Candidates for United States Senate debated Sept. 14 at the Missouri Press Association’s 152nd Convention in St. Louis.

Incumbent Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill, Republican nominee Attorney Gen. Josh Hawley, Green Party candidate Jo Crain, and Independent candidate Craig O’Dear participated in the event held at the Sheraton Lakeside Chalet. 

Candidates spoke about their platforms, repeating catch lines as they went.

McCaskill answered questions about her years in office. Hawley at least seven times referred to McCaskill as “another Washington liberal” or noted he was not “just another Washington liberal.”

O’Dear reiterated in his answers that the government and the system are broken. Branches of government are not pulling their weight and the consequences are reverted back to the people.

Jo Crain challenged each party to deny that millennials have a right to be angry. She dared voters to be inconsistent, and to do something radical. She even went as far as to say the other candidates did not have a vision for the future.

Candidates drew numbers to determine who would answer first. Members of the press were selected prior to the event to ask the candidates questions. The Gasconade County Republican’s managing editor, Dave Marner, asked three questions during the debate, of which one will be covered here.

Citing a recent conversation with a member of a masonry crew who expressed displeasure with televised campaign commercials interrupting a Cardinals baseball game, the viewer noted he did not care for either of the major-party candidates.

“What do you say to someone who is in their 30s, works hard, and votes regularly. How do you convince them that you are the person to represent them in Washington D.C.?”

Hawley went first.

“I have heard what the people of this state said in 2016, the agenda that they voted for, and I am ready to go to Washington and fight for it,” Hawley said.

He challenged that his opponent, Sen. McCaskill, has worked to opposed President Trump’s agenda at every time. He said each time McCaskill had a chance to vote with the people, she has stayed with her party.

Hawley also challenged that “dark money” has poured into the senate race.

“I think we should at least be able to agree that we should follow the law,” Hawley said.

He continued by stating that McCaskill shares videos and messages on her website to signal to organizations what messages to use.

“It violates the spirit of the campaign and may violate the law as well,” Hawley said. “Voters deserve someone who is going to look them in the eye and level with them, and that is exactly what I am going to do.”

He wrapped up his statements by saying that, unlike McCaskill, he is “not just another Washington liberal.”

O’Dear spoke second.

“Here is what I say to those young people,” O’Dear began. “Go to UniteAmerica.org and you will see an organization that is designed to meet your concerns. I would say go to CraigO’Dear.com and you will see a candidate and a campaign who is focused on meeting your concerns.”

O’Dear said when he visits with young people at colleges, he tells them he is running for them because the government is not working for them. 

“My Social Security is going to get paid folks, yours is negotiable,” O’Dear said. “This two-party system is not working.”

McCaskill began, “You know, I hate all the third-party groups,” she said. “I think that the ‘Citizens United’ decision was the worst decision of our lifetime.”

McCaskill said Citizens United was the decision that allowed unlimited dark money to flood the airways.

“I am endorsed by ‘End Citizens United.’ Josh Hawley is endorsed by ‘Citizens United.’ Ninety percent of his campaign is third-party money and you can look online at my campaign and see who gave it to me,” McCaskill said. “I have said over and over again, ignore every commercial you cannot figure out who paid for it.”

McCaskill said if people could figure out who is running lies against her and her family, she thinks America would like the enemies she has made.

Crain began by saying she is worried about the millennials.

“Their future is blighted,” Crain said. “You can say a lot about their future, but you have to say they are dealing with student loan debt in the trillions. You have to say they are facing the biggest crisis we have eve seen with climate change. These are people who cannot afford to get married, they cannot afford to have children, and we have senators who are sitting there taking money from big donors and have absolutely no clue about how these kids are having to make it. They have no empathy. They have no compassion.”

She said they need to be unpredictable and they need to do something radical.

United States Senate candidates participated in an open debate at the Missouri Press Association (MPA) Convention Sept. 14 at the Sheraton Lakeside Chalet in St. Louis.

Gasconade County Republican Editor Dave Marner was among those journalists MPA selected to question the candidates. Candidates drew straws to see who would answer the first question about the state of the United States judicial branch. Incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill (Democrat) answer first, followed by Green Party candidate Jo Crain, Independent Party candidate Craig O’Dear, and Republican Party candidate Attn. Gen. Josh Hawley. 

https://soundcloud.com/jacob-warden-1/mo-press-debate/s-Dyh5O