United States Senate election in Missouri, 2016

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2016 U.S. Senate Election in Missouri
General Election Date
November 8, 2016
Primary Date
August 2, 2016
November 8 Election Winner:
Roy Blunt Republican Party
Incumbent prior to election:
Roy Blunt Republican Party
Roy Blunt.jpg
Race Ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up[1]
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up[2]
Rothenberg & Gonzales: Pure Toss-up[3]
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Voters in Missouri elected one member to the U.S. Senate in the election on November 8, 2016.

Ballotpedia rated the race for Missouri's U.S. Senate seat as a battleground, in part, because of the Democratic Party's effort to turn a state that leaned Republican into Democratic territory. However, incumbent Roy Blunt (R) won re-election, defeating Jason Kander (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Blunt also defeated Jonathan Dine (L), Fred Ryman (Constitution Party), Johnathan McFarland (G), and write-in candidates Gina Bufe and Patrick Lee.

Kander's strategy was to run as a political outsider and try to paint Blunt as a Washington insider. According to The Kansas City Star, “Kander labels Blunt the 'consummate Washington insider' and insists Blunt has lost touch with voters who sent him to the Capitol. Kander further contends that Blunt is far too cozy with lobbyists and is in fact married to one while three of his children are lobbyists.” In response, Blunt tried to tie Kander to "Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama, both of whom are unpopular in the state.”[4]

Satellite groups also sought to influence the race by spending $44,961,510. In the last weeks of the race, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee planned to spend $3.5 million to support Kander's bid to unseat Blunt. Republicans also spent money on the race to protect Blunt's seat and their majority in the Senate. The Senate Leadership Fund invested $2.5 million in Missouri in September.[5][6][7]

In his concession speech, Kander encouraged his supporters, especially his young supporters, to stay involved in politics despite the results. He said, "They need to know that I'm not OK with them stepping away, that this country is a place you've got to stay invested in. This generation is not going anywhere."[8]

In his victory speech, Blunt said, "What a great moment for our state." Blunt, who distanced himself from Trump during the campaign, was optimistic about Republican control of the presidency and Congress. He said, "A Republican president and a Republican Senate and a Republican House can do things to change this country and focus again on opportunity."[8]

This election was one of Ballotpedia's top 10 congressional races in 2016. Click here to read the full list.

HISTORICAL FACTS
  • Incumbent Sen. Roy Blunt (R) held Missouri's Senate seat since 2011.
  • Thomas F. Eagleton was the last Democrat elected to the seat. Eagleton served from 1968 to 1987.
  • The Senate seat had changed party control 12 times.
    • Candidate Filing Deadline Primary Election General Election
    March 29, 2016
    August 2, 2016
    November 8, 2016

    Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Missouri utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[9][10][11]

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.


    Incumbent: The election filled the Class 3 Senate seat held by Roy Blunt (R). He was first elected in 2010.

    Election results

    General election

    U.S. Senate, Missouri General Election, 2016
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes
         Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRoy Blunt Incumbent 49.2% 1,378,458
         Democratic Jason Kander 46.4% 1,300,200
         Libertarian Jonathan Dine 2.4% 67,738
         Green Johnathan McFarland 1.1% 30,743
         Constitution Fred Ryman 0.9% 25,407
         N/A Write-in 0% 95
    Total Votes 2,802,641
    Source: Missouri Secretary of State

    Primary election

    U.S. Senate, Missouri Republican Primary, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes
    Green check mark transparent.pngRoy Blunt 72.6% 481,444
    Kristi Nichols 20.2% 134,025
    Ryan Luethy 4.4% 29,328
    Bernie Mowinski 2.8% 18,789
    Total Votes 663,586
    Source: Missouri Secretary of State
    U.S. Senate, Missouri Democratic Primary, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes
    Green check mark transparent.pngJason Kander 69.9% 223,492
    Cori Bush 13.3% 42,453
    Chief Wana Dubie 9.5% 30,432
    Robert Mack 7.3% 23,509
    Total Votes 319,886
    Source: Missouri Secretary of State
    U.S. Senate, Missouri Libertarian Primary, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes
    Green check mark transparent.pngJonathan Dine 54.9% 2,002
    Herschel Young 45.1% 1,642
    Total Votes 3,644
    Source: Missouri Secretary of State

    Candidates

    General election candidates:

    Republican Party Roy Blunt Approveda
    Democratic Party Jason Kander
    Libertarian Party Jonathan Dine
    Green Party Johnathan McFarland
    Constitution Party Fred Ryman
    Grey.png Gina Bufe (Write-in)
    Grey.png Patrick Lee (Write-in)

    Primary candidates:[12]

    Democratic

    Cori Bush[13]
    Chief Wana Dubie[14]
    Jason Kander - Missouri Secretary of State[15] Approveda
    Robert Mack[16]

    Republican

    Roy Blunt - Incumbent Approveda
    Bernie Mowinski[14]
    Kristi Nichols[14]
    Ryan Luethy

    Third Party/Other

    Jonathan Dine (Libertarian)[14] Approveda
    Herschel Young (Libertarian)[16]
    Fred Ryman (Constitution Party)[17] Approveda
    Gina Bufe (Write-in)[18]
    Patrick Lee (Write-in)[19]

    Not running:

    Todd Akin (R)[20]

    		 Withdrew:
    MD Rabbi Alam[21][16]
    Christopher Batsche[22][16]
    Andrew Ostrowski[23][16]


    Race background

    Trump's coattails

    Blunt benefited from President Donald Trump's coattails. Trump won 57.1 percent of the vote, while Blunt won 49.4 percent of the vote, a 7.7 percent difference.

