In the 2018 General Election Missouri voters overwhelmingly supported redistricting, ethics, and campaign finance reform in the CLEAN Missouri ballot initiative:
Judy Baker (D), candidate for 19th Senate District [2020 file photo].
This evening, from Judy Baker, a candidate in the 19th Senate District:
Judy Baker
30 mins ·
Respecting what the science of Public Health tells us, Team Baker has decided to suspend major events and gatherings. Social distancing works to contain Covid-19 and I am working with professionals and officials where I can to help meet the needs of this region. We will stay in touch through social media. The campaign is moving forward, please stay engaged. We pray for all those affected and will work to keep the community informed where we can. Baker4MO.com
Wisdom. Empathy. Concern. You know, the way it’s supposed to be.
Judy Baker (D), candidate for 19th Senate District, speaking in Sedalia, Missouri on January 25, 2020.
Lindsey Simmons, a Democratic Party candidate in the 4th Congressional District, held a campaign meet and greet event, including area and statewide candidates, in Sedalia yesterday evening.
Judy Baker (D): [….] …So I want to talk tonight about three chronic conditions that Missouri has.
The first one is, we have chronic health system failure. But what that is, is, we’ve talked about Medicaid expansion, it’s largely that. U. Medicaid expansion has two things, two big things going on with it. First of all, this, uh, administration in Missouri has kicked off over a hundred thousand children off of health care. That’s children, people. And then last week they bragged about that because they did that there is more money in the budget. And my opponent [Caleb Rowden (r)] has even said, well, because we have, we were able to do that then, you know, we might be able to give more money to education. Pitting children against their own education. How egregious is that?
Uh, and then secondarily in health care we have the money people have talked about. And I’m gonna give you a number. When we say that we’ve sent our taxpayer dollars to Washington, D.C. and we have not, we have not seen it come back because it’s been going to Illinois, and Kansas, Iowa, uh, because they all took, uh, Medicaid expansion. Even Kansas has worked a deal to do that.
It’s a big number. And it’s with a B. It’s one point eight billion dollars a year that we don’t bring back to Missouri. Every, every, every single report and study that’s been done on Medicaid expansion has shown that state revenues go up, average wage goes up. Who would like a raise? Yeah, all of us would like a raise. Uh, they way to do that is to actually do Medicaid expansion. Chronic health system failure at the hands of the current Republican leadership.
The second is chronic unfairness. Chronic unfairness, both in the country and in our state. Rising inequality, we have the highest inequality in the last fifty years. That means people are working harder and getting less. And people at the top are doing quite well, thank you very much. Less than fifty percent of Americans can even have enough at the end of the month to put anything away in saving accounts. So when they say, oh, well, you know, our 401K is doing okay, most people don’t have a 401K, thank you very much. So, chronic unfairness…
Judy Baker (D): …My opponent has worked against the, uh, Proposition Four minimum wage. So, we have, we have got to do something about that chronic problem.
And then lastly, number three, chronic political disempowerment. You all know what I mean by that, I’m having a lot of shaking heads. It means gerrymandering, it means too much money in politics, it means that one person, one vote has been diluted, particularly in Missouri.
My opponent just reported his numbers for fundraising in the fourth quarter. And it was practically all PAC money. I have real people in my report giving ten and fifty and hundred and fifty and two hundred dollars at a time. And I’m very, very proud of that. We’re not gonna win on having the most money, but we’re gonna win on having the best money. [applause]
Chronic political disempowerment. We are now governing by ballot. Do you all know what I mean by that? Missourians, whatever they want and the legislature won’t give us, which is a lot of things, we have to go to the ballot for. Like minimum wage, raising the minimum wage. Like, right to work, defeating right to work. And having fair labor practices in this state. And Clean Missouri. To get money out of politics, we had to take it to the ballot. And now to have adequate health care for our children and our citizen and our working families, we have to take it to the ballot. Why do we have to do that? Because our representatives don’t represent us anymore. They represent large interests and whoever gives them the most money…
Judy Baker (D): …So, the most important thing that you all want to hear from me tonight is how are we gonna win. Senate 19. What’s my name again? [voices:] “Judy Baker.” Judy Baker. And what’s my district? [voices:] “Senate 19.” Senate 19. It’s Columbia, Booneville, and all those areas around there.
How do we win? We barely lost this seat in 2016. We should have won this one. Tis is our seat and we’re gonna take it back. I have already [applause], yes. How are we gonna win? I already won this seat once. I told you I ran for State Treasurer in that year 2016, when I ran, if you take out just Senate 19 I actually won the district in 2016. And then Claire McCaskill won it in 2018. So, 2020, Judy Baker’s taking it back. [applause]
Clean Missouri, Clean Missouri, where we take money out of politics and we get rid of gerrymandering. Clean Missouri passed in my district, Senate District 19, with seventy-one percent of the vote. I’m telling you, right now, Caleb Rowden (r) has a problem. And that problem’s name is: [voices:] “Judy Baker.” That is right. Judy Baker is coming to get him. The train is coming through and we’re gonna take him down.
And we’re gonna show them what real representation looks like.
I can’t thank you all enough for being here tonight and supporting Democrats.
We have a webite, uh, we could use some funds. Uh, but mostly, I want you to support the host of the party tonight and thank her very much for allowing us to come and be here. [applause]
Last thing. When we win this in November, believe it or not, for Columbia and Booneville in Missouri this will be the first female state senator in those counties. [applause]
Judy Baker (D) announced today that she’s running for the 19th Senate District seat currently held by Caleb Rowden (r):
Good Afternoon! I have some big news! After much consideration and reaching out to friends, voters, and leaders in my community, I have decided to run for our State Senate seat here in mid-Missouri.
