2 weeks Ago By By Jack Suntrup St. Louis Post-Dispatch
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Republican U.S.
Sen. Josh Hawley and Democrat Lucas Kunce faced off Friday in a forum hosted by the Missouri Press Association in Springfield. Both major contenders quickly attacked each other, with Hawley prodding Kunce on transgender issues, energy and whether he would vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in November.
Kunce, meanwhile, tied Hawley to the state’s abortion ban that doesn’t allow for rape and incest exceptions, repeatedly accused Hawley of lying, and called the incumbent a “country club politician” when the candidates were asked about lowering health care costs. Kunce said that as a kid his family went bankrupt from medical bills. He said he doesn’t think people “should go bankrupt in this country because you’ve decided to have a kid.
I think that’s criminal. It should be changed.” Hawley, meanwhile, called for capping the cost of all prescription drugs and said he was one of a handful of Republicans to vote to cap the cost of insulin.
Early in the forum, Hawley began asking Kunce whether he would support Harris in the presidential race — a question designed to put Kunce in a tough spot, between base supporters and Trump voters whose support he seeks. Kunce didn’t say whether he would vote for Harris. “He won’t tell us who he’s voting for.
I mean this is absolutely extraordinary,” Hawley said after the debate. “I didn’t get in the Senate race to decide who the president is,” Kunce said afterward. “I got in this Senate race to deliver for Missourians, to bring money back to this state, and to make it so we can make our own decisions.
And I’ll work with any president.” The meeting was the first since the two argued over debates at the Missouri State Fair in August, and since Hawley this week agreed to a televised debate on Oct. 31.
Also included on stage were Green Party candidate Nathan Kline and Better Party candidate Jared Young — who has been endorsed by former U.S. Sen.
John Danforth. Kline said he was running against a pay-to-play political system, while Young said nothing would change if voters sent either the Democrat or Republican to Washington. Earlier Friday, the top candidates for Missouri governor debated issues such as guns and abortion.
It could be the only time Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican, and House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, a Democrat, meet at a forum or debate ahead of the Nov.
5 election. After opening statements, candidates were asked about the abortion-rights Amendment 3 on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Polling has shown Amendment 3 winning majority support, but with the help of a substantial amount of Republican voters surveyed. Quade called the current law, without rape or incest exceptions, the most extreme in the entire country. Quade said she has received calls from women sent home during active miscarry situations because they were not close enough to death.
“Our doctors are scared to do their jobs,” Quade said. Kehoe, meanwhile, pledged to do “all I can” to defeat Amendment 3. “I have had that conversation about exceptions,” Kehoe said.
“But this law goes way too far.” Also included on the debate stage were Bill Slantz of the Libertarian Party and Paul Lehmann of the Green Party. Kehoe said he also opposes Proposition A, which will raise the minimum wage and require paid sick time for workers, which Quade supports.
“We need to make sure that we let businesses set the wage,” Kehoe said. Both Kehoe and Quade said they would support Amendment 2, which would legalize sports betting. Quade said she wasn’t in love with all of wording in the bill.
But she said the status quo in Jefferson City had fought with each other instead of approving legislation. She said currently people were crossing the border to place sports bets. “That is revenue that we’re missing out on,” she said.
“I’m not a fan of gambling,” Kehoe said, but said sports betting would help potentially keep major league sports teams in Missouri..