    A full breakdown of the Republican presidential and Senate races appears below.

    *Ballotpedia identified the highlighted races as battleground races and races to watch. The vote percentages are from CNN and will be updated after the final results are released.

    Debate

    Blunt, Kander, Ryman, McFarland, and Dine participated in a debate on September 30, 2016. The candidates discussed the Supreme Court vacancy, prescription opioid abuse, free college education, immigration, the Zika virus, and the Second Amendment. The full debate can be viewed here.[24]

    Primary election

    In the primary elections on August 2, 2016, Blunt defeated Republican challengers Bernie Mowinski, Kristi Nichols, and Ryan Luethy, while Kander defeated Cori Bush, Chief Wana Dubie, and Robert Mack to win the Democratic nomination. Dine defeated Herschel Young in the Libertarian primary.[25]

    Kander enters race

    The first Democratic candidate, Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, announced his entry into the race on February 19, 2015. In a video statement Kander said, "[I]t's time for a new generation of leaders."[26]

    Presidential preference

    Republican Party Roy Blunt

    See also: Republicans and their declared positions on Donald Trump and Republican reactions to 2005 Trump tape
    • On October 9, 2016, after The Washington Post released a 2005 video of Trump making comments about women that were described as "extremely lewd,” Blunt called Trump's comments "disrespectful and inappropriate." He later told a reporter that he would still vote for Trump.[27][28]
    • In March 2016, Blunt said, "I'll support the nominee. I think any of our candidates would be a better president than Secretary Clinton or Senator Sanders."[29]

    Democratic Party Jason Kander

    See also: Endorsements for Hillary Clinton
    • Kander did not attend the Democratic National Convention. According to KOMU.com, “Kander said he endorses Hillary Clinton for president, but that he's focused on his campaign.” Kander said, "I just wanted to make sure I could be here to talk to voters in Missouri, and that's exactly what we're doing.”[30]
    • On November 13, 2015, Kander joined Clinton’s “Hillary for Missouri Leadership Council.”[31]

    Issues

    Supreme Court vacancy

    See also: Supreme Court vacancy, 2016: An overview

    During the debate on September 30, 2016, the candidates were asked how they would approach their review of nominees to the United States Supreme Court. Their answers appear below.[24]

    • Kander: “I would start by meeting with them. Senator Blunt has refused to meet with the president’s nominee to the Supreme Court. … When asked why he has not, he said he did not have time. When I was in Afghanistan, there were meetings I did not want to go to in dangerous places, but I went to those meetings because it's my job. No matter who is elected President of the United States in November, when I am in the United States and, no matter who was president, no matter who they nominate, I will pledge that I will absolutely meet with them and will consider their qualifications for the court.”
    • Dine: "I would look to someone like Judge Andrew Napolitano, who is a staunch defender of both your economic freedom and your personal liberty. I would look to someone who would really believe in the Constitution and what it stands for. For far too long, the Supreme Court, supposedly the defenders of the Constitution, have sided with the state. In too many examples to list, your Fourth Amendment rights have been violated by both the NSA, the government. We need someone who is not just going to pay lip service to these things and actually stand up for your rights. Those are the types of people I would look for. It is a rare quality so you would really have to look, but Judge Andrew Napolitano is one of the best examples."
    • Ryman: "We look at the prior rulings, we would want to make sure they are Constitutional. But I think your question maybe did not go far enough. Because it's not simply about approving justices we believe will rule constitutionally. We have justices and judges that are ruling from the bench in such a way that they are creating new law. The Senate should be working with the House frankly to impeach and remove justices going far beyond the bounds of what they should be doing. I can give you several examples. Kelo v. City of New London, an eminent domain lawsuit where the courts basically substituted public benefit for public use in determining whether property could be condemned and given to another individual. South Dakota v. Elizabeth Dole, on issues of denial of funds. Again, we need to remove those that are not ruling according to the Constitution."
    • Blunt: “I think the next Senate and the next president will have an opportunity to reshape the court that you probably won’t see for two or three presidencies. We know there’s one vacancy. I think you’d have to assume in all likelihood there’d be two. I suspect there might be three and even four. One of the things voters ought to be thinking about is who is going to be nominating judges to the court and who is going to be confirming those nominations. There’s no House of Representatives’ role here. It is the Senate and the White House. And I think we need judges who will read the Constitution and try to figure out what the Constitution says rather than look at the case and try to figure out what they think the Constitution should have said. This is a big moment. Voters get a chance to be heard on this moment. There was no reason to confirm Judge Garland. He's a perfectly nice man with a perfectly bad judicial record.”
    • McFarland: "I think the Constitution reads that the president is to select a nominee for the Supreme Court, and there's not much left to the imagination. Therefore, President Obama is the president and therefore, if he chooses somebody for the Supreme Court, I feel I would have no choice but to honor that choice. And then, you know, make my decision. But I strongly feel no matter who the president is, no matter who that president chooses, I would at least entertain that idea of making that choice so that we could continue with our democracy.

