State Auditor Claire McCaskill has hammered Governor Bob Holden in outstate counties, and has beaten the incumbent by more than 50,000 votes. Holden is the first Governor in Missouri history to lose a re-election bid in the primary. It’s only the 18th time nationally since 1970 that an incumbent Governor has lost in a primary re-election bid. Holden and Mccaskill have met in Jefferson City today to lay out a strategy to unify the party after their spirited primary contest. McCaskill faces Republican Matt Blunt in November.
Other matchups after the primary: Lieutenant Governor: Republican Peter Kinder against Democrat Bekki Cook. Both are from Cape Girardeau. Kinder is the President Pro Tem of the Missouri Senate. Cook is a former Secretary of State. Secretary of State: Catherine Hanaway versus Robin Carnahan. Hanaway is the Speaker of the Missouri House. Carnahsn is an attorney, the daughter of the late Governor Mel Carnahan. Treasurer: Republican Sarah Steelman against Mark Powell. Steelman is a State Senator. Powell is the mayor of Arnold. Attorney General: Chris Byrd versus Jay Nixon. Byrd is a Kansas City lawyer. Nixon is seeking his fourth term as Attorney General. The State Auditor is elected in the off years. McCaskill is the current State Auditor. If she is elected Governor in November, she will appoint her successor. Other contests: Amendment 1 – the Rockaway Beach Casino. Although proponents spent about $12-Million pushing for pssage, it was the opponents, who spent about $2-Million who prevailed. Voters defeated the proposed amendment by about 175,000 votes. It got about 44 percent of the vote. Amendment 2 – Missourians have banned gay marriages with a constitutional amendment. Gay marriage is presently illegal under state law. The election placed the ban in the constititon. The proposal got 71 percent of the vote. Voters also picked candidates to fill two seats in Congress being abandoned by their current occupants. Congressman Richard Gephardt gave up his Third District seat to run for the presidency. Democrats have picked Russ Carnahan, the son of the late Governor, to face Republican Bill Federer, who has sought this seat previously. Former Kansas City Mayor Emanuel Cleaver has been picked as the Democrat candidate for the Fifth District Congressional Seat that Karen McCarthy is leaving. He will be opposed by Republican Jeanne Patterson.
