On Saturday afternoon Missouri Democrats held a get out the vote kickoff rally at Congressman Emanuel Cleaver’s campaign office in Kansas City. Several statewide office holders and candidates, local office holders and candidates, and approximately two hundred activists and volunteers were in attendance.

Russ Carnahan, the Democratic Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor:

Also:

Judy Baker (D) – GOTV kickoff rally in Kansas City – October 29, 2016 (October 30, 2016)

Jason Kander (D) – GOTV kickoff rally in Kansas City – October 29, 2016 (October 30, 2016)

Chris Koster (D) – GOTV kickoff rally in Kansas City – October 29, 2016 (October 30, 2016)

Mayor Sly James (D) – GOTV kickoff rally in Kansas City – October 29, 2016 (October 30, 2016)

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D) – GOTV kickoff rally in Kansas City – October 29, 2016 (October 30, 2016)

Yesterday at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C161008: Russ Carnahan For Missouri

Committee Type: Candidate
Po Box 190033 Party Affiliation: Democrat
St Louis Mo 63119 Established Date: 01/15/2016
[….]

Candidate Treasurer Deputy Treasurer
Russ Carnahan John Ross Truman Kathryn Jayne Drennen
[….]

Election History
Election Year Primary Outcome General Outcome Political Office
2016 Lieutenant Governor

The candidates in the Democratic Party Lieutenant Governor primary (filing has yet to come) currently include Winston Apple, Brad Bradshaw, Russ Carnahan, Fred Kratky, and Tommie Pierson.

The Governor’s Ham Breakfast at the State Fair is the one annual event that is usually the largest gathering of politicians in Missouri, outside of when the General Assembly is in session. The attendance this year appeared down when compared to last year.

There was no forest of campaign signs (okay, I saw a couple of lonely Tom Schweich (r) yard signs) and no gauntlet of campaign t-shirted volunteers offering to plaster attendees with candidate campaign stickers.

Senator Claire McCaskill (D) and Attorney General Chris Koster (D) did not attend.

We spent some time talking with media people who don’t despise bloggers. Yes, there are a few. And we had the opportunity to talk with some state representatives and a state senator. We asked about the coming override vote on Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of HB 253. We got some interesting responses. It appears that the Democrats believe that if the override vote were held today the Governor’s veto would be sustained. The republicans are telling others in the media that “it’ll be close” but they believe they will have the upper hand.

The buzz is that some wavering republican representatives are receiving pressure from constituents to sustain the Governor’s veto and pressure from republican leadership, facing loss of committee chairmanships, if they do.

School districts and their constituencies have been doing a good job about communicating their displeasure with HB 253. Higher education not so much.

Nope, this wasn’t on the menu, but it was the grand champion cabbage at the Missouri State Fair.

Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander (D).

Senator Roy Blunt (r).

Speaker of the Missouri House, Timothy Jones (r).

State Auditor Tom Schweich (r).

In the parking lot, on a candidate’s vehicle:

Yeah, right, give the base a reason to sit on their hands in the general election.

The Governor’s Ham Breakfast is a convenient opportunity for getting file photographs of Missouri politicians. We take a lot of photographs. Some don’t turn out:

Facial expressions captured via still photography like this happen to everyone. That’s one reason why we take a lot of photographs.

Some do:

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r).

That’s better.

There was a sign posted at the entry this year stating that photography or video recording were forbidden, unless you had a media credential. Maybe someone thought the trackers were getting to be a bit much.

Former Representative Russ Carnahan (D).

Representative Billy Long (r).

State Senator Ron Richard (r).

State Representative Dean Dohrman (r), 51st District.

We spoke with several representatives about the upcoming override of Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of HB 253. We didn’t get to ask Representative Dean Dohrman (r). He voted for the bill in the regular session, thereby screwing school districts and the higher education institutions in or near his district.

Governor Jay Nixon (D) at the breakfast.

At the point during the breakfast that the auction of the champion hams and bacon started under the tent we exited to check out the fair. In the Home Economics Building they were checking in pies for judging.

If I had only had a fork with me…

And they were judging rabbits in the poultry/rabbit shed:

Making a run for it on the judging table…

State Treasurer Clint Zweifel (D) made the rounds on the fairgrounds after the breakfast, here greeting people in one of the agriculture buildings.

There are vendor booths all over the fairgrounds:

Is anyone surprised?

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder (r) at the republican party tent on the fairgrounds after the breakfast.

And we check one off the list:

Yes, we got a photo of the butter sculpture, sort of.

At the Missouri State Fair last night (August 11, 2013)

Of state fair rodeo announcers and clowns: res ipsa loquitur (August 12, 2013)

You know you’ve struck a nerve… (August 12, 2013)

We don’t get a lot of mail (August 13, 2013)

Seriously? (August 14, 2013)

In the parking lot at the Missouri State Fair (August 15, 2013)