    Prescription opioid abuse

    During the debate on September 30, 2016, the candidates were asked how they would handle the preseciption opioid abuse epidemic. Their answers appear below.[24]

    • Dine: “Drug use is a health issue, not a criminal justice one. Far too many people are addicted to drugs, but the stigma of persecution makes it hard to seek treatment.”
    • Ryman: “I would disagree that that is something the federal government should be involved in. It is the state's responsibility covering that, definitely.’
    • Blunt: “This is a place where listening does matter. I talk to someone he reads your paper every day who has a daughter who has a huge problem with this. We had a discussion some months ago. … Before this became a big national discussion, we cut other programs to triple the commitment we had to opioid abuse. Our teaching hospitals...are all looking at how you prescribe pain medicine in different ways. I sat down with three with them at St. Louis, kansas city university and kirksville, to talk about how they are doing this differently. Me and senator mccaskill only vote together about half the time...but this is a case where in the CARA bill -- the bill we just passed to make a more defined approach to this, we put a provision in their so our counties could link together and have their own prescription drug monitoring system.”
    • McFarland: “We need to alleviate the problems of nonviolent offenders in jail. … I don't believe we should he penalizing everybody because they are doing drugs. I think we should treat it as a health care issue… . We need funding so we should do that as opposed to throwing people in jail, which we also use funding for. That would alleviate a lot of our problems.”
    • Kander: “We do need a prescription drug abuse monitoring program. We need leadership at every level to get it. We need to do more. There have been good steps taken, but we need to do more. … We need a new generation of leadership. Folks who will focus on solutions instead of letting this become so partisan. We also need to recognize that ultimately drug use of every type tends to follow economic concerns. At a time when we have folks in Congress protecting tax breaks that send jobs overseas and backing trade deals that send jobs overseas, that does not help any situation. We need to focus on the middle class and make sure that they have more economic opportunity and traditionally when we have done that, we have seen problems like this tick downward.”

    Free college education

    During the debate on September 30, 2016, the candidates were asked if they support providing everyone with a free college education. Their answers appear below.[24]

    • Ryman: “No, I do not believe in giving away free college. … I used to be a teacher myself. I'm not speaking from complete ignorance here. I went to college for two years. I maintained a 3.2 GPA. When I went back to school at the age of 30 and had to pay for my own education, I maintained a 3.8 plus. When I went back at age 40, I maintained a 4.0. … You appreciate what you have to pay for, but more than that it's the general philosophy developing in this country where we look to the feds to solve all of our problems. And I'm sorry, but the federal government is not the solution to most of our problems. The federal government is the problem most of the time.”
    • Blunt: “I think the sort of fast talk about free college education without any real idea how to pay for it is foolish. One of the things I have tried to do and I believe we will get done this year is return to the year-round Pell grant. This is the grant you get if you truly are qualified economically to get, not a loan, but a grant. If you can go to school in the fall and the spring and stay in school in the summer and particularly if you are the first person in your family to finish college, like I was, not doing anything that disrupts that pattern, makes a difference. If you are going back to school as an adult, not having to take that semester off. If you get full Pell, there's no community college that that doesn’t pay for. It pays for all tuition, all books, all fees, and a couple of our four-year schools. Returning to the year-round Pell would be a big help to students struggling to get college."
    • McFarland: ”I believe free education is a great idea. I believe that the American people could be much more intelligent with such a device and we can work on it. We can work on it by getting there economically. Jill Stein has put together a program for a free educational system. And if we just allow our tax bracket to just be -- if we allow our taxes to go without loopholes and just allow rich people to be taxed fairly, we could see an increase of two $4 billion in our funding of the free educational system."
    • Kander: “I disagree with those who say we should make it free. It is too expensive. Here is something we can do. We can make it where people who have student loans can refinance that student loan the same way they can a home loan or an auto loan. We can cap the interest that they pay. Those are concrete things we can do that would help a lot. I personally was amazed last year when Senator Blunt said something along the lines the reason folks are graduating with so much debt is because of their lifestyle during school as if the extra bowl of ramen in the microwave was the reason that folks are graduating with an average of $26,000 of debt. It's interesting to hear Senator Blunt talk about Pell grants because Senator Blunt voted to cut Pell grants five years ago and he's talking about is a situation now where he has worked to restore the funding back to where it was. He is just taking it back to where it was before he cut it. Senator, someone who sets a fire and puts it out is not a fireman. He is an arsonist."
    • Dine: You think college is expensive now. Wait until it is free. Let's get government out of the loansharking business. Easy to secure government loans have artificially inflated the price of college. If the government was not giving out all of these loans at ridiculously high rate, colleges would be forced to let people in or go out of business. It is the same concept that went to the housing market, because the housing bubble. We are in an education bubble. We need to reevaluate our educational system in particular. We have these kids for 12 years already and we can't get them ready to join the workforce? They should graduate with a high school degree that should get them in a job. The idea you have to pay ridiculous amounts of money for a piece of paper that says now you're ready to make some money does not make sense to me. They should keep the wise words. Give a man a fish, if you demand for a day. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”

