Missouri GOP Candidates Spend Millions on Lieutenant Governor Primary

Unlike many other states, Missouri’s lieutenant governor does not run on a ticket with the governor, but is elected by voters. Five Republicans are seeking the nomination, despite the office’s limited authority.

The main requirement for Missouri’s lieutenant governor is that he or she take over the governorship if his or her predecessor steps down, just as Mike Parsons did in 2018 after then-Governor Eric Greitens was forced to resign amid allegations of violating campaign finance rules and engaging in sexually coercive behavior and blackmail.

But despite recent history, the regular duties of a Missouri lieutenant governor include serving on various state boards and commissions, presiding over the Senate, separating power struggles when necessary, and advocating for the interests of the state’s older residents.

It seems odd, then, that GOP candidates spent nearly $2.5 million, with a few million more on hand, to secure the nomination in the August primary. It’s one of the hottest races this year, with two senators, a lawyer, a clerk and a businessman no stranger to campaigns all vying for the nod.

One of the biggest spenders looking to stand out from the crowd is Sen. Lincoln Hough of Springfield. His campaign fund has spent $227,058 and a joint fundraising PAC, Lincoln PAC, has spent $1,356,387 through July 15 filings.

Hough served for several years in the Missouri House of Representatives before winning a seat in the Senate for Greene County.

He says a lieutenant governor is best suited to serve in a complementary role to the governor. If he wins, he says his main focus would be on promoting Missouri and supporting ongoing initiatives, such as expanding 200 miles of I-70 from two lanes to three.

“If you go back 15 years … I probably didn’t know what the lieutenant governor was in this state and I-70 was a choke point in this country at the time,” Hough said during his campaign announcement in February of this year. “In the next couple of years, I-70 is going to regain its place as the main artery through this country.”

Tristen Rouse

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St. Louis Public Radio

Hough, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, helped craft the state budget to make the interstate expansion possible, increasing state spending last year to fund the project.

He also sponsored a 2022 tax cut that would provide the largest income tax cuts for Missouri’s highest earners. Hough describes the move as supporting the largest tax cut in state history.

During his campaign, he also emphasized border security, an issue he expects to continue to focus on if he wins.

Senator Holly Rehder of Scott City told 101.9 NewsTalk STL in June that she likes the position because of the opportunity to work on specific issues, rather than the broad topics that come up in the Legislature.

““I see it as a great opportunity to focus on some of the mental health and addiction needs in our state and really try to make a difference in those areas,” Rehder said.

Through July 15, Rehder’s campaign has spent $224,282 and Southern Drawl PAC, a joint fundraising committee, has spent $42,995.18 this election cycle.

She said her values ​​are based on faith and life experiences growing up with drug addiction and domestic violence. Rehder — who married at 15 and became a mother at 16 — also introduced a bill earlier this year to ban child marriage in Missouri, but that bill failed to pass.

Annelise Hanshaw

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Missouri Independent

Rehder said the state needs “strong, unwavering leadership on conservative values.” She also sponsored a bill — now a law — that would restrict athletes to participating in male or female sports based on their sex at birth.

She has also supported bills to loosen gun restrictions, including one that would allow gun owners to openly carry weapons without a permit. She opposes safety measures such as “red flag” laws.

““When it comes to me, I have conversations with my family and with God,” Rehder told NewsTalk STL.

Rehder would be only the second woman to win the office. The first was Democrat Harriet Woods, who was elected in the 1980s.

Rehder and Hough did not respond to interview requests about their respective campaigns.

Dave Wasinger, a St. Louis attorney for a law firm he owns and runs, ran for state auditor in 2018 but lost the Republican primary.

Wasinger said he is the most conservative in the field. A campaign ad for Wasinger claims he will “drain the Jefferson City Swamp and help Trump deport the illegals.”

Wasinger is also a certified public accountant who has used more than $2 million of his own money to boost his campaign. He has spent $495,808 so far, according to campaign filings as of July 15.

His interest as lieutenant governor is not so much in continuing the work in the statehouse but in a thorough overhaul of it, he said.

““Missourians want change,” Wasinger said. “I will use the lieutenant governor’s office as a platform to expose the corruption and insider deals happening in Jefferson City.”

After the 2008 financial crisis, Wasinger successfully litigated financial fraud cases against JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America on behalf of whistleblowers. He said the experience gives him the tools to take on “special interests in the statehouse.”

Wasinger, who grew up in Hannibal and attended the University of Missouri, described himself as an “America first conservative” on fiscal, social and constitutional issues. In addition to shaking up the statehouse, Wasinger said he plans to focus on reducing crime to increase tourism, jobs and revenue.

Two other candidates from outside the legislature are also vying for a spot. Paul Berry III is a St. Louis County businessman who has run unsuccessfully five times since 2012. Berry, a native of Bridgerton, is the second cousin of rock ‘n’ roll legend Chuck Berry.

Of the five GOP candidates still in the race, he has spent the least money.

Like Berry, Tim Baker has run for and lost multiple times. Baker made three unsuccessful attempts to become Franklin County Commissioner before being elected county clerk.

Baker’s campaign has spent about $12,393 through July 15.

According to the Missouri Independent, Baker said the importance of the lieutenant governor’s office lies in the boards they serve on, particularly veterans and tourism. Baker lives in Robertsville.

A previous candidate, Matthew E. Porter, suspended his campaign in early July.

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