)Other/UndecidedMargin of errorSample size
Trafalgar Group
(October 29-November 4, 2018)		N/A 40%45%15%+/-2.31,791
Emerson College
(November 1-3, 2018)		N/A 49%46%5%+/-3.8732
Remington Research Group
(November 1-2, 2018)		Missouri Scout 47%47%6%+/-2.61,424
Marist University
(October 30-November 1, 2018)		NBC News 44%47%9%+/-5.2600
Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R)
(October 27-30, 2018)		Fox News 43%43%14%+/-3.5741
Cygnal
(October 26-27, 2018)		N/A 49%46%5%+/-4.38501
Remington Research Group
(October 24-25, 2018)		Missouri Scout 49%45%6%+/-2.61,376
OnMessage Inc.
(October 16-18, 2018)		Hawley campaign 49%42%9%+/-3.46800
Remington Research Group
(October 17-18, 2018)		Missouri Scout 47%46%7%+/-2.71,215
The Polling Company
(October 11-13, 2018)		Citizens United 50%47%3%+/-4.0600
1st Tuesday Campaigns
(October 5-6, 2018)		N/A 44%42%14%+/-3.021,052
Reuters/Ipsos/UVA Center for Politics
(September 27- October 7, 2018)		N/A 45%44%11%+/-3.01,111
McLaughlin & Associates
(September 29- October 2, 2018)		Missouri Rising Action 52%44%4%+/-4.0600
Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R)
(September 29- October 2, 2018)		Fox News 43%43%13%+/-3.5805
AVERAGES 46.5% 44.79% 8.64% +/-3.43 953.43
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.



PredictIt Prices

This section provides the PredictIt market prices for this race during the three months leading up to the election. PredictIt is a site where people make and trade predictions on political and financial events. Market prices reflect the probability, based on PredictIt users' predictions, that a candidate will win a race. For example, a market price of $0.60 for Candidate A is equivalent to a 60 percent probability that Candidate A will win.

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Claire McCaskill Democratic Party $39,690,299 $39,471,364 $241,329 As of December 31, 2018
Josh Hawley Republican Party $11,946,032 $11,470,517 $475,515 As of December 31, 2018
Jo Crain Green Party $6,335 $6,050 $286 As of December 31, 2018
Japheth Campbell Libertarian Party $1,785 $1,784 $0 As of November 26, 2018
Craig O'Dear Independent $634,715 $622,114 $12,602 As of December 31, 2018

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.


Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[7][8][9]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

  • Americans for Prosperity (AFP)
    • AFP launched a $2 million ad campaign opposing McCaskill on October 22.[12]
    • AFP announced $2.1 million in spending opposing McCaskill in late August.[13]
    • AFP spent $1.8 million on an ad in July criticizing McCaskill for using a private jet to travel and for voting against the Republican tax cut bill.[14]
    • In February, AFP spent $4 million on ad buys against Sens. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) in response to their vote against the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017. "Joe Donnelly and Claire McCaskill promised tax reform for years but chose partisan politics over Indiana and Missouri families when they had a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide tax relief," Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillip said in a statement. Both candidates responded that they would have preferred to work with Republicans to craft different tax legislation.[15] In March 2018, Americans for Prosperity spent an additional $1.8 million on an ad campaign against McCaskill.[16]
  • The Club for Growth (CFG)
    • CFG spent $345,000 on an ad buy against McCaskill in August.[17]
    • CFG spent $2 million attacking McCaskill at the end of July. Politico previously reported the group has raised $10 million to support Hawley.[18]
  • In July, Missouri Rising Action made a seven-figure ad buy on a clip that presents McCaskill as an out-of-touch millionaire who used taxpayer money to fly between Missouri and Washington, D.C.
  • One Nation spent $1.4 million on an issue advocacy ad that highlights Hawley's position on safeguarding online privacy.[20]
  • Patients for Affordable Drug Action launched a $700,000 ad campaign to support Claire McCaskill on September 12.
  • Senate Majority PAC (SMP)
    • In early October, SMP released an ad criticizing Josh Hawley for his position on pre-existing conditions as part of a $5.5 million multistate buy.[21]
    • In August, SMP spent $1.7 million on an ad campaign arguing that Hawley received contributions from the insurance industry and filed suit to "strip away protections for 2.5 million Missourians with pre-existing conditions."[22]
    • SMP spent $1.3 million on an ad in July that ties Hawley to David Humphries, who contributed $4.5 million to his attorney general campaign and was the subject of a call for a pay-to-play investigation.[23]
    • In March, SMP released ads criticizing Hawley's handling of an investigation into Gov. Eric Greitens (R-Mo.) as part of a $1.4 million buy. One ad said, "After taking $50,000 dollars from Greitens, Hawley took a ‘hands-off approach’ and dragged his feet on investigating the governor for twelve months. ... Josh Hawley. A politician we can’t trust".[24] Another ad connected Hawley to Greitens.[25]
    • In February, SMP announced a $1.8 million television ad campaign and $600,000 digital ad campaign, in partnership with Priorities USA, to defend Donnelly and McCaskill on their tax policy. "Claire McCaskill and Joe Donnelly refuse to cut Medicare and balloon the national debt so that the Koch brothers can get another tax break,” Chris Hayden, the communications director of SMP, said in February 2018. “While their Republican opponents will do anything to impress out-of-state billionaires, Claire and Joe have a bipartisan record of putting middle class families first.”[26]
  • The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF)
    • SLF launched a $3 million television, radio, and digital ad campaign opposing McCaskill on October 23.[27]
    • SLF announced a $1.9 million ad campaign opposing Claire McCaskill on October 2.[28]
    • SLF announced it would spend $1.8 million opposing Claire McCaskill the week of Sept. 10-14.[29]

Race ratings

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[30]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[31][32][33]

Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Missouri, 2018
Race trackerRace ratings
October 30, 2018October 23, 2018October 16, 2018October 9, 2018
The Cook Political ReportToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesTilt RepublicanToss-upToss-upToss-up
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.


Noteworthy general election endorsements
Endorsement McCaskill (D) Hawley (R)
Individuals
President Donald Trump (R) ✔
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D)[34] ✔
Organizations
National Border Patrol Council[35] ✔