    Healthcare

    See also: Effect of the Affordable Care Act in Missouri

    As insurers left Missouri's healthcare market and residents across the country saw rising healthcare premiums, the future of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, was a central issue in the Senate race. The Hill reported that “[a]bout 85 percent of counties in Missouri will have only one insurer this fall, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.”[32] Blunt supported repealing and replacing the ACA, while Kander supported fixing the healthcare law.

    Blunt: Repeal and replace the ACA

    In an op-ed published on October 22, 2016, Blunt discussed the legislation that he introduced to protect citizens from potential penalties for not obtaining healthcare due to rising costs and limited choices and his ideas for replacing the ACA. He wrote, “Missourians shouldn’t be penalized for the president’s failure to live up to his promises. That’s why I’ve cosponsored two bills that would exempt individuals and families from the penalty if their county has either one insurance provider or none at all, or if their premiums have increased by more than 10 percent.”[33]

    Blunt proposed the following to improve healthcare:[33]

    • Expanding and reforming “high-risk pools to provide insurance options for people with pre-existing conditions;”
    • Allowing “Missourians to put more of their pre-tax dollars into portable health savings accounts and use those funds to pay their premiums;”
    • Allowing “small businesses to pool together to purchase coverage for their employees;” and
    • Allowing “families to purchase plans across state lines.”

    Blunt wrote, “Whether it’s rising premiums, sky-high deductibles or fewer health care choices, Obamacare has proven unworkable and unaffordable. That’s why I’ve voted to repeal the law, and why I’ll continue working to advance real solutions that will ensure Missourians have access to quality health care they can afford.”[33]

    Blunt supports the House GOP healthcare plan

    In June, House Republicans introduced their “A Better Way” healthcare plan to replace the ACA. According to Cincinnati.com, the plan proposed the following:[34]

    • ”Provide refundable tax credits to help defray the costs of insurance, as the Obamacare subsidies do now. The credits would apply to a wider array of insurance options, however, and they would come with fewer strings attached.”
    • ”Cap damages patients can receive in medical malpractice cases, which Republicans argue would ease pressure on doctors to practice ‘defensive medicine’ to shield themselves from frivolous lawsuits. Democrats say it would close off a legitimate remedy for patients who have received inappropriate medical treatment.”
    • ”Shift the sickest Americans into federally subsidized high-risk pools run at the state level, which supporters say would lower the cost of insurance for healthier individuals who don’t need extensive health services.”

    Commenting on the plan, Blunt said, “I think you would see the cost to the consumer reduced significantly. By allowing consumers to purchase the coverage they need rather than the coverage the government believes they need, insurance companies can go back to offering appropriate coverage and lowering premiums and deductibles.”[34]

    Kander: Fix the ACA

    Kander supported fixing the ACA by doing the following, according to Cincinnati.com:[35]

    • ”Repealing the ‘Cadillac tax’ on generous employer-sponsored plans, which was aimed at limiting bells-and-whistles coverage but could hit some union workers who have high-end insurance;”
    • ”Increasing the number of hours an employee can work before his or her employer must offer health insurance under the Affordable Care Act;”
    • ”Giving tax breaks to more small businesses that provide health insurance to their employees. The ACA now provides such breaks to companies with up to 25 employees, and Kander wants to expand that to firms with up to 50 employees;” and
    • Creating “a new scaled-down coverage option on the health exchanges for ‘people who are fortunate enough to not need much medical care.”