Our community needs representation that reflects its values. Our politicians in Jefferson City, MO keep voting against us. Sometimes they flat out try to overturn the will of people who have voted on ballot initiatives or sometimes they just go too far and pass an abortion ban that has no exceptions for rape and incest. Sometimes, they ignore sensible firearm legislation that would save lives. They don’t value local control and they aren’t interested in the stewardship of our planet. And then there’s the matter of kicking kids off Healthcare coverage!
I am going to stand up. I hope you will stand with me!
[….]
Yesterday at the Missouri Ethics Commission for Caleb Rowden’s (r) campaign in the 19th Senate District:
C111215 10/29/2016 FRIENDS OF CALEB ROWDEN Citizens to Elect Mike Kehoe PO Box 105527 Jefferson City MO 65110 10/27/2016 $30,000.00
C111215 10/29/2016 FRIENDS OF CALEB ROWDEN Committee to Elect Ron Richard PO Box 2523 Joplin MO 64803 10/27/2016 $30,000.00
C111215 10/29/2016 FRIENDS OF CALEB ROWDEN Missouri Senate Campaign Committee PO Box 754 Jefferson City MO 65102
10/27/2016 $50,000.00
C111215 10/29/2016 FRIENDS OF CALEB ROWDEN Central Missouri Senate Republican PAC PO Box 144 Jefferson City MO 65102 10/27/2016 $185,000.00
[emphasis added]
$295,000.00 in one day, right before the election. For a state senate seat. For a backbencher:
That’s a significant amount of money to promote a backbencher in the House with no significant legislative achievements (well, okay he thinks he does) to the Senate.
Update:
The propping up continues. Today:
C111215 10/30/2016 FRIENDS OF CALEB ROWDEN Missouri Senate Campaign Committee PO Box 754 Jefferson City MO 65102 10/28/2016 $300,000.00
That’s a significant amount of money to promote a backbencher in the House with no significant legislative achievements (well, okay he thinks he does) to the Senate.
Caleb Rowden (r) [2016 file photo].
Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission for Caleb Rowden’s (r) campaign for the open seat in the 19th Senate District:
C111215 10/09/2016 FRIENDS OF CALEB ROWDEN Missouri Senate Campaign Committee PO Box 754 Jefferson City MO 65102 10/7/2016 $12,100.00
C111215 10/09/2016 FRIENDS OF CALEB ROWDEN CNS Corporation 500 E 9th St Kansas City MO 64106 10/9/2016 $10,000.00
C111215 10/09/2016 FRIENDS OF CALEB ROWDEN Central Missouri Senate Republican PAC PO Box 144 Jefferson City MO 65102 10/9/2016 $100,000.00
C111215 10/09/2016 FRIENDS OF CALEB ROWDEN Missouri Senate Campaign Committee PO Box 754 Jefferson City MO 65102 10/9/2016 $100,000.00
[emphasis added]
Those big checks are in the statewide candidate range. The grassroots stuff must not be working out so well.
Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission for Caleb Rowden’s (r) 2016 campaign in the 19th Senate District:
C111215 09/01/2016 FRIENDS OF CALEB ROWDEN Missouri Senate Campaign Committee PO Box 754 Jefferson City MO 65102 9/1/2016 $250,000.00
[emphasis added]
They had previously dropped $100,000.00 on Caleb Rowden’s (r) campaign on June 30th.
The republican Missouri Senate Campaign Committee hashad a lot more money:
C071094: Missouri Senate Campaign Committee
Committee Type: Political Action
Po Box 754
Jefferson City Mo 65102-0754
Established Date: 04/10/2007
[….]
Information Reported On: 2016 – 8 Day Before Primary Election-8/2/2016
Beginning Money on Hand $512,252.89
Monetary Receipts + $19,501.00
Monetary Expenditures – $33,777.53
Contributions Made – $0.00
Other Disbursements – $0.00
Subtotal ($14,276.53)
Ending Money On Hand $497,976.36
[emphasis added]
And they just spent $250,000.00 of that on one republican senate candidate.
Stephen Webber’s (D) campaign has a new television ad out:
Stephen Webber (D): This is the last place I came before I deployed to Iraq. And the first when I came home.
Al Shattuck: Webber served two tours of duty in Iraq.
Al Barnes: He’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever had.
Voice: Webber was our squad leader and he definitely looked out for us.
Nic Gibbons: Webber always led from the front. He was the first vehicle, he’d lead on the patrol every single time. And he did it humbly, too.
Aaron Schulz: The reason he was in front is because if something happened he wanted to be the one up there that was in harm’s way.
Voice: When we first arrived in Fallujah it was a totally different world.
Voice: There was improvised explosive devices. We had snipers, firefights. It takes a real leader, someone like Webber that keeps his team and his squad on point all the time.
Bryan Miller: I was in the Humvee with Webber when we hit an IED. Forty pounds, C4.
Aaron Schulz: He got everybody home safe.
Voice: I believe in him as a person, as a leader, and as a friend.
Stephen Webber (D): No matter what I faced in Iraq or here at home, these names and the memory of their sacrifice humbles me and gives me the strength to serve.
[Stephen Webber for Missouri Senate]
[Paid for by Citizens for Stephen Webber, Barbara Schneider, Treasurer.]
C081079 08/21/2016 CITIZENS FOR STEPHEN WEBBER Claire McCaskill 1941 Spring House Drive St Louis MO 63122 United States Senate United States Senator 8/21/2016 $10,000.00
[emphasis added]
There is a significant difference between Stephen Webber (D) and Caleb Rowden (r).