Timeline

  • November 5, 2018: An Emerson College poll showed Hawley with 49 percent and McCaskill with 46 percent. The margin of error was 3.8 percentage points.
  • November 5, 2018: An NBC News/Marist poll showed McCaskill with 47 percent and Hawley with 44 percent. The margin of error was 5.2 percentage points.
  • November 5, 2018: President Donald Trump (R) held a rally in Cape Girardeau in support of Hawley.[44]
  • November 3, 2018: A Remington Research Group poll commissioned by the Missouri Scout showed Hawley and McCaskill with 47 percent each. The margin of error was 2.6 percentage points.
  • November 1, 2018: President Donald Trump (R) held a rally in Columbia in support of Hawley.[45]
  • October 31, 2018: A poll sponsored by Fox News found McCaskill and Hawley with 43 percent each. The margin of error was 3.5 percentage points.
  • October 31, 2018: Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) appeared at a rally for McCaskill.[34]
  • October 30, 2018: A Cygnal poll showed Hawley with 49 percent and McCaskill with 46 percent. The margin of error was 4.38 percentage points.
  • October 26, 2018: A Remington Research Group poll commissioned by the Missouri Scout showed Hawley with 49 percent and McCaskill with 45 percent. The margin of error was 2.6 percentage points.
  • October 25, 2018: Hawley and McCaskill met in a debate hosted by KMBC 9 News. Read more below.
  • October 23, 2018: The Senate Leadership Fund launched a $3 million television, radio, and digital ad campaign opposing McCaskill.
  • October 22, 2018: Americans for Prosperity launched a $2 million ad campaign opposing McCaskill.
  • October 19, 2018: A Remington Research Group poll commissioned by the Missouri Scout found Hawley with 47 percent and McCaskill with 46 percent. The margin of error was 2.7 percentage points.
  • October 16, 2018: America First Action announced it would spend another $1 million supporting Hawley, bringing its total spending in the race to $2.8 million.[10]
  • October 15, 2018: A survey from The Polling Company commissioned by Citizens United showed Hawley leading McCaskill 50-47. The margin of error was 4.0 percentage points.
  • October 15, 2018: McCaskill reported raising $8.5 million in the third quarter of 2018. Hawley reported raising $3.2 million.[46]
  • October 11, 2018: A poll by 1st Tuesday Campaigns showed Hawley leading McCaskill 44-42. The margin of error was 3.02 percentage points.
  • October 10, 2018: A Reuters/Ipsos/UVA Center for Politics poll found Hawley leading McCaskill 45-44. The margin of error was 3.0 percentage points.
  • October 9, 2018: America First Action launched a $1.4 million television ad campaign opposing McCaskill.
  • October 8, 2018: EMILY's List launched a $2.3 million ad buy against Hawley.
  • October 4, 2018: A Fox News poll showed McCaskill and Hawley at 43 percent each. The margin of error was 3.5 percentage points.
  • October 2, 2018: The Senate Leadership Fund launched a $1.9 million ad campaign opposing McCaskill.
  • October 1, 2018: A Remington Research poll commissioned by the Missouri Scout found Hawley leading McCaskill 48-46. The margin of error was 2.5 percentage points.
  • October 1, 2018: An SRSS Research poll commissioned by CNN found McCaskill leading Hawley 47-44. The margin of error was 4.3 percentage points.
  • September 21, 2018: President Donald Trump held a rally for Hawley in Springfield, Missouri.[47]
  • September 19, 2018: A Trafalgar poll found Hawley leading McCaskill 47-44. The margin of error was 2.4 percentage points.
  • September 14, 2018: The candidates met in a debate. Read more below.
  • September 13, 2018: A poll sponsored by Fox News found McCaskill leading Hawley 44-41. The margin of error was 3.5 percentage points.
  • September 12, 2018: Patients for Affordable Drug Action launched a $700,000 ad campaign in support of McCaskill.
  • September 4, 2018: An NBC/Marist poll found Claire McCaskill leading Josh Hawley 44-40. The margin of error was 4.8 percentage points.
  • August 7, 2018: McCaskill and Hawley advanced from the Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively.
  • August 6, 2018: The National Republican Senatorial Committee released its first ad, which connects McCaskill's votes on federal subsidies to profits for her husband companies.
  • July 20, 2018: Club for Growth released an ad portraying McCaskill and her husband as profiting from her public office. The group put $2 million behind the ad.[48]
  • July 9, 2018: The Hawley campaign spent more than $500,000 on an ad campaign highlighting the Supreme Court vacancy. "Claire McCaskill wants liberals in charge. That's how she votes. That's not Missouri's way," Hawley says in the ad.[49]
  • May 22, 2018: Senate Majority PAC released an ad criticizing Hawley's handling of an investigation into Greitens' conduct. "After taking $50,000 dollars from Greitens, Hawley took a ‘hands-off approach’ and dragged his feet on investigating the governor for twelve months. ... Josh Hawley. A politician we can’t trust," the ad's narrator says.[50]
  • May 6, 2018: Former President Barack Obama (D) attended a fundraiser with McCaskill.[51]
  • April 12, 2018: McCaskill had the highest disapproval rating of any Democratic senator in the first quarter of 2018, according to a study by Morning Consult. She polled at 39 percent approval and 44 percent disapproval.[52]
  • April 11, 2018: McCaskill led Hawley by one percentage point in a Mason-Dixon poll, 45 percent to 44 percent. The pollsters said in an analysis, "Hawley is strong in rural Missouri, as well as with men, whites, those over the age of 50 and Republicans. On the flip side, McCaskill leads in the two major metropolitan areas, along with women, blacks, those under the age of 50 and Democrats. Independent voters are equally divided between the two candidates."[53]
  • April 2, 2018: McCaskill released her first campaign ad of the election, featuring the story of a World War II veteran who did not receive assistance from the government until her intervention.
  • March 30, 2018: The Hawley campaign released a web video criticizing McCaskill for voting against confirming Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
  • March 20, 2018: Senate Majority PAC released a second ad connecting Hawley to Gov. Eric Greitens (R-Mo.), who was indicted for felony invasion of privacy in February 2018.
  • March 14, 2018: Americans for Prosperity spent an additional $1.8 million on an ad campaign against McCaskill for her vote against the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017.[16]
  • March 2, 2018: Senate Majority PAC released an ad linking Hawley to Greitens as part of a $1.4 million ad buy in the race.[54]

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Democratic Party Claire McCaskill

Support

"Lies" - McCaskill campaign ad, released October 23, 2018
"Independence" - McCaskill campaign ad, released October 2, 2018
"Secure" - McCaskill campaign ad, released September 19, 2018
"Two Years Ago" - McCaskill campaign ad, released September 13, 2018
"Has to Stop" - McCaskill campaign ad, released September 7, 2018
"Smears" - McCaskill campaign ad, released August 20, 2018
"Missouri Born and Raised" - McCaskill campaign ad, released July 10, 2018
McCaskill campaign ad, released April 2, 2018

Oppose

"Changed" - Senate Leadership Fund campaign ad, released October 23, 2018
"An Honest Conversation" - Americans for Prosperity campaign ad, released October 22, 2018
"Buckle Up" - Senate Leadership Fund campaign ad, released October 10, 2018
"Given Up on You" - Hawley campaign ad, released October 11, 2018
"A Lot" - America First Action ad, released October 9, 2018
"Above It All" - Senate Leadership Fund ad, released October 2, 2018
"Left Missouri" - Senate Leadership Fund ad, released September 25, 2018
"Shocking" - Senate Leadership Fund ad, released September 18, 2018
"Amnesty" - Senate Leadership Fund ad, released September 11, 2018
"DC Changed Claire McCaskill" - Americans for Prosperity ad, released August 29, 2018
"Stop Opposing Tax Relief" - U.S. Chamber Action ad, released August 24, 2018
"Classic" - National Republican Senatorial Committee ad, released August 6, 2018
"Cry" - Club for Growth ad, released July 30, 2018
"Took Off" - Club for Growth ad, released July 20, 2018
"Double Talk on Tax Reform" - Americans for Prosperity ad, released July 17, 2018
Missouri Rising Action ad, released July 11, 2018
Americans for Prosperity ad, released March 15, 2018
Hawley campaign ad, released March 26, 2018
Hawley campaign ad, released March 30, 2018

Republican Party Josh Hawley

Support

"Josh Hawley will defend our rights. Always." - NRA campaign ad, released October 5, 2018
"Circus" - Hawley campaign ad, released October 3, 2018
"Driven" - Hawley campaign ad, released September 24, 2018
"At The Court" - Hawley campaign ad, released July 9, 2018
"Big Tech" - One Nation ad, released May 31, 2018
"Here in Missouri" - Hawley web video, released October 9, 2017

Oppose

"Chaos" - Senate Majority PAC campaign ad, released October 25, 2018
"McCaskill radio ad" - McCaskill radio ad, released October 23, 2018
"Dark Clouds" - Senate Majority PAC campaign ad, released October 19, 2018
"Gets Old" - EMILY's List campaign ad, released October 12, 2018
"Kate" - EMILY's List campaign ad, released October 11, 2018
"Dishonest" - EMILY's List campaign ad, released October 8, 2018
"Papers" - Senate Majority PAC campaign ad, released October 2, 2018
"Promise" - McCaskill campaign ad, released September 27, 2018
"Step" - Majority Forward ad, released September 14, 2018
"Eileen" - Majority Forward ad, released September 11, 2018
"Golden" - Senate Majority PAC ad, released July 18, 2018
"Shingles" - Senate Majority PAC ad, released June 26, 2018
"Looking Out" - Senate Majority PAC ad, released May 22, 2018
"Telling You" - Senate Majority PAC ad, released February 15, 2018
"Slide" - Senate Majority PAC ad, released March 20, 2018

Campaign strategies and tactics

Affordable Care Act lawsuit and pre-existing conditions

On February 26, 2018, Hawley signed onto a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act in his capacity as Missouri Attorney General. The lawsuit said that the entirety of the law was unconstitutional after the individual mandate provision was repealed as part of the December 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act. At the time he signed onto the suit, Hawley released a statement saying, he would “fight to take health care choices out of the hands of bureaucrats and return them to the hands of Missourians and their physicians.”[55]

In September 2018, McCaskill and the Democratic super PAC Majority Forward began running campaign ads that said Hawley's participation in the lawsuit meant he did not support requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions. McCaskill released an ad detailing her experience with breast cancer and a series of videos featuring residents of Missouri with pre-existing conditions.