    Kander said, “There are clearly changes that need to be made to the Affordable Care Act to better incentivize insurers so that their participation becomes the best business decision.”[34]

    Kander said he does not support a limited “public option,” which was proposed by Hillary Clinton.[34]

    Campaign themes

    Democratic Party Jason Kander

    The following issues were listed on Kander's campaign website.[36]

    • Advocating for Veterans and Military Families:
    • Served "in Afghanistan in the Army as a military intelligence officer."
    • Understands "the unique challenges veterans face upon returning home and the need for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs to provide the highest level of service to veterans."
    • Proposed and helped pass the “Startups for Soldiers” Act, "which waived all business start-up fees for members of the National Guard and active duty military members returning to Missouri."
    • Created a "website for service members to request an absentee ballot online."
    • Supported the effort to get "Fort Leonard Wood in the Ozarks to be the site for an Army research trial on PTSD."
    • Supporting Missouri Businesses:
    • Working on "legislation to reduce business fees to the lowest in the nation and eliminate unnecessary paperwork for family farms."
    • Pushed to allow Missourians to file business forms online.
    • "[L]aunched #FergusonRebuild, a nonprofit initiative to raise private money to provide grants to businesses in Ferguson and the surrounding area that were damaged or destroyed during the unrest."
    • Fighting for the Middle Class:
    • "[H]elped return millions of dollars to Missourians who were scammed out of their hard earned savings."
    • Worked "to get $21.5 million for Missouri taxpayers after an investigation into Standard & Poor’s revealed the company had mislead Missourians."
    • "[F]ought to expand health care coverage for all Missourians, especially children."
    • Supports early childhood education.
    • Former member of the United Transportation Union.
    • Member "of the legal team that advised the Kansas City Fraternal Order of Police when it was officially recognized as a union by the police department."
    • Pushing for Open and Honest Government:
    • "[C]reated a public comment period when drafting the summary language for ballot questions."
    • "[S]tarted an initiative to make the state legislature more open and accessible to Missourians, www.TheMissouriChannel.com."
    • "[C]ut more than $1 million from his office’s budget while simultaneously offering more services than any Secretary of State has in the past" by examining his budget line-by-line.
    • Standing up for Women:
    • Believes "women still face barriers to equality."
    • Supports "equal pay for equal work, high-quality, affordable child care, and earned paid sick leave for women in the workplace."
    • Opposes "attempts by the government to interfere with the personal healthcare decisions of women in Missouri."
    • "[H]elped take Missouri’s human trafficking laws from some of the weakest to some of the strongest in the country."
    • "[S]pearheaded legislation that expanded his office’s Safe at Home program to protect victims of domestic violence and sexual assault."
    • Holding Politicians Accountable:
    • Supports "campaign finance and ethics reform."
    • "[W]orked with a Republican to pass the first ethics reform bill in Missouri in over 20 years."
    • "Instituted an ethics policy that prevents secretary of state staff members "from taking gifts from lobbyists."
    • Standing Up for Missouri Farmers:
    • Supports "cutting red tape and reducing burdensome regulations for farmers and ranchers."
    • Proposed eliminating "unnecessary paperwork and fees for family farms."
    • "[O]pposed Congress’ decision to sneak in a provision that repealed country-of-origin labeling in the omnibus spending bill at the end of last year."
    • "[S]upports establishing normal trade relations with Cuba because it would create vast business opportunities for Missouri farmers and ranchers."
    • Protecting Our Environment:
    • "[S]upports smart environmental policies that go hand-in-hand with growing our economy."
    • Believes "climate change is a real consequence of human activity."
    • Supports "reducing carbon pollution and accelerating our transition to clean energy."
    • Supports investing in wind, solar, and geothermal energy.
    • Supports providing "tax relief to families and businesses that make their homes and offices more efficient."
    • Supported the Missouri Clean Energy Act.
    • Advocating for the Black Community:
    • Believes that "Black Lives Matter."
    • Called on lawmakers to find solutions that build trust between law enforcement and citizens with the implementation of body cameras and additional community policing."
    • "[E]stablished #FergusonRebuild, a nonprofit initiative that raised $150,000 in private money to help businesses in North St. Louis County that were damaged or destroyed after the death of Michael Brown."
    • "[W]orked to fight against extreme voter photo ID laws."
    • "[S]upports 'Ban the Box' proposals."
    • Believes "[s]ystems of racial bias and prejudice continue to adversely affect predominately Black communities in Missouri and across the nation."

    Libertarian Party Jonathan Dine

    The following issues were listed on Dine's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

    “
    • Personal Liberties & Freedom: The answer to America’s political problems is the same commitment to freedom that earned America its greatness: a dedication to civil liberties and personal freedom that marks this country above all others.
    • Job Creation & Economy: I believe our current career politicians have brought us to the brink of a fiscal disaster with their reckless tax, borrow and spend polices. I support balancing the budget in 2013 and I will vote NO to any legislation containing earmarks or where spending exceeds revenue.
    • Health Care: I am against any type of government run HealthCare. National HealthCare means combining the efficiency of the Postal Service with the compassion of the I.R.S and the cost accounting of the Pentagon. I favor restoring and reviving a free market health care system.
    • Income Taxes: I believe that all Americans are entitled to keep the fruits of their labor. As your Senator I will call for the repeal of the federal income tax and the abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service.
    • 2nd Amendment: I affirm the individual right recognized by the 2nd Amendment to keep and bear arms. I believe the only legitimate use of force is in defense of individual rights: life, liberty, and justly acquired property — against aggression.

