Ousting Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) — notorious for his raised-fist gesture in solidarity with rioters on January 6, 2021 — should be a top priority for Democrats, according to his home state’s former secretary of state.
In an op-ed for the Kansas City Star, Jason Kander wrote that national Democratic Party leaders shouldn't overlook Missouri's U.S. Senate race in November despite the Show Me State's status as a GOP stronghold.
Kander noted that Hawley, who is seeking his second term this fall, has an approval rating even lower than that of Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rick Scott (R-FL), who are both seen as high-profile targets for Senate Democrats aiming to keep their majority after November.
"After decades of Republican-led culture wars, the national Democratic Party struggles in states like Missouri," Kander wrote. "But in races where well-funded candidates can set themselves apart and make it clear to voters that they’ll fight for them in office, Democrats can outrun the party. And they can defeat divisive and corrupt opponents."
Kander noted that even former President Donald Trump is paying close attention to Missouri this year. Over the weekend, Trump posted to his Truth Social account that "Josh [Hawley] and Ted [Cruz] must be very careful" as they seek another term, adding that "stranger things have happened!!!"
"Even Donald Trump is well aware that Josh Hawley's seat is in danger," he wrote.
"Multiple public polls — including one from Morning Consult released last month — show Hawley has the lowest approval of any Republican senator running for reelection in 2024," Kander wrote. "Hawley is vulnerable, and he knows it."
Hawley's Democratic opponent, Lucas Kunce, is a veteran of the US Marine Corps who has a pro-union record and has smashed fundraising records. Kunce posted a $1.5 million haul in the third quarter of 2023 alone, with a war chest in excess of $4 million heading into 2024. Kander underscored his argument about Kunce's electability by citing a November poll that showed Kunce within four points of Hawley.
After Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced his decision to not run for another term in his deep-red state, Republicans are almost assured a victory in the Mountain State.
This means the GOP only needs to flip one more Democratic-held seat to take back the U.S. Senate majority, which could come from ousting either Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jon Tester (D-MT) or Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), who are all running for another term this November in highly competitive states. Democrats flipping Hawley's seat would give them much-needed breathing room to stave off Republicans from retaking the upper chamber of Congress.
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