Hawley released a campaign ad in response where he said he supported requiring insurers to cover pre-existing conditions. He later released a statement where he said, “This lawsuit is about the individual mandate. It’s unconstitutional for the government to force us to buy something we don’t want. Senator McCaskill would have you believe that the only way to cover pre-existing conditions is to keep all the failures of Obamacare.”[55]

Noteworthy events

Brett Kavanaugh confirmation vote

See also: Supreme Court vacancy, 2018: An overview

On October 6, 2018, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Fifty Senators voted to confirm Kavanaugh's nomination, 48 voted against, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voted present. A simple majority was required to confirm Kavanaugh.[56]

McCaskill voted against Kavanaugh. On September 19, she said she would oppose Kavanaugh due to his views on “dark, anonymous money that is crushing our democracy.” She added, “Judge Kavanaugh will give free rein to anonymous donors and foreign governments through their citizens to spend money to interfere and influence our elections with so-called ‘issue ads.’”[57]

After her announcement, Hawley said, “Nobody is surprised. Claire McCaskill is now 0 for 6 on Supreme Court nominees since she started running for the Senate 12 long years ago. She has sided with Chuck Schumer every single time — for liberals and against Missouri.“[57]

Greitens investigations

See also: Investigations of Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, 2018

Beginning in January 2018, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens (R) was investigated for sexual misconduct and misuse of campaign information.[58] The allegations against him included 1) he took a nude photograph of a woman with whom he had an affair and threatened to release the image if the woman spoke publicly about the affair, 2) he physically abused the woman and compelled her to perform oral sex on him, and 3) he used a donor list from a veterans charity, The Mission Continues, without authorization for political purposes during his 2016 gubernatorial campaign. Greitens resigned as governor on May 29, 2018.[59]

Following a report by the House Investigative Committee in April 2018 detailing the sexual misconduct allegations, Hawley called on the governor to resign.[60]

McCaskill criticized Hawley response to the Greitens investigation. She said, “So far, he whiffed the first opportunity to go after The Mission Continues. Second, he absolutely blew an investigation into destruction of records. Third, he’s relied on the legislature to do an investigation into this affair. And fourth, he’s allowed another prosecutor to take the lead in terms of any criminal conduct...This doesn’t sound like the guy who ran for office saying he was going to clean up public corruption. This sounds like somebody who’s hiding under his desk.”[61]

Hawley's campaign said McCaskill was taking trying to politicize the issue due to what it described as her low polling and favorability numbers.[61]

George W. Bush fundraiser for Hawley

On September 11, 2018, Politico reported that former President George W. Bush (R) would hold a fundraiser for Hawley sometime during the month of October. A spokesperson for Bush said, “While he prefers to consider himself retired from politics, President Bush recognizes how important it is to keep the Senate and decided to help a few key candidates.”[62]

Debates and forums

Oct. 25 KMBC 9 News debate

McCaskill and Hawley met in a debate hosted by KMBC 9 News.[63] Among the issues they discussed were healthcare, immigration, and taxes.

"Hawley, McCaskill KMBC 9 Debate" - October 25, 2018

Read roundups of the debate here:

Oct. 18 PBS Newshour debate

McCaskill and Hawley met in a debate moderated by PBS Newshour broadcaster Judy Woodruff. They discussed Social Security and Medicare, gun policy, tariffs, and climate change.

"PBS Newshour McCaskill vs. Hawley debate" - October 19, 2018

See the following roundups of the debate:

Sept. 14 Missouri Press Association debate

Claire McCaskill, Josh Hawley, Green Party candidate Jo Crain, and independent Craig O’Dear met in a debate hosted by the Missouri Press Association on September 14. Among other issues, the candidates discussed coverage of pre-existing conditions under the Affordable Care Act, Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, and tariffs.

If you have access to a video of this debate, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.

Read the following debate roundups:

Campaign themes

Democratic Party Claire McCaskill

McCaskill’s campaign website stated the following:

“

Combating the Opioid Crisis Claire is committed to doing everything she can to stem the tide of the opioid crisis and save lives. Claire has repeatedly urged the state legislature in Missouri to create a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), which would help track opioid prescriptions so doctors and pharmacies can ensure people aren’t abusing opioids. But when leaders in Jefferson City failed to act, leaving Missouri as the only state without a PDMP, Claire led the charge in Congress to make sure that local county governments could apply for federal grant money normally reserved for statewide programs. Thanks to Claire’s efforts, fourteen communities in Missouri have been able to start such programs to better track and curb the flow of opioids in their communities.

As the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Claire launched what one news outlet called “the biggest Congressional investigation” into the business practices of opioid manufacturers. Claire’s investigation has already revealed the systematic manipulation of one pharmaceutical company to push their opioids on consumers, and the CEO of the company has been arrested.

Claire has also fought to crack down on the flow of illegal drugs into our country, working with the Department of Homeland Security to better equip border agents, boost security at our ports of entry, and ensure that opioids are not coming over our borders.

Claire has repeatedly expressed her commitment to working with President Trump to combat the opioid crisis. She supports President Trump’s declaration of this crisis as a public health emergency, but continues to push for the federal government to commit additional resources to help expand prevention, recovery, and treatment efforts.

Claire understands that this crisis requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, and she will continue to work with anyone, from either party, to address this crisis.

Supporting Our Veterans The daughter of a World War II veteran, Claire understands the responsibility we have to ensure that America’s veterans can access the benefits they have earned and deserve. A senior member of the Armed Services Committee, Claire has worked across the aisle to improve management and care at the VA. Claire was instrumental in replacing the Walter Reed Army Medical Center management after reports of neglect, and she led the successful fight to clean up mismanagement at Arlington National Cemetery after it was reported that there were a vast number of mismarked graves.

Every year, Claire solicits confidential, direct feedback from Missouri’s veterans to understand their frustrations, so she can better address their needs and concerns.

Claire is also a founding member of the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus, and has worked with her colleagues from both parties to incentivize companies to hire and train veterans, increase educational support for veterans, and smooth the transition from active duty to veteran service.

Claire believes strongly that every veteran has a right to the benefits that they have earned. She recently passed into law the Arla Harrell Act, a two-year battle on behalf of a Missouri veteran and his fellow servicemembers to deliver decades-overdue relief to veterans intentionally exposed to mustard gas during World War II.

Fostering a Stronger Economy Claire has fought to provide relief for hard-working Missouri families. Claire worked across the aisle to support numerous pieces of bipartisan legislation that have helped bring more jobs to Missouri and America. She has worked to cut federal red tape for manufacturers and employers, strengthen federal job training programs, and expand tax cuts for small businesses and American workers. Claire worked to pass the first boost in the federal minimum wage in more than a decade, and supports investing in the nation’s infrastructure to ensure that everyone has access to good-paying jobs. She also supports raising the federal minimum wage again so that hard-working Missouri families can make ends meet.

Claire has long opposed so-called “right to work” legislation. She strongly supports and has fought to protect the right for workers to come together and bargain collectively for better wages and working conditions.

Claire is a strong supporter of Missouri’s small businesses, and has worked to make it easier for small businesses in Missouri to start up and grow. She has successfully stopped unreasonable federal regulations that would have hurt Missouri’s businesses — such as the Labor Department’s regulation preventing young people from working on family farms — and intervened on behalf of Missouri homebuilders to ensure safety standards were applied more reasonably.

Claire has supported tax credits for families and small businesses, while opposing corporate tax loopholes that give the wealthy and corporations an advantage over hard-working Missourians. Claire supports bipartisan, comprehensive tax reform that benefits the middle class — but she opposed the Senate’s latest bill because it benefits the ultra-rich at the expense of those earning less than $75,000 a year.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has awarded Claire their annual “Spirit of Enterprise” award for her work to support job-creation.

