Will Trump endorse in Missouri’s freshly gerrymandered 5th district?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Six Republicans will challenge Emanuel Cleaver in Missouri’s 5th District primary.
- Burks had over $1M cash on hand as of March 31, Brattin led other donors.
- President Trump has not yet announced an endorsement in the crowded race.
The Republican field in Missouri’s 5th District was hastily assembled after favorable court decisions upheld the newly drawn map, and as the Aug. 4 primary approaches, frontrunners have emerged in the crowded field.
Six Republicans will appear on the ballot to challenge long-time Kansas City Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary. It will be the first test of the district, which Republican lawmakers redrew in a special session last year to oust Cleaver.
Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, and former Boone County Clerk Taylor Burks have racked up endorsements from prominent Republicans. But the most important endorsement in a Republican primary, that of President Donald Trump, hasn’t yet emerged.
Matt Harris, a political science professor at Park University in Parkville, said that Trump endorsements can be hard to predict.
“It’s sometimes hard to make heads or tails of Trump endorsements,” Harris said. “There are times where he just endorses who he thinks is going to win, so that he can sort of say that, ‘I called this.’”
Brattin said he and his team have been communicating with the White House about a potential endorsement, and that he feels “very hopeful” that an announcement could be released soon.
The president is seeking to endorse candidates that support his “America First” agenda, Brattin said, but is also considering competency before making an endorsement.
“Making sure you’re a competent and viable candidate, and that you can win, and we’ve definitely displayed that and shown that we’re leaps and bounds ahead of the other competition,” Brattin said.
Burks, the former Boone County clerk, said there’s been “normal outreach” with the White House, but declined to go into detail about what the campaign is doing to secure an endorsement.
“Obviously, I’d like the president’s endorsement, and so we’ll leave it at that,” Burks said.
Brett Hueffmeier, a former staffer for U.S. senators Kit Bond and John Ashcroft, who is seeking the nomination, said he visited a White House event in April but is not actively seeking an endorsement.
“I didn’t really give it a lot of thought because I don’t really consider it to be that likely,” Hueffmeier said.
Hueffmeier said he’s seeking to be more independent and not follow the White House’s position unless it aligns with his own. He also said his meeting at the White House indicated endorsements are reserved for clear front-runners that are very likely to win, and that he doesn’t believe there’s a clear enough frontrunner in the race.
Harris said he views Brattin as the frontrunner in the race. But, in a newly drawn district, an endorsement from Trump could go a long way.
“If he makes an endorsement for Brattin, I think it’s probably over. If he makes an endorsement for another candidate, maybe that shakes things up a little bit,” Harris said.
Endorsements and ads
Though less influential than Trump’s endorsement, candidates have been shoring up support from organizations and fellow lawmakers.
Brattin has gotten nods from Gov. Mike Kehoe, three current U.S. congressmen in Missouri and several conservative organizations that oppose abortion and gun control.
Burks, who often touts his mid-Missouri roots, has been endorsed by a host of mid-Missouri politicians at the state and local level, two former U.S. Congressmen from Missouri and an out-of-state Congressman.
Brattin is bolstered by Win It Back PAC, a Super PAC for the conservative Club for Growth. The organization, which isn’t allowed to directly collaborate with Brattin, has flooded the airwaves with ads for the candidate and negative ads on Burks.
One ad describes him as a “MAGA Marine” who would keep illegal immigrants “hundreds of miles from a ballot box” and keep “trans perverts out of girls’ locker rooms.”
Burks’ ad touts his rural roots and his time in the U.S. Navy. In it, he says “weak and crooked politicians” failed to stop Chinese communists from buying American farmland.
“I approve this message, because if China wants our land, they’re going to have to pry it from my cold, dead hands,” Burks says in the ad, harkening to a quote by former National Rifle Association president Charlton Heston.
Burks says his campaign has reserved airtime on cable in Kansas City and in mid-Missouri, and criticized Brattin for relying on out-of-state Super PACs.
“That’s really been his only ability to fund the race,” Burks said. “So I feel good about where we are, but when DC groups come in, it’s always a bit of a question mark of how and where they’re going to spend their money.”
Hueffmeier said he’s filmed an ad and plans to release it soon.
Brad Patty, another candidate for the seat, said that his campaign hasn’t had successful fundraising, so he’s relying on social media to share his message.
“We have not had tremendous success in fundraising, but spirit, message, motivation, all those other attributes, we’re in high spirits and we’re doing well,” Patty said.
Campaign finances
In the most recent FEC filings, which showed the donations and spending of campaigns, Brattin, Burks and Hueffmeier had the most significant war chests as of March 31. The next report, due next week, will show what candidates raised and spent through June 30.
Brattin amassed $113,972 as of March 31, having secured more from donors than anyone else in the field. Brattin said at the moment he’s got an edge on both advertising and grassroots advocacy.
“We’re basically the only campaign with signs or door knockers out, plus we’re running ads, getting a lot of monetary support as well as endorsements,” Brattin said.
Burks had the most money to spend, with over $1 million cash on hand as of March 31, but contributed $1 million himself with a $900,000 loan and $100,000 contribution. He collected $39,144 in contributions from others.
“We started the race a little later than usual campaign cycles, so I put in a good chunk of change to kickstart that. And fundraising this last quarter has been strong as well,” Burks said.
Hueffmeier raised $195,028 by the end of March, but nearly all of it had come through donations and loans he made to himself.
Patty raised a small amount, just short of $2,735, as of March 31.
Micah Beebe, a Lee’s Summit realtor seeking the seat, didn’t respond to a request for comment submitted on his campaign website. The Star didn’t reach Berton Knox, another candidate, after leaving voicemails on numbers associated with him in online databases. Knox doesn’t have a campaign website or a social media presence.
Beebe and Knox didn’t have any financial reports with the FEC, indicating they have had a slow start to fundraising.