    [37]

    		”
    —Jonathan Dine's campaign website, http://www.vote4dine.com/issues/

    Constitution Party Fred Ryman

    The following issues were listed on Ryman's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

    “
    • Tax Reform and the 16th Amendment: EVERYBODY has a tax plan! The Flat Tax, the Fair tax, the 9-9-9 plan... Whatever! My Decentralized Tax Plan is the best tax plan you have never heard of because it is not a single, one-size-fits-all tax plan.
    • Illegal Immigration and Immigration Reform: The openness of our borders poses a clear and present danger to the security of our nation and the two parties who allow it to continue are, plainly, subversive of the Constitution they swore to defend. We have no idea who might be crossing our border and the sheer numbers of that migration makes detection of those with hostile motivations all the more difficult.
    • States' Rights and the 17th Amendment: I support the repeal of the 17th Amendment which allowed U.S. Senators to be elected by popular vote rather than by the State legislature.
    • Terrorism and Militant Islamic Jihad: Of all the solutions addressed, herein, this is the one solution that must remain somewhat hidden, because it would be utter foolishness to announce a battle plan and expect the enemy to simply allow it to proceed as planned. So, in this instance, I must break my own rule and say, "I have a plan. It is a sound military plan that will effectually end the ability of ISIS to function in fairly short order."
    • Gun Control and the 2nd Amendment: Some people misunderstand the nature of rights. A "right" is not granted to us by our laws, or Constitution, or Bill of Rights. A right is granted to us by our Creator. The founding fathers saw fit to enumerate many of these rights in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights to ensure that we, the people, understood them to be rights that could not be taken away by any tyrant, foreign or domestic.

    [37]

    		”
    —Fred Ryman's campaign website, http://www.voteforfred.org/solutions

    Endorsements

    Republican Party Roy Blunt

    • Kansas City Star - "Blunt knows how to get things done. And he does them for the benefit of the Missourians he represents."[38]
    • St. Joseph News-Press Now - "We endorse Blunt for re-election on Nov. 8 based on his extensive record of leadership and service. His chief challenger, Democrat Jason Kander, trails in both areas and would pursue a clearly more liberal agenda."[39]
    • The Joplin Globe - "In these most uncertain times, The Joplin Globe’s editorial board recommends keeping Blunt, along with his experience and leadership, in Congress."[40]

    Democratic Party Jason Kander

    • The St. Louis Post-Dispatch - "Ideological extremists have made a mess of Washington. Kander’s voice of moderation is what the Senate needs to end the partisan rancor."[41]
    • The Columbia Daily Tribune - "If elected, Kander would be a competent senator and appealing for many because he would not be another retrograde Republican. He would work to overturn Citizens United, the 5-4 Supreme Court decision allowing unlimited campaign contributions. He would support a President Clinton’s appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court. He would work to upgrade, not defeat, the Affordable Care Act. And so on."[42]
    • The St. Louis American - "We will add our ringing endorsement just as loudly – and emphasize, along with Booker, that it’s only an especially strong black voter turnout in this red state on November 8 that can elevate Kander to the Senate. We strongly endorse JASON KANDER FOR U.S. SENATE."[43]

    Polls

    Missouri Senate - Roy Blunt vs. Jason Kander
    Poll Republican Party Roy Blunt Democratic Party Jason KanderMargin of ErrorSample Size
    Emerson College
    October 17-19, 2016    		 44%44%+/-3.9600
    Monmouth University
    October 9-11, 2016    		 46%44%+/-4.9406
    Emerson College
    September 9-13, 2016    		 40%42%+/-3.9600
    Remington Research Group (R)
    September 1-2, 2016    		 47%40%+/-3.01,275
    Monmouth University
    August 19-22, 2016    		 48%43%+/-4.9401
    Remington Research Group (R)
    August 5-6, 2016    		 47%40%+/-3.01,280
    Remington Research Group (R)
    February 19, 2015    		 49%36%+/-3.2957
    Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected]

    Media

    Republican Party Roy Blunt

    Support

    "Heroes" - One Nation ad supporting Blunt, released October 2015
    "Don't Serve Alone" - One Nation ad supporting Blunt, released June 2016
    "Right Direction" - Blunt ad attacking Jason Kander, released August 2016
    "Not Just Incompetent" - Blunt ad attacking Jason Kander, released August 2016
    "Dr. Bane" - One Nation ad supporting Blunt, released August 2016
    "Clear Choice" - Blunt campaign ad, released September 2016
    "Heavy Toll" - One Nation ad supporting Blunt, released September 2016
    "Promise of America" - Blunt campaign ad, released October 2016
    "Heather" - Blunt campaign ad, released October 2016
    "Shawn" - Blunt campaign ad, released October 2016