Quality, Affordable Health Care Claire believes that all Missourians should have access to quality, affordable health care — including those with pre-existing conditions. Claire supports fixing and improving the Affordable Care Act to ensure that all Missourians can afford and access coverage. To this end, she has worked with her Republican colleagues to remove burdensome reporting requirements for businesses and reverse undue stress on small business owners. Claire has also introduced legislation to allow anyone without an insurance provider in their county’s individual market to buy health insurance on the DC exchange — the same way their Members of Congress do. And she strongly supports maintaining the requirement that insurance companies cover Missourians with pre-existing conditions.

Witnessing the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs, Claire worked across the aisle to conduct an investigation into why pharmaceutical companies were raising prices on consumers. This investigation led to bipartisan legislation to increase competition in the pharmaceutical market and lower the cost of prescription drugs.

Claire has also consistently opposed efforts to transform Medicare into a voucher system, while working to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in the program. And she worked with her colleagues to find a permanent, bipartisan fix for the health benefits of more than 20,000 miners and their families.

Claire will continue to fight to ensure that Missourians can access the health care services that they need to fully participate in their communities.

Standing up for Rural Missouri & Agriculture Claire was born in Rolla and raised in Houston and Lebanon, where her father’s family ran the local feed mill and her mom’s family ran the corner drug store. Claire has always carried with her the importance of Missouri’s rural communities and remains a strong advocate for Missouri’s farmers, ranchers, and families in rural communities — especially now, as the Administration’s trade war threatens many of their livelihoods. Claire has worked to bring affordable broadband access to rural communities. She introduced legislation to improve internet access in rural communities by protecting the rights of localities, and she has worked with a bipartisan group of Senators in calling on the Federal Communications Commission to allow rural broadband providers to offer discounted broadband service.

Claire has also been a leading advocate for rural post offices, which she understands are the lifeblood of their communities. She waged a successful campaign to save rural post offices and maintain delivery standards, and has worked across the aisle to protect hundreds of post offices throughout Missouri and across the country from closure.

While Claire recognizes that some regulations are necessary to keep us safe, she has fought back against unnecessary and burdensome red tape that interferes with Missourians’ livelihoods. For example, Claire introduced legislation to prohibit the EPA from regulating “farm dust” and opposed the Labor Department’s plan to keep young adults from working on family farms. She also opposed President Obama’s “Waters of the United States” rule.

Claire has also worked to ensure that Missouri’s farms can compete in the global marketplace. She successfully pushed President Trump to allow Missouri rice and beef producers to export their goods to China, and she supported the previous Administration’s decision to lift trade restrictions on Cuba because of the opportunities it created for Missouri farmers and ranchers. Claire also recently passed a bipartisan bill to protect Missouri’s agriculture industry from the threat of agro-terrorism — a bill that President Trump has signed into law. When necessary, Claire has also stood up to the Administration against policies that hurt Missouri agriculture. She has spoken out against the Administration’s reckless tariffs, which are putting Missouri farmers, ranchers and manufacturers under enormous strain — and has fought to save Missouri jobs jeopardized by the trade war.

Claire has been awarded the National Farmers Union’s Golden Triangle Award six times for her work supporting Missouri’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.

Cutting Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Claire believes that one of the best, most effective ways for Americans to have more confidence in their federal government is to demonstrate that their tax money is being protected from waste, fraud, and abuse. She also believes that we must rein in the national debt in order to secure America’s future for generations to come. As Missouri State Auditor, Claire learned how to ferret out misconduct and waste — skills she’s carried with her to the Senate. Claire has conducted several investigations into allegations of mismanagement and corruption in the federal government, including a six-year fight to rein in wasteful wartime contracting practices in Iraq in Afghanistan — an investigation modeled on Harry Truman’s famous fight against war profiteering — and a sustained effort to reform or eliminate the Lifeline government phone subsidy program, which Claire found riddled with fraud and abuse.

Claire also led the fight to permanently ban earmarks, over the objections of many in her own party, because they steered money to projects based on political influence instead of merit.

Claire supports a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution to ensure that the federal government is using the same commonsense budgeting principles that Missouri families follow. And because Claire believes Members of Congress should lead by example, she returns an average of 10 percent of her Senate budget each Congress.

Women’s Health & Well-being Claire believes that every woman should have access to preventive and health care services, and she will continue to protect women’s rights from unnecessary attacks. As a breast cancer survivor, Claire has fought to preserve funding for Planned Parenthood, so that they can continue to provide life-saving health care services such as breast and cervical cancer screenings. She also supports the requirement that health insurance companies provide cost-free contraception to women — because Claire knows that the best way to prevent unintended pregnancies is to expand access to birth control.

Before being elected to the United States Senate, Claire was a courtroom prosecutor in Kansas City specializing in sex crimes. And as Jackson County Prosecutor, she developed one of the first Domestic Violence Units to assist in the prosecution of abusers and provide counsel for victims of abuse.

Claire has been outspoken about her experience with sexual harassment as a young legislator in Jefferson City. To help address the issue of sexual harassment and assault in our state’s capital, Claire recently gave a personal donation to help establish and fund MoInternNetwork.org, a website aimed at helping Missouri interns identify and respond to sexual harassment in the workplace. In the Senate, Claire has been an outspoken advocate for those who have experienced sexual misconduct and believes there need to be stronger policies and support for victims of sexual misconduct on Capitol Hill.

Curbing Sexual Violence Claire has made fighting to curb domestic and sexual violence a defining issue during her time in public service. Before being elected to the United States Senate, Claire was a courtroom prosecutor in Kansas City specializing in sex crimes. And as Jackson County Prosecutor, she developed one of the first Domestic Violence Units to assist in the prosecution of abusers and provide counsel for victims of abuse.

Claire has brought this dedication to combating sexual violence to her work in the Senate. Claire waged a two-year, bipartisan fight to combat sex trafficking and hold those who facilitate it accountable. This investigation led to a historic, unanimous vote in the Senate to hold the notorious website Backpage in contempt of Congress, and the results of this investigation are now available for state and local law enforcement officers to use when prosecuting sex trafficking cases.

Claire was one of the leading advocates to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act — landmark legislation that helps to protect women, children, and families who are the victims of domestic abuse.

And as a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, Claire led the fight to overhaul the way sexual assault is handled by the military, resulting in sweeping reforms to hold perpetrators accountable and support victims.

Claire has also focused on curbing sexual assault on college campuses, launching the first Congressional inquiry into how colleges and universities handle sexual assault on campuses. As a result of this survey, she has introduced bipartisan legislation to professionalize the response to sexual assault on college campuses to better protect and empower students.

Bolstering our Energy Future Claire believes that climate change is real, and that it poses a real threat to the health of Missouri’s families and communities. She also supports alternative energies to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. At the same time, Claire recognizes Missouri’s dependence on coal and will not support policies that unfairly harm Missouri consumers. Claire has fought back against efforts to dismantle the air and water standards that have kept Missouri’s natural resources clean for our families and future generations. She is a strong supporter of renewable energies, including those made in Missouri, and has supported tax credits for companies working to develop renewable energy sources.

Unafraid to stand up to anyone in her pursuit to do what’s right for Missouri, Claire broke with her own party and voted in favor of the Keystone Pipeline because of the benefits it would provide to Missouri. She has also opposed burdensome regulations, including the “Cap & Trade” proposal that would have hurt Missouri families.

Claire supports an all-of-the-above energy approach, but also knows the value of protecting our national treasures and outdoor heritage — which is why she opposes opening up oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and supports preserving our national parks.

Strengthening our National Security As the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, Claire has taken a leading role in bolstering our security at home and abroad, and retaining Missouri’s leadership role in our national defense. Claire believes that we need to do more to defeat ISIS, and has cosponsored legislation to strengthen our response to this growing threat. She has also cosponsored legislation to address the threat of homegrown extremism and worked to increase funding and training for our first responders.

Claire strongly supports the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the EA-18 Growler. She is also a strong advocate for Whiteman Air Force Base, working to protect the base from closures; Fort Leonard Wood, praising its leading role in opening more military jobs to female servicemembers; and the St. Joseph 139th Airlift Wing, helping to secure funding for upgraded facilities. In both Senate hearings and one-on-one meetings with military brass, Claire has demonstrated the capabilities of Missouri’s military installations and has helped shape national defense bills to invest in those facilities.

