A beer heiress, a former governor, and the states’ attorney general. The senate race for Senator Roy Blunt’s seat, which he has held since 2011, is already contentious and scandal-filled, even though the primary is not until August second. Candidates from both sides have already raised and spent millions of dollars, and new candidates are popping up every day.
The current Democratic candidates are Trudy Busch Valentine (Budweiser heiress), MD Rabbi Alam, Jewel Kelly, Jr., Lucas Kunce, Lewis Rolen Gena Ross, Timoth Shepard, and Spencer Toder. The candidates on the Republican side are John Brinkmann, Eric Greitens (a former governor who resigned amid infidelity and black- mail claims), Vicky Hartzler, Billy Long, Mark McCloskey, Deshon Porter, Dave Schatz, Eric Schmitt (current attorney general of Missouri), and Dave Sims.
Current political surveys are predicting a Republican victory but as we have seen in past elections, polls can be wrong. As we have seen with Senator Joe Manchin, one senator can have a huge effect on the country. So, what are the big issues that a future candidate could impact? And how will this race affect WashU students?
Student loan debt is a contentious issue that the next Missouri senator could help shape. Currently there is a freeze on student loan payments, but this ends on August 31st. President Biden has suggested extending the freeze through the year, but other Democratic politicians such as Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren are calling for more, including the cancellation of student loan debt. The payments were first paused by President Trump in March 2020, and while initially President Biden attempted to restart loan payments, he backed off and there has since been a freeze. Student loan debt will most likely come up in the next legislative session, and the new Missouri senator could help shape the debate, for either side. The impact of any decision, cancellation, continuing a freeze, or returning to normal would affect many WashU students (this author included) and the state of higher education at large.
Beyond student loans, the next senator could shape how the country and the state handles COVID-19. Mask mandates have been a contentious issue in Missouri politics. One candidate, Eric Schmitt, sued 45 school districts over mask mandates in his position as state attorney general. 28 of these schools were in the St. Louis region. While St. Louis City and County have dropped their mask mandates, COVID-19 is still an important issue, especially on WashU’s campus, as evidenced by the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases. Recovery from COVID-19 is still underway, and the next Missouri senator could shape how the country recovers. During the pandemic many students, especially students of color, fell behind in their schoolwork, many people suffered emotional trauma, homelessness, health stressors, and there was a host of other issues. As the country begins to move on, it is important to remember that these problems have not disappeared, and the next legislative session could bring them back into focus. A candidate’s stance on COVID-19 could deeply impact how the St. Louis region and the state recover. There are also larger political identity questions looming over the race.
Missouri was once considered a purple or bellwether state, but in recent years has been shifting more Republican. Missouri used to have one Democratic senator and one Republican, but currently both senators, Senator Blunt and Senator Josh Hawley are Republicans. This race could further shift the state’s political identity Republican or energize the state’s Democratic party. Furthermore, there are splits within the parties as well, especially in the Republican Party.
Republican issues mostly concern former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens. He resigned in 2018 during several investigations including one about his blackmailing of a women about an extramarital affair. In March of this year, his ex-wife accused him of physical abuse. Yet, Governor Greitens has raised over $1.4 million and has the backing of several former Trump campaign staff. The Missouri Republican party is terrified of a Greitens primary victory, and several members have called for him to drop out, including the incumbent, Senator Blunt. Greitens fate could determine the direction of the Republican Party in Missouri, a state students will live in for at least four years. So, what can students do?
For students who are registered Missouri voters, it is important to research the various candidates ahead of time. For the primary, you will be allowed to choose which party’s primary you will vote in. Be sure that you have all the required identification documents you need to vote. Even if you are registered in a different state, you probably have elections coming as well, and it is important to be an informed voter by researching these as well. If you are eligible to vote, and have not registered, you can visit the Gephardt Institute’s website for information on how to register.