Nixon, Hulshof, & Steelman File      Day One of filing for candidates who want their names to appear on the August 5th Primary ballot sees the three major candidates for Governor visiting the Secretary of State ‘s Office in Jefferson City to get the paperwork done.

The first of the three was Republican Congressman Kenny Hulshof (R-MO), who took part in a rally at the State Capitol before heading to the Secretary of State’s Office, nearby, to complete the filing task. Hulshof’s wife, Renee, served as MC for the rally, in which friends and family members shared personal experiences and expressed their reasons for supporting the six term Congressman.

Next to file was Democrat Attorney General Jay Nixon (D-MO), who pledges to bring fresh ideas to the table to start Missourians moving forward again. Nixon slammed Blunt Administration actions, including Medicaid cuts, saying the cuts and many of the other actions were supported by both of his would-be Republican opponents.

Republican State Treasurer Sarah Steelman rounded out the filing of the big tree candidates. She was joined by members of her family, including her elderly father and mother. Steelman calls her campaign a common-sense effort to grow the state’s economy, create jobs, and protect Missouri’s values. As for the Medicaid cuts, Steelman says Governor Blunt faced some hard choices, adding she would not have done things the way Blunt did them. She says a phase-in approach to the cuts might have been preferable as a way to balance the budget while still providing assistance to the truly needy.

Two other candidates entered the Republican field for Governor. They are Richard Allen Kline of Gipsy and Scott Long of Mountain View. No one from the Libertarian Party filed for Governor on the first day. In all, 317 candidates filed on the first day – 164 Democrats, 148 Republicans, and 5 Libertarians. Candidates for all offices being contested this year have until March 25th to file the paperwork at the Secretary of State’s Office in Jefferson City.

Download/Listen: Steve Walsh report (:60 MP3)