A former auditor and prosecutor, Claire believes we can strengthen our national security while being smart with taxpayer dollars. She has investigated countless allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, including a six-year fight to rein in wasteful wartime contracting practices in Iraq in Afghanistan — an investigation modeled on Harry Truman’s famous fight against war profiteering.

Fighting for Seniors Claire believes that all of our seniors have a right to the Social Security and Medicare benefits they have earned. Claire opposes privatizing Social Security and Medicare and she has supported reforms to ensure that these programs are available for future generations while protecting benefits for current retirees. Claire has led multiple investigations into the exploitation of seniors. She introduced bipartisan legislation to help regulators spot and stop common scams against our seniors, and recently advanced a bipartisan bill to encourage and allow financial institutions to report suspected exploitation to authorities. She also worked across the aisle to pass a bipartisan bill to make hearing aids available over the counter — increasing access and lowering costs.

Witnessing the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs, Claire also worked with her colleagues to conduct a bipartisan investigation into why pharmaceutical companies were raising prices on consumers. This investigation led to bipartisan legislation to increase competition in the pharmaceutical market and lower the cost of prescription drugs.

Claire has traveled across Missouri and held over 50 town halls in just over a year to hear directly from seniors about what they need for retirement, so she can be a better advocate for them in the Senate.

Consumer Protection Claire believes that one of her most important responsibilities is to protect Missourians from predatory companies and scam artists. As one of the Senate’s leaders on consumer investigations, Claire initiated multiple investigations into fraudulent companies and played a leading role in the investigation into General Motors’ recall of defective ignition switches.

Following an investigation into how robocalls harm consumers, Claire introduced legislation to crack down on fraudulent robocalls. She has investigated the billing and customer service practices in the cable and satellite TV industries. And she worked with her colleagues to pass legislation cracking down on credit card companies’ abusive practices — legislation that it was estimated saved U.S. consumers $20.8 billion in 2013.

Claire has also worked to crack down on companies that seek to exploit seniors, introducing bipartisan legislation to help regulators spot and stop common scams against our seniors and advancing a bipartisan bill to encourage and allow financial institutions to report suspected exploitation to authorities.

Currently serving as the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Claire has launched what one news outlet called “the biggest Congressional investigation” into the business practices of opioid manufacturers. Claire’s investigation has already revealed the systematic manipulation of one pharmaceutical company to push their opioids on consumers, and the CEO of the company has been arrested.

Claire will continue to hold companies accountable for fraudulent practices — no matter how powerful the company or how strongly her colleagues want her to back off.

Education Claire believes that every student should have access to a quality, affordable education. A product of Missouri’s public schools, Claire waited tables at the Lake of the Ozarks to put herself through college and law school at Mizzou. At the K-12 level, Claire has fought to protect funding for Head Start and school meal programs. She supports providing loan forgiveness to public school teachers after 10 years of service, so our local schools can attract the top talent. And she supported legislation that saved and created school jobs in Missouri during the height of the recession — legislation that provided Missouri with nearly $921 million and saved or created more than 8,000 elementary and secondary school jobs.

Claire has repeatedly voted to increase access to affordable student loans and grants, including Pell Grants, so that more students can afford to go to college. She has also helped to pass comprehensive student loan legislation that cut out for-profit middlemen and cosponsored legislation to allow individuals to refinance their student loans at lower rates.

In addition to her work to make college more affordable, Claire has focused on curbing sexual assault on college campuses, launching the first Congressional inquiry into how colleges and universities handle sexual assault on campuses. As a result of this survey, Claire has introduced bipartisan legislation to professionalize the response to sexual assault on college campuses to better protect and empower students.

The daughter of a World War II veteran, Claire has also worked to ensure that our veterans can access education when they come home from service. Claire has sponsored legislation to provide financial assistance to veterans to help pay for college or vocational training and cosponsored legislation that would prevent veterans and their families from being taken advantage of by unscrupulous educational institutions.

Fixing our Campaign Finance System Claire believes that we need to get rid of unlimited dark money in our politics, and that all Missourians — and all Americans — should know who pays for the ads they see on TV. Claire understands that the Citizens United Supreme Court decision — a decision she has called one of the worst in the Court’s history — has had a corrupting influence on American democracy, which is why she supports a constitutional amendment to overturn this disastrous decision.

She has also consistently fought to return transparency and accountability to our elections. Claire strongly supports the DISCLOSE Act. She has pushed to require electronic filing of campaign finance reports. And she voluntarily files her reports electronically so constituents can easily find them.

Claire is also the only candidate in Missouri who has proactively told voters to ignore all dark money advertising — even those that claim to be supporting her. [64]

”
—Claire McCaskill’s campaign website (2018)[65]

Republican Party Josh Hawley

Hawley’s campaign website stated the following:

“

CONSTITUTIONAL CONSERVATIVE
Josh is recognized as one of the nation’s leading constitutional lawyers. He has litigated at the Supreme Court of the United States, the federal courts of appeals, and in state court, fighting for the people’s liberties.

FIGHTING FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Josh has been a dedicated advocate for religious liberty, both as Attorney General and for his entire professional career. Before he became Attorney General, Josh fought Obamacare at the Supreme Court — and won — as one of the lead attorneys in the landmark Hobby Lobby case. Josh was also a lead attorney in the Hosanna-Tabor case at the Supreme Court, protecting the rights of churches.

TAKING ON THE BIG & POWERFUL
As Attorney General, he has fought the Washington overreach threatening our farms and family businesses, including the Waters of the United States Rule and the Clean Power Plan.

Now Josh is fighting the big opioid manufacturers, taking on their unethical marketing practices that have helped create an epidemic of opioid abuse. He has cracked down on human trafficking in Missouri, leading the largest anti-trafficking bust in Missouri history. And he is investigating the most powerful company in the world—Google—to ensure the safety of Missourians’ private information.

[64]

”
—Josh Hawley’s campaign website (2018)[66]

Libertarian Party Japheth Campbell

Campbell’s campaign website stated the following:

“

Balanced Budget

Both spending and the national debt are out of control. There is a way to balance the budget within five years. I will sponsor a bill to mandate an across-the-board 10% cut in spending for the first year. This equals to an overall 10% reduction in spending from the previous year. We then maintain the level of spending with no increases for the next four years. During that period of time, the economy will continue to grow and after the fifth year is able to support the current government. Moving forward, spending is only allowed to increase at a rate equal to the increase in the GDP.

In the short term, these measures should prevent the debt from becoming worse and allow for adequate annual servicing of the debt. In the long term, the economy will continue to grow and we can fully eliminate the debt within the next century.


Representation in Taxation

In 1773, the Sons of Liberty dumped tea into the Boston harbor to protest the taxes placed on tea by the British crown. This event known as the Boston Tea Party was an act of protest based on the understanding that there should be “no taxation without representation.”

Today, although many perceive their taxes to be excessive, they believe it fair since there are officials elected to represent the constituents. Every taxpayer can identify areas where Congress spends their tax dollars on things they dislike. It is hardly representation in taxation if tax dollars are spent against the will of the people.

Although I’m opposed to taxation, I have a plan to allow taxpayers to truly represent themselves by determining where each dollar is spent. Currently, Congress approves the budget sent by the executive branch. Under my plan, the executive branch will still submit a proposed budget, but Congress will instead recommend an approved budget that will be calculated in percentages of overall spending. The final approval of the budget will take place with the taxpayers.

When filing income taxes in April, taxpayers will have three options. They may approve Congress’s recommended percentages, set general percentages (e.g. defense, welfare), or set specific percentages (e.g. Customs and Border Patrol, Planned Parenthood) for the taxes they owe. Most major programs supported by various segments of the population will remain funded while most politicians’ pet projects will be eliminated. Through this plan, each taxpayer will know that their personal tax dollars are being spent on programs important to them.

Fair Representation

America is a Republic where a small group of people is democratically elected to represent the populous. These representatives generally come from the two major parties which theoretically means they represent a majority of the population. Constituents who align themselves with third parties or consider themselves independents lack representation. There are those aligned with a major party who also find themselves in a minority within 85% of congressional districts that have a clear majority from the other major party. Representatives of those districts have little motivation to attempt to represent constituents not aligned with their party.