    Opposition

    "Question" - Kander ad attacking Blunt, released August 2016
    " Just Fine" - DSCC ad attacking Blunt, released September 2016
    "Family Business" - Kander ad attacking Blunt, released September 2016
    "Long Enough" - Majority Forward ad attacking Blunt, released September 2016
    "Conflict" - DSCC ad attacking Blunt, released October 2016
    "There's More" - End Citizens United ad attacking Blunt, released October 2016

    Democratic Party Jason Kander

    Support

    "All of Us" - Kander campaign ad, released September 2016
    "Background Checks" - Kander campaign ad, released September 2016
    "Came Home" - Kander campaign ad, released October 2016
    "Represent" - VoteVets ad supporting Kander, released October 2016

    Opposition

    "Promotion" - Blunt ad attacking Kander, released August 2016
    "Only One" - Blunt ad attacking Kander, released September 2016
    "Jason Kander is Trying to Cover Up His Anti-Gun Record" - NRA ad opposing Kander
    "Wanted More" - NRSC ad opposing Kander, released September 2016
    "Across The Board" - Senate Leadership Fund ad opposing Kander, released September 2016
    "Mutual Agreement" - Blunt ad tying Kander to Hillary Clinton, released September 2016
    "Extreme" - NRSC ad opposing Kander, released September 2016
    "Copy Machine" - Senate Leadership Fund ad opposing Kander, released October 2016

    Campaign contributions

    Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.
    Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

    Roy Blunt

    Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

    Jason Kander

    Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

    Presidential impact

    Presidential elections have a significant impact on congressional elections, the most obvious of which is increased voter interest and participation. In the last two decades, presidential elections have led to roughly 15 to 20 percent higher turnout rates than in the corresponding midterm elections.[44] The following chart shows the disparity between voter turnout in presidential elections and midterms.

    Voter turnout comparison.JPG

    In the past decade, presidential elections have benefited the Democratic Party, while midterms have helped Republicans. The Democratic Party gained an average of 5 Senate seats in the last two presidential elections, and the Republican Party picked up an average of 7.5 seats in the last two midterms.[45] The fact that 2016 was a presidential election cycle was a cause of increased Republican vulnerability in the Senate.

    Election history

    2012

    See also: United States Senate elections in Missouri, 2012

    On November 6, 2012, Incumbent Claire McCaskill (D) won re-election to the United States Senate. She defeated Todd Akin (R), Jonathan Dine (L) and several write-in candidates in the general election.

    U.S. Senate, Missouri, General Election, 2012
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes
         Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngClaire McCaskill Incumbent 54.8% 1,494,125
         Republican Todd Akin 39.1% 1,066,159
         Libertarian Jonathan Dine 6.1% 165,468
         Write-in Ted Kimzey 0% 15
         Write-in Bernard J. "Spark" Duraski, Jr. 0% 9
         Write-in William Dean 0% 6
         Write-in Bernie Mowinksi 0% 5
         Write-in Charlie L. Bailey 0% 4
         Write-in Arnie C. "AC" Dienoff 0% 2
    Total Votes 2,725,793
    Source: Missouri Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

    2010

    On November 2, 2010, Roy Blunt won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Robin Carnahan (D), Jonathan Dine (L), Jerry Beck (Constitution) and numerous write-in candidates in the general election.[46]

    U.S. Senate, Missouri General Election, 2010
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes
         Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRoy Blunt 54.2% 1,054,160
         Democratic Robin Carnahan 40.6% 789,736
         Libertarian Jonathan Dine 3% 58,663
         Constitution Jerry Beck 2.1% 41,309
         Write-in Dale M. Hoinoski 0% 14
         Write-in Frazier Glenn Miller, Jr. 0% 7
         Write-in Jeff Wirick 0% 4
         Write-in Charlie L. Bailey 0% 3
         Write-in Richie L. Wolfe 0% 2
         Write-in Mark S. Memoly 0% 1
    Total Votes 1,943,899

    Important dates and deadlines

    See also: Missouri elections, 2016

    The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in Missouri in 2016.

    Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016
    Deadline Event type Event description
    November 7, 2015 Ballot access Filing period opens for presidential preference primary
    December 22, 2015 Ballot access Filing period closes for presidential preference primary
    January 15, 2016 Campaign finance January quarterly report due (for period ending December 31, 2015)
    February 23, 2016 Ballot access Filing period opens for primary election
    March 15, 2016 Election date Presidential preference primary election
    March 29, 2016 Ballot access Filing period closes for primary election
    April 15, 2016 Campaign finance April quarterly report due (for period ending March 31, 2016)
    July 15, 2016 Campaign finance July quarterly report due (for period ending June 30, 2016)
    July 19, 2016 Ballot access Filing period opens for general election
    July 25, 2016 Campaign finance 8-day before election report due (primary)
    August 2, 2016 Election date Primary election
    August 23, 2016 Ballot access Filing period closes for general election
    September 1, 2016 Campaign finance 30-day after election report due (primary)
    October 17, 2016 Campaign finance October quarterly report due (for period ending September 30, 2016)
    October 31, 2016 Campaign finance 8-day before election report due (general)
    November 8, 2016 Election date General election
    December 8, 2016 Campaign finance 30-day after election report due (general)
    Sources: Missouri Secretary of State, "2016 Missouri Election Calendar," accessed June 12, 2015
    Missouri Ethics Commission, "2016 Campaign Finance Filing Requirements and Dates," accessed July 17, 2015

