The Missouri Senate race between Republican Josh Hawley and Democrat Claire McCaskill remains extremely tight.
Three polls have been released in the past several days. Surveys from both FOX News and Missouri Scout show a statistical tie. FOX News has the contest deadlocked at 45% each while the Missouri Scout poll shows a dead heat at 47%. A survey released Sunday by the Republican-affiliated Trafalgar Group gave Hawley a four-point lead (48%-44%).
An NBC News/Marist poll released Monday morning has McCaskill breaking 50%, and leading 50%-47%. An Emerson survey, also released Monday has Hawley outin front 49%-46%.
The Real Clear Politics average of polls has Hawley with a 0.8 percentage point lead. All the polling is within the margin of error.
Meet The Press moderator Chuck Todd confirmed on the air that Hawley had canceled an appearance on the TV program yesterday, and speculated the Republican had done so to continue last-minute campaigning in Missouri after seeing the poll results.
Hawley held a gathering at a GOP office in Springfield Sunday evening, where he praised the efforts of campaign volunteers and asked for continued help. “So, I’m asking for your vote and these last 48 hours I’m asking for your help,” Hawley said. “You’ve been doing so much here as we are in this final stage.”
He told those in attendance that McCaskill has been in politics too long and doesn’t represent Missouri values anymore.
Hawley will hold another rally in Springfield at 8:15 Monday morning with top Missouri Republicans including Governor Mike Parson and U.S. Senator Roy Blunt. He’ll then head to Jefferson City for a public gathering with four GOP state officeholders – Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, Treasurer Eric Schmitt and Senator Blunt.
Hawley will also hold two additional rallies at GOP Field Offices. He’ll be in Blue Springs near Kansas City with Parson, Blunt and Schmitt at 12:15 p.m. and in St. Louis at 4:15 p.m. with Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, Parson, Kehoe, Schmitt, and Congresswoman Ann Wagner.
Senator McCaskill was in the St. Louis area Sunday, where among other things, she spoke with local people at a Walmart store. KOLR-TV reports McCaskill claims Hawley is misrepresenting her as a liberal when she’s really a political moderate.
“If it weren’t an election year, my Republican colleagues would all admit that they work with me and that we get things done together,” McCaskill said. “It’s just not fashionable these days to be someone who has bipartisan credentials.”
McCaskill has lurched to the right in the last weeks of the election cycle. One of her radio ads ridiculed progressive and activist colleagues in her own party as “crazy Democrats” while she’s also openly embraced President Trump’s plan to block a caravan of refugees fleeing violence in Central American countries from entering the U.S. “Stop them at the border,” McCaskill proclaimed during an interview on the conservative, pro-Trump cable outlet on FOX News.
Meanwhile, Missourinet media partner KFVS-TV reports President Trump’s motorcade was flown in on a C-17 plane on Sunday at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport in advance of the president’s appearance in the city that will cap a whirlwind of rallying nationwide predominantly in state’s he won. The plane landed before 9:45 a.m. and the vehicles were unloaded.
Two high-profile conservative broadcasters will be joining the president at Monday’s rally at the Show Me Center. Sean Hannity will be doing a live radio show, and Cape Girardeau Native Rush Limbaugh will be in attendance. Also, Country music performer Lee Greenwood who sings ‘God Bless the USA’ is expected to perform the song live at the event.
The rally in support of Senate candidate Josh Hawley is expected to start at 9 p.m. However, doors at the Show Me Center open at 6 p.m. and there about 7,000 seats inside the arena.
KFVS reports that southeast Missouri Democrats are active as Trump journeys to the region. Party members have been canvassing and making calls for their Democratic party candidates.
Renita Green, the Democratic candidate for Missouri House District 147, spoke about President Trump’s visit and getting their voices heard. “I think that our voice will be heard in the cacophony of voices,” said Green. “Anytime there is one strong opinion, there is always a strong opinion on the other side. I think it’s really encouraging that people have the courage and the motivation to get out and express themselves on whatever their opinions are.”
Some Cape Girardeau County Democrats say they plan on being at the Show Me Center for the President’s Monday rally.
(Missourinet media partners KOLR-TV and KFVS-TV contributed to the report)