Fair representation, or proportional representation, is a system whereby voters have better opportunities for accurate representation. Under the plan, congressional districts are expanded to become multi-member districts with 3 to 5 representatives per district. Ranked choice voting allows for most voters to choose at least one of the district’s elected representative during the election process. District representation will then better reflect the range of voters within both major parties and potentially within third parties.

Representative Donald Beyer, Jr. sponsored the Fair Representation Act (HR 3057) which is now in committee. I will fully support this bill if it passes the House and makes its way to the Senate. If the House Committee stalls the bill, I will sponsor a similar bill in the Senate chamber.

Industrialized Hemp

The debate over marijuana has unfortunately led to confusion and lack of progress over the similar hemp plant. Both are related plants within the Cannabis Sativa L species but have many different characteristics. Unlike marijuana with its large amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which gives the user a “high,” hemp contains trace amounts, less than 0.3%, of THC and is not enough to affect the user. It is basically impossible to get high using hemp.

Bills in Congress such as S.134 and H.R.525 are important for removing the incorrect classification that equates industrialized hemp to marijuana. Doing so would create agricultural opportunities for Missouri farmers and for an increase in the Missouri economy. Hemp has had uses in products for years but has found new uses with recent technological advances.

A new industry has evolved for hemp-based plastics that are used to create a plethora of everyday items. Retired Dell executive Bruce Dietzen appeared with Jay Leno to demonstrate a car built from hemp. The woven-hemp body of the vehicle is lighter than fiberglass but ten times stronger than steel. Hemp is further used to create biodiesel and ethanol/methanol fuels.

Much scientific research has taken place over the past decade for cannabidiol (CBD) which is found in rich amounts in hemp. Evidence indicates that non-psychoactive, non-addictive CBD has great clinical potential. CBD positively supports the body’s endocannabinoid system and is a natural medicinal alternate to assist with many ailments.

Hemp oil or CBD oil is legal in all fifty states but only produced in a few states. An increasing number of health product retailers in Missouri carry CBD oil. Unfortunately, a large portion of the revenue from these products end up in other states. Allowing for industrial hemp to be locally grown and the CBD products locally sourced would allow for Missouri’s money to stay in Missouri. I will fully support S.134 or a similar bill. [64]

”
—Japheth Campbell’s campaign website (2018)[67]

Grey.png Craig O'Dear

O'Dear’s campaign website stated the following:

“

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Our unbalanced budget and growing national debt is not sustainable. Passing income tax cuts and increasing deficit spending when the economy is strong and at nearly full employment is irresponsible. We have many competing interests to address. Social Security and Medicare must be secured for the future of those who have spent lifetimes paying for them, but adjustments are needed. The military industrial complex charges us too much for what is delivered. We have dire infrastructure needs. We must decide our priorities, and then we must make the difficult but necessary decisions to raise revenue to fund the level of spending we, on a bipartisan basis, decide to support.

TERM LIMITS
When we started our conversation with Missouri voters over a year ago, we were skeptical of term limits. But upon further study and reflection, and hearing the input of many informed voters, I favor term limits. Senators should be limited to two, six-year terms. Members of the House should be limited to five, two year terms. The major issue in Washington today is elected leaders who place concern for their careers and re-election over making the difficult decisions and compromises we need to move our country forward. The only way to eliminate this behavior is term limits.

ENVIRONMENT
Environmental protections are important. Americans must embrace rather than shun the opportunities of new energy sources and new, more environmentally-aware, ways of doing things. We should not celebrate the dismantling of environmental protections. Most Americans want to protect the environment for their children and grandchildren and beyond. Environmental protection is classic populism, and the notion that environmental protection is an enemy of business is a patently false notion. Business, jobs, prosperity, and growth can all be achieved in the furtherance of environmental protection. This is a huge American opportunity—not a threat. We must embrace change, not deny it. A government focused on protecting its citizens must search for and find business-focused ways to protect the environment. America must reclaim its rightful place as a world leader on this issue.

ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
There is a growing imbalance in economic opportunity, income and wealth in this country. We need to address this issue, not by pulling down successful people, but by helping others climb the ladder of success. Urban areas have taken great strides, while rural areas and small towns have fallen behind. The populist movement fails to honestly address the causes of these trends and is not leading us toward solutions. International trade and the global economy are not the bogey-men they are being made out to be. The trends that put our small cities, towns, and rural areas at risk are being driven by market forces and capitalism. If any country knows that free markets and capitalism offer more opportunity than challenges, it should be the United States. We must embrace the opportunities they present and find ways to bring the coastal economic momentum and entrepreneurism to the heartland.

SECOND AMENDMENT AND GUN SAFETY
We are a gun-owning family. I grew up on a farm, guns were part of life on the farm. I own guns from my childhood, and in more recent years, I have purchased guns for home protection, hunting, target shooting, and to support my son’s preparation for a career in military service. Shooting is one of our main activities on farm weekends. I have been trained in the use of firearms, and am licensed to carry. Everyone in our family has received training in the safe use of firearms. We consider it a life skill, something about which everyone should have basic knowledge.

So, I respect Second Amendment rights. I respect law abiding gun owners, and I understand and respect their desire to own guns. Having said all of that, I do not support efforts that made it difficult, if not impossible, to have a public discussion about any gun safety issue.

We can and should do better at keeping mentally ill people from purchasing guns. Extending background checks for private sales and gun shows seems prudent to me. Surely we can agree that people on a no-fly or watch list should not be allowed to purchase a gun. There may be other issues worthy of consideration. For any gun safety proposal, the issue is the extent to which gun safety would be enhanced compared to the reasonableness of any restriction it might place on law abiding gun owners. I care about gun safety, but I also care about the rights of law abiding gun owners. Reasonable people of good will can find common ground on these issues.

HEALTHCARE
Healthcare is a fundamental human necessity. Any pro-growth, pro-business vision for the future must include a high quality, stable, and efficient healthcare system. Healthy people enjoy a higher quality of life. They work more, earn more, and pay more in taxes. In America, we spend twice as much per capita on healthcare, with outcomes no better, and in some cases, worse, that many countries. We must work toward a more effective and efficient business model in healthcare, and toward a lower uninsured rate. We need greater focus on mental health issues, which has impacted so many families, including our own, as well as assistance for those struggling with opioid and other addiction problems. The result would be happier, healthier, and more productive people.

Healthcare is the classic issue which illustrates the cost of partisan gridlock. Elected leaders in Washington have been at war for years, constantly arguing about the ACA or “Obamacare.” All of this noise—which has been about health insurance, not our healthcare system—has resulted in division and stalemate. All the while, our real and complex issues in healthcare go not just unresolved, but unaddressed.

IMMIGRATION
Immigration has become a popular topic of political conversation over the last several months with failed border security policies, controversial deportation and detention actions by the current Administration, and a lack of action to protect Dreamers, or DACA immigrants. Our immigration system is broken and our country's politicians are not leading us toward solutions.

Immigrants contribute significantly to our nation and its economy. Almost half of Fortune 500 businesses were founded by immigrants or children of immigrants. According to the New York Times, "Immigration to the United States from 1990 to 2010, both legal and illegal, produced net benefits worth $50 billion a year to the native population."

Immigrants enrich our culture, bolster our economy, and diversify our population. They start businesses, create jobs, fill our high-tech jobs, harvest our crops, care for our elderly, and perform many other needed functions. We are a country founded by immigrants and built on the backs of immigrants. We are the largest and strongest economy in the world because of our immigrant roots. It is time that our country's policies and laws reflect that.

No, we cannot accept every immigrant who wants to come to America. Yes, we must reasonably control our borders. We need a system for deciding the appropriate level of immigration, and for identifying who we will welcome into our country. And we need a resolution on how we handle immigrants who are already here, without resorting to mass deportations.

We need Independent leaders who will take a bipartisan approach on these difficult issues; Independent leadership that is not controlled by party bosses; Independent leadership that is looking for solutions, not political advantage. Craig O’Dear is that type of leader.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE
America is the big winner in the global economy. Nearly half of the revenue of all S&P 500 companies is generated by overseas sales. We must always work toward fair rules and a level playing field, but a system of international trade cannot be built on an approach of ‘we will always win and you will always lose.’ We must support our workers when international trade has adverse impacts. Programs that educate and train workers and help them adapt to economic changes are important and add value. Withdrawing from trade agreements, threatening our good neighbors and best trading partners, and imposing tariffs will only hurt us. This is particularly true with one of America’s greatest competitors in foreign markets, which is agriculture. The same is true of the automotive industry. We must be smarter. We must also recognize that international trade relationships are yet another diplomatic tool for achieving our objectives on the world stage, one of which is national security.