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2016 Senate Race Ratings," accessed October 18, 2016
    2. ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2016 Senate," accessed October 18, 2016
    3. ↑ Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, "Senate Ratings," accessed October 18, 2016
    4. ↑ Kansas City Star, "Roy Blunt the insider vs. Jason Kander the outsider sums up U.S. Senate contest in Missouri," accessed September 27, 2016
    5. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed November 12, 2016
    6. ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Missouri Senate race unique in complex national cross-currents of 2016," accessed September 30, 2016
    7. ↑ National Review, "Missouri’s Senate Race Wasn’t Supposed to Be This Close," accessed September 30, 2016
    8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Military Times, "Incumbent Blunt defeats Kander in Missouri Senate race," accessed November 12, 2016
    9. ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed April 4, 2023
    10. ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
    11. ↑ John R. Ashcroft Missouri Secretary of State,"Frequently Asked Questions," accessed April 4, 2023
    12. ↑ Candidates are listed by party and alphabetically within each party.
    13. ↑ Cori Bush for U.S. Senate, "Cori Bush Files For U.S. Senate Democratic Nomination," February 24, 2016
    14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 The Green Papers, "Missouri 2016 General Election," accessed March 25, 2016
    15. ↑ News-Press Now, "Kander announces run for U.S. Senate ," February 19, 2015
    16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Missouri Secretary of State, "UNOFFICIAL Candidate Filing List," accessed March 30, 2016
    17. ↑ Fred Ryman for U.S. Senate, "Homepage," accessed March 25, 2016
    18. ↑ Email submission to Ballotpedia, April 24, 2016
    19. ↑ Email submission to Ballotpedia, July 29, 2016
    20. ↑ The Hill, "The return of Todd Akin? ," February 25, 2015
    21. ↑ Alam4Senate, "Home," accessed May 18, 2015
    22. ↑ Christopher Batsche for U.S. Senate, "Home," accessed October 2, 2015
    23. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Current candidate information," accessed March 25, 2016
    24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 C-Span, "Missouri Senate Debate," accessed October 25, 2016
    25. ↑ Politico, "Missouri House Primaries Results," August 2, 2016
    26. ↑ News-Press Now, "Kander announces run for U.S. Senate," February 19, 2015
    27. ↑ The Washington Post, "Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005," October 8, 2016
    28. ↑ The Arizona Republic, "Blunt: Trump's remarks 'inappropriate,' still voting for him," accessed October 31, 2016
    29. ↑ NBC News, "Twelve GOP Senators Up For Re-Election Would Back Trump," accessed October 31, 2016
    30. ↑ KOMU.com, "Jason Kander visits Columbia in 50-stop bus tour," accessed October 31, 2016
    31. ↑ The Missouri Times, "Clinton Campaign Announces Hillary for Missouri Leadership Council," accessed October 31, 2016
    32. ↑ The Hill, "GOP senator in tight race doubles down on ObamaCare attacks," accessed October 25, 2016
    33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 News-Leader, "Blunt: Obamacare is a disaster," accessed October 25, 2016
    34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 Cincinnati.com, "Health care law a flashpoint in Kander-Blunt Senate race," accessed October 25, 2016
    35. ↑ News-Leader, Blunt: Obamacare is a disaster, accessed October 25, 2016
    36. ↑ JasonKander.com, "Issues," accessed September 28, 2016
    37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    38. ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Roy Blunt deserves re-election to the U.S. Senate," accessed October 31, 2016
    39. ↑ News-Press Now, "Blunt has earned return to Senate," accessed October 31, 2016
    40. ↑ The Joplin Globe, "Our View: Blunt gets the job done," accessed October 31, 2016
    41. ↑ The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Editorial: Jason Kander for U.S. Senate," accessed October 31, 2016
    42. ↑ The Columbia Daily Tribune, "U.S. Senate: Blunt vs. Kander," accessed October 31, 2016
    43. ↑ The St. Louis American, "The American endorses Kander, Koster, Clay, Otto," accessed October 31, 2016
    44. ↑ United States Election Project, "Voter Turnout," accessed September 6, 2015
    45. ↑ United States Senate, "Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present," accessed September 6, 2015
    46. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
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    Missouri's current delegation to the United States Congress
    Senators
    Josh Hawley (R)
    Eric Schmitt (R)
    Representatives
    District 1
    Cori Bush (D)
    District 2
    District 3
    District 4
    District 5
    District 6
    District 7
    District 8
    Republican Party (8)
    Democratic Party (2)

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