The Star Editorial Board’s endorsement for U.S. senator and other Missouri races | Opinion

Here are the U.S. Senate and statewide candidates we endorse for the general election and August 6 primary. Read more here to learn about which races The Star Editorial Board is making endorsements for, and check out our Voter Guide.

U.S. senator

Four Democrats are seeking the nomination to run against incumbent U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley in the general election.

We recommend Lucas Kunce in the race.

Kunce is a lawyer and former U.S. Marine, serving for a time in Iraq. His extensive legal and military experience far outpaces Hawley’s.

Kunce ran for the Senate two years ago, losing the primary to Trudy Busch Valentine, who entered the race at the request of some Democratic activists. Valentine ran a credible campaign but lost the general election to Eric Schmitt, leaving Missouri with two right-wing politicians as senators.

Kunce offers Democrats, and Missourians, a chance to change that sorry outcome.

Kunce has worked to assemble a coalition of workers and organized labor with veterans and women’s rights supporters. “I’m running for U.S. Senate because I think working people should be calling the shots in our country,” he told us in our primary survey.

He has pushed for stronger gun control laws — restrictions that reach beyond red-flag statutes and background checks. We think that’s the right approach. The next senator from Missouri should lead the effort to reduce bloodshed across the country.

“We also need to invest in our communities and neighborhoods where crime is worse,” Kunce told us. “We need to reinvigorate these neighborhoods and communities, and double down on our commitment and funding to public schools.”

He faces two major candidates in the primary: December Harmon and Karla May. A third candidate, Mita Biswas, is also in the race.

May is a veteran of the state legislature, having served in the state House and Senate from St. Louis. She has criticized the U.S. Supreme Court, and Hawley, but her campaign has been less than visible across Missouri.

Harmon is a community activist in Columbia. She has interesting and provocative ideas, including lowering the voting age to 16, free school lunches and an end to qualified immunity for police officers. “We have to stop treating those performing a job as higher than the law,” she says on her campaign website.

Both May and Harmon offer needed perspectives on issues facing the next senator from Missouri. For Democrats, though, beating Hawley must be the primary goal, and Kunce, who is well-financed, offers the best opportunity for that.

To be sure, Kunce has been criticized by some for his aggressive campaign speeches and interviews. Two years ago he faced residency questions as well (questions Hawley will undoubtedly face this fall). Kunce isn’t the perfect candidate, but we think he’s good enough to challenge Hawley for the seat.

Missouri secretary of state - Republican Party

In another statewide race, we recommend Shane Schoeller for the Republican nomination for Missouri secretary of state.

Schoeller is an island of relative reasonableness in a sea of weird. He’s currently the county clerk in Greene County, where he — shockingly — says both parties can work on election integrity in good faith.

Make no mistake: Schoeller is a conservative. He’s a former member of the legislature and one-time executive director of the Missouri Republican Party. He understands government and politics.

But let’s consider some of the alternatives.

Do you pick Denny Hoskins, a right-wing state senator facing a defamation lawsuit over tweets posted about the shooting at the Chiefs Super Bowl parade in February? Or Mary Elizabeth Coleman, a state senator who drew up Missouri’s near-ban on all abortions?

How about Dean Plocher, the scandal-plagued former Missouri House speaker? Or Valentina Gomez, who tells Missourians “don’t be weak and gay” while wearing what appears to be body armor, or posts videos taking a flamethrower to minority-themed books?

All of this for a job that keeps track of business registrations and has broad oversight, but little actual responsibility, for voting in the state.

Other Republican candidates include Adam Schwadron, Jamie Corley and Mike Carter.

Missouri secretary of state - Democratic Party

The Democratic primary candidates for Missouri secretary of state are Monique Williams, Barbara Phifer and Haley Jacobson, all of St. Louis. We make no recommendation in this race at this time but will at a future date.

Missouri attorney general

There is another statewide primary on the August ballot in Missouri. We had hoped to make recommendations in that race as well.

We can’t.

In the Republican primary for attorney general, incumbent Andrew Bailey opposes lawyer Will Scharf.

Bailey embarrasses Missouri on an hourly basis. Instead of doing his actual job — you know, the one Missourians pay for — Bailey files frivolous lawsuit after frivolous lawsuit, not because he expects to win but because it draws right-wing attention like flies at a landfill.

And he loses almost all of those suits. He may be the single worst lawyer in Missouri (the bar is high, of course). Meanwhile, open records requests languish in Bailey’s office for months. He fights to keep innocent people in jail. He doesn’t do his job and does not deserve election.

Will Scharf? He has represented former President Donald Trump, including the effort to find presidents have immunity from criminal prosecution for “official” acts in office. Does Missouri need an attorney general who believes the president is a king?

No, it doesn’t. Neither deserves a single vote for the job he seeks.

This story was originally published July 16, 2024 at 5:06 AM.