RURAL BROADBAND
Missourians should have access to affordable, high-speed internet.

This should be our nation’s top infrastructure priority. Government should work with internet providers to incentivize the construction of high-speed broadband access in rural and small town America, as well as the underserved areas in urban America.

Increased broadband access would lead to substantial economic growth. One study by the Hudson Institute estimated that rural broadband companies added $24.1 billion to the economies of states in which they operated in 2015. In the history of America, infrastructure investments have pushed our country forward in significant ways.

Construction of the nation’s interstate highway system created the backbone of one of the world’s greatest domestic transportation systems. Creation of the Rural Electric Administration brought electricity to rural America. Both investments created opportunities where there were none, and both investments continue to pay dividends to this day.

We need a national commitment to affordable, high-speed broadband access to place everyone in our country “on the grid” in much the same way as we did with roads and electricity. The result would be a significant expansion of economic opportunity for millions of Americans, and the investment would pay dividends for decades to come.

ABORTION
Abortion is one of the most difficult and divisive issues in our country. Extremists on both sides of this issue demand a binary choice--you must either be pro-life or pro-choice. Neither label describes my views. I am pro-life AND pro-choice. Traveling the state and talking to people, I have come to believe that most people share this view.

I understand the strong feelings many women have about their right to make decisions about their body and reproductive issues. I support a woman’s right to choose.

But I also believe reasonable restrictions are appropriate on late term abortions. I believe that when a pregnancy is allowed to progress past the stage where the fetus is clearly viable outside the womb, and the fetus is healthy and the pregnancy is progressing normally, the balance of protectable interests changes.

What I also favor is the common ground that I believe a significant majority of people share. We should do what we can to reduce the number of abortions. The primary cause of abortion is unwanted pregnancy. We know how to reduce unwanted pregnancies. We do that through education and access to birth control. Another option many young people are choosing, and which is taught in the faith community, is abstinence. We also need to make our adoption system more accessible and user-friendly, to make adoption a more attractive option for a someone facing this difficult decision.

Looking more broadly, my pro-life orientation heavily influences my views on other political issues. We should provide for children who are hungry, require medical care, and need education. Access to basic, affordable health care for all people is a pro-life issue. Gun safety is a pro-life issue. Criminal justice reform, as well as the elimination of the death penalty for all but the most extreme cases, is a pro-life issue. Protecting our law enforcement personnel is a pro-life issue. A commitment to never placing our military personnel in harm's way absent a well-considered, compelling, and well-planned national defense need is a pro-life issue. The list goes on. My pro-life orientation heavily influences my views on a broad range of issues.

[64]

”
—Craig O'Dear’s campaign website (2018)[68]

Social media

Twitter accounts

Facebook accounts

Click the icons below to visit the candidates' Facebook pages.

Democratic Party Claire McCaskill Facebook

Republican Party Josh Hawley Facebook

Green Party Jo Crain Facebook

Libertarian Party Japheth Campbell Facebook

Grey.png Craig O'Dear Facebook

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

There are no Pivot Counties in Missouri. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Missouri with 56.8 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 38.1 percent. In presidential elections between 1820 and 2016, Missouri voted Democratic 60 percent of the time and Republican 36 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Missouri voted Republican all five times.[69]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Missouri. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[70][71]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 43 out of 163 state House districts in Missouri with an average margin of victory of 42.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 43 out of 163 state House districts in Missouri with an average margin of victory of 42.3 points. Clinton won two districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 120 out of 163 state House districts in Missouri with an average margin of victory of 28.3 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 120 out of 163 state House districts in Missouri with an average margin of victory of 39.8 points. Trump won four districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

Election history

2016

See also: United States Senate election in Missouri, 2016
U.S. Senate, Missouri General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRoy 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

2012

See also: United States Senate elections in Missouri, 2012
U.S. Senate, Missouri, General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngClaire McCaskill Incumbent 54.8% 1,494,125
     Republican Todd Akin 39.1% 1,066,159
     Libertarian Jonathan Dine 6.1% 165,468
     Write-in Ted Kimzey 0% 15
     Write-in Bernard J. "Spark" Duraski, Jr. 0% 9
     Write-in William Dean 0% 6
     Write-in Bernie Mowinksi 0% 5
     Write-in Charlie L. Bailey 0% 4
     Write-in Arnie C. "AC" Dienoff 0% 2
Total Votes 2,725,793
Source: Missouri Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Wave election analysis

See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)

The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?

Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.

Applying this definition to U.S. Senate elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose seven seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.

The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 10 U.S. Senate waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.

U.S. Senate wave elections
Year President Party Election type Senate seats change Senate majority[72]
1932 Hoover R Presidential -13 D (flipped)
1958 Eisenhower R Second midterm -12 D
1946 Truman D First midterm -10 R (flipped)
1980 Carter D Presidential -9 R (flipped)
2014 Obama D Second midterm -9 R (flipped)
1942 Roosevelt D Third midterm -8 D
2008 George W. Bush D Presidential -8 D
1926 Coolidge R First midterm[73] -7 R
1930 Hoover R First midterm -7 R
1986 Reagan R Second midterm -7 D (flipped)

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Missouri heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

State executives

State legislature

  • Republicans controlled both chambers of the Missouri General Assembly. They had a 109-45 majority in the state House and a 23-10 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

  • Missouri was a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party controlled the office of the governor, the state House, and the state Senate.

2018 elections

See also: Missouri elections, 2018

Missouri held elections for the following positions in 2018:

Demographics

Demographic data for Missouri
 MissouriU.S.
Total population:6,076,204316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):68,7423,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:82.6%73.6%
Black/African American:11.5%12.6%
Asian:1.8%5.1%
Native American:0.4%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
Two or more:2.4%3%
Hispanic/Latino:3.9%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:88.4%86.7%
College graduation rate:27.1%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$48,173$53,889
Persons below poverty level:18.2%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Missouri.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Missouri's three largest cities were Kansas City (pop. est. 488,943), St. Louis (pop. est. 308,626), and Springfield (pop. est. 167,376).[74][75]

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Missouri from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Missouri Secretary of State.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Missouri every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Missouri 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Donald Trump 56.4% Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 37.9% 18.5%
2012 Republican Party Mitt Romney 53.8% Democratic Party Barack Obama 44.4% 9.4%
2008 Republican Party John McCain 49.4% Democratic Party Barack Obama 49.3% 0.1%
2004 Republican Party George W. Bush 53.3% Democratic Party John Kerry 46.1% 7.2%
2000 Republican Party George W. Bush 50.4% Democratic Party Al Gore 47.1% 3.3%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Missouri from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Missouri 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Roy Blunt 49.2% Democratic Party Jason Kander 46.4% 2.8%
2012 Democratic Party Claire McCaskill 54.8% Republican Party Todd Akin 39.1% 15.7%
2010 Republican Party Roy Blunt 54.2% Democratic Party Robin Carnahan 40.6% 13.6%
2006 Democratic Party Claire McCaskill 49.6% Republican Party Jim Talent 47.3% 2.3%
2004 Republican Party Kit Bond 56.1% Democratic Party Nancy Farmer 42.8% 13.3%
2000 Democratic Party Mel Carnahan 50.5% Republican Party John Ashcroft 48.4% 2.1%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Missouri.

