MO's Political Royalty Descend on Kit Bond's Senate Seat

If you’re looking for political drama, may I suggest the 2010 Missouri Senate Race to replace retiring senior senator, Kit Bond.

The Players:

Sarah Steelman - Missouri State Treasurer (R) - recently lost the republican primary for Governor of Missouri to Kenny Hulshof (R), who went on to run against Jay Nixon (D). Nixon won the election to replace Matt Blunt (R), son of Representative Roy Blunt (R). Her husband is David Steelman, republican leader in the Missouri House and his father is Dorman Steelman, former chairman of the Missouri Republican Party. Steelman was highly endorsed by talking head and blowhard, Glen Beck (pre-FOX) for standing out against her own party. This video is quite good, in spite of the host.

Robin Carnahan – Missouri Secreatary of State (D) – daughter of Mel Carnahan (2 term Governor of Missouri), who ran for Senate against John Ashcroft in 2000. He died in a tragic plane crash with his son just weeks before the election. For the first time in Senate history, Carnahan won the seat after his death. His wife, Jean Carnahan, was appointed to his seat and served until 2002 when she was defeated in a special election by Jim Talent (who was recently replaced by Claire McCaskill). In recent news, Carnahan just went after investment advisors who give ill advice to senior citizens and has returned with reimbursement orders and substantial fines for offenders. http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/02/16/daily35.html?ana=from_rss

Roy Blunt – Missouri Congressman (R); Re-elected 6 times since 1996. Roy is the son of Leroy Blunt, former Missouri State Representative and the man (most) sick of being John Boehner’s bitch after losing out to him for the position of House Majority Leader in 2006 after replacing DeLay as interim. Blunt has made unsuccessful runs at both Governor and Lt. Governor in the state of Missouri and now serves as Minority Whip and grumbling mouthpiece for the Republicans, but has (recently) been quite absent from their televised outrage.
You can twitter Roy at https://twitter.com/RoyBlunt (That is irrelevant, but I found it hilarious!!! Who wants to twitter with Roy Blunt??? I don't need to twitter him because I can visit his satellite office anytime I want ~ it's in the mall right up from TJ Maxx ... )

* There was recently a rumor that Matt Blunt had planned to run for Bond's seat, but that unresolved personal property tax issues raised during McCaskill's candidacy, made that impossible.

In recent elections, Missouri has sent Claire McCaskill (D) to the Senate and Jay Nixon (D) to the Governor’s Mansion. During the presidential election, Missouri was the very last state to confirm its votes. Missouri’s 11 electoral votes eventually went to John McCain who received 49.43% of the votes, while Barack Obama received 49.29% of the votes – a very, very tight race by any standards.

Biden & Nixon in Springfield, MO ~ Oct. 2008

Losing Blunt in the House is not big news to Democrats and it won’t make or break their majority, however, the election of Robin Carnahan to Kit Bond’s Senate seat is a definite advantage.

All three candidates are very well connected and well funded. This promises to play out like a political cage match … stay tuned.