Election results (Governor), Missouri 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Eric Greitens 51.1% Democratic Party Chris Koster 45.5% 5.6%
2012 Democratic Party Jay Nixon 54.8% Republican Party Dave Spence 42.5% 12.3%
2008 Democratic Party Jay Nixon 58.4% Republican Party Kenny Hulshof 39.5% 18.9%
2004 Republican Party Matt Blunt 50.8% Democratic Party Claire McCaskill 47.9% 2.9%
2000 Democratic Party Bob Holden 49.1% Republican Party Jim Talent 48.2% 0.9%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Missouri in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Missouri 2000-2016
Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
2016 Republican Party 6 75% Democratic Party 2 25% R+4
2014 Republican Party 6 75% Democratic Party 2 25% R+4
2012 Republican Party 6 75% Democratic Party 2 25% R+4
2010 Republican Party 6 33.3% Democratic Party 3 66.7% R+3
2008 Republican Party 5 55.5% Democratic Party 4 44.4% R+1
2006 Republican Party 5 55.5% Democratic Party 4 44.4% R+1
2004 Republican Party 5 55.5% Democratic Party 4 44.4% R+1
2002 Republican Party 5 55.5% Democratic Party 4 44.4% R+1
2000 Republican Party 5 55.5% Democratic Party 4 44.4% R+1

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Missouri Party Control: 1992-2025
Eight years of Democratic trifectas  •  Thirteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ U.S. Senate, "Claire McCaskill official bio," accessed May 31, 2013
  2. ↑ YouTube, "Team Claire," accessed September 12, 2018
  3. ↑ Claire McCaskill for Senate, "Home," accessed September 12, 2018
  4. ↑ Meet Josh Hawley; retrieved February 9, 2016
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 YouTube, "Hawley Campaign," accessed September 12, 2018
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Josh Hawley for Senate, "About," accessed September 12, 2018
  7. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  8. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  9. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Politico, "Pompeo thanks Saudi king as GOP senators sound alarms," October 16, 2018
  11. ↑ Politico, "POLITICO Playbook PM: Haley leaving at end of year," October 9, 2018
  12. ↑ Twitter, "Phil Elliot on October 22, 2018"
  13. ↑ Politico, "Gillum scores major win in Florida Democratic gubernatorial primary," August 29, 2018
  14. ↑ Politico, "DCCC, NRCC executive directors predict the midterms," July 18, 2018
  15. ↑ Roll Call, "Conservative Group Targets McCaskill, Donnelly on Tax Vote," February 13, 2018
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Twitter, "Kevin Robillard," March 14, 2018
  17. ↑ FEC, "FILING FEC-1254012," accessed August 12, 2018
  18. ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "National conservative group reportedly raises $10M to back Hawley in Missouri senate race," August 14, 2017
  19. ↑ EMILY's List, "WOMEN VOTE! Running Ad Holding Josh Hawley Responsible for Pre-Existing Conditions Lie," October 8, 2018
  20. ↑ National Journal, "Hotline's Wake-Up Call!" accessed June 4, 2018
  21. ↑ Politico, "The dynamic, 35 days out," October 2, 2018
  22. ↑ Daily Kos, "Morning Digest: Independent poll finds a tight race ahead of next week's special election in Ohio," August 2, 2018
  23. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 7/18," July 18, 2018
  24. ↑ Senate Majority PAC, "New Ad: AG Josh Hawley is a Politician Missourians Cannot Trust," May 22, 2018
  25. ↑ Daily Kos, "Morning Digest: Thad Cochran's resignation could launch another crazy Senate race in Mississippi," March 6, 2018
  26. ↑ Senate Majority PAC, "SMP Launches Ad Campaign in Missouri and Indiana to Combat the Koch Brothers’ War Against Middle-class Families," February 15, 2018
  27. ↑ Senate Leadership Fund, "New Senate Leadership Fund Ad Takes on Washington Liberal Claire McCaskill," October 23, 2018
  28. ↑ National Journal, "Hotline's Wakeup Call," accessed October 3, 2018
  29. ↑ USA Today, "Exclusive: McConnell-aligned PAC unleashes $6.4 million ad blitz to protect Senate majority," September 11, 2018
  30. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  31. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  32. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  33. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Politico, "POLITICO Playbook: The House Democratic staffers you need to know," November 1, 2018
  35. ↑ Claire McCaskill for Senate, "Op-Ed: National Border Patrol Council endorses Claire McCaskill for U.S. Senate," September 12, 2018
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Politico, "The top 10 Senate races of 2018," December 24, 2017
  37. ↑ Kansas City Star, "What does Sen. Blunt think about Hawley’s sex trafficking remarks? ‘I haven’t looked,'" February 2, 2018
  38. ↑ St. Louis Post Dispatch, "Schmitt out of Missouri's U.S. Senate race, backs Hawley for GOP nomination," August 15, 2017
  39. ↑ The Huffington Post, "Roy Moore Endorses Missouri GOP Candidate Who Expects ‘Home Cooked Dinner At Six,'" February 26, 2018
  40. ↑ Facebook, "Courtland Sykes," July 23, 2018
  41. ↑ Twitter, "Joe Arpaio," August 4, 2018
  42. ↑ Kansas City Star, "McCaskill tears into GOP challenger Hawley during Jackson County visit," October 10, 2017
  43. ↑ Senate Conservatives Fund, "Josh Hawley for Senate in Missouri," December 15, 2017
  44. ↑ Axios, "Inside Trump's last-minute road trip," October 28, 2018
  45. ↑ NBC News, "Trump hammers away on immigration at Missouri rally," November 1, 2018
  46. ↑ Politico, "The Q3 fundraising toplines," October 16, 2018
  47. ↑ CBS News, "Trump to rally for Josh Hawley in Missouri next week," September 15, 2018
  48. ↑ Politico, "Five ads that reveal a deeper dynamic," July 19, 2018
  49. ↑ Politico, "Hawley’s first ad spotlights SCOTUS vacancy," July 9, 2018
  50. ↑ Senate Majority PAC, "New Ad: AG Josh Hawley is a Politician Missourians Cannot Trust," May 22, 2018
  51. ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "McCaskill's Beverly Hills fundraiser with Obama sparks fiery attacks," March 28, 2018
  52. ↑ Morning Consult, "America’s Most and Least Popular Senators," April 12, 2018
  53. ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Hawley, McCaskill in tight poll match, but Hawley relatively unknown to many Missourians," April 11, 2018
  54. ↑ Daily Kos, "Morning Digest: Thad Cochran's resignation could launch another crazy Senate race in Mississippi," March 6, 2018
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 McClatchy DC, "Hawley under fire on pre-existing conditions as pressure from Dems mounts," September 13, 2018
  56. ↑ New York Times, "Kavanaugh Is Sworn In After Close Confirmation Vote in Senate Video," October 6, 2018
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 Politico, "McCaskill to vote no on Kavanaugh confirmation," September 19, 2018
  58. ↑ The New York Times, "In Missouri, Governor’s Scandal Ensnares a Republican-Leaning Senate Race," April 12, 2018
  59. ↑ CNN, "Embattled Missouri Governor Eric Greitens resigns amid scandals," May 29, 2018
  60. ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Hawley, others call on Gov. Eric Greitens to resign; Wagner says he's 'unfit to lead,'" April 12, 2018
  61. ↑ 61.0 61.1 Kansas City Star, "Who’s tougher on Greitens? McCaskill and Hawley slug it out," April 12, 2018
  62. ↑ Politico, "George W. Bush to fundraise for GOP candidates," September 11, 2018
  63. ↑ St. Louis Dispatch, "McCaskill, Hawley trade barbs, compliments in Missouri Senate debate," October 18, 2018
  64. ↑ 64.0 64.1 64.2 64.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  65. ↑ Claire McCaskill for Senate, “Issues,” accessed September 12, 2018
  66. ↑ Josh Hawley for Senate, “About Josh,” accessed September 12, 2018
  67. ↑ Japheth Campbell for Senate, “Issues,” accessed September 12, 2018
  68. ↑ Craig O'Dear for Senate, “Issues,” accessed September 12, 2018
  69. ↑ 270towin.com, "Missouri," accessed June 29, 2017
  70. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  71. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  72. ↑ Denotes the party that had more seats in the U.S. House following the election.
  73. ↑ Calvin Coolidge's (R) first term began in August 1923 after the death of President Warren Harding (R), who was first elected in 1920. Before he had his first midterm in 1926, Coolidge was re-elected as president in 1924.
  74. ↑ Missouri Demographics, "Missouri Cities by Population," accessed September 5, 2018
  75. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Quickfacts Missouri," accessed September 5, 2018
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Missouri's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Josh Hawley (R)
Eric Schmitt (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
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Bob Onder (R)
District 4
District 5
District 6
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