At 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29, 2022 filing for candidacy for state senate and state representative seats on the August primary ballot closed…meaning Missouri Democrats officially face two more legislative sessions being in the minority.
As the Missouri Independent rightly notes [ Home • Missouri Independent], Democrats are not fielding candidates in 67 state House districts (against 28 safe Dem seats). Of the remaining 68 seats, Republicans need to win just 17 to maintain their majority. Democrats need to win an additional 56 districts to take back the House.
Meanwhile, in the Missouri Senate, the Independent calculates that the GOP goes into the next session with 16 sure seats, meaning they only need to win three of 17 contests this November to stay in the majority.
As St. Peters proved in the NCAA tournament, miracles do happen – just not often enough to make the Final Four.
Yes, I strongly believe that Democrats better represent the values of most Missourians. Votes on Right To Work, Medicaid Expansion, minimum Wage and such prove that out. Too many Missouri voters believe, alas, that Democrats are gun-grabbing, baby killing socialists trying to steal all their money.
That image can be changed, district by district, by running strong and personable candidates who invest a tremendous amount of time meeting voters. And, who also can spend a tremendous amount of money getting their message out.
Before you lose all hope, let’s talk about two things which can help Democrats…
First, Eric Greitens, Bob Onder and all the other Republicans at war with their own party. The other day, for example, on KMOX the former governor spend several minutes running down the hypocritical RINOs [Republicans In Name Only] killing true American values. Every time Onder speaks on the Senate floor he attacks his “fellow” Republicans whom he claims are leading their party into the abyss. Let’s keep giving these guys microphones.
Second, we need to start work now on reducing the size of the Missouri House of Representatives. Most states get by with fewer than 163 Representatives. I remain convinced that having 104 House districts and 34 Senate districts (each Senate district containing three House seats) would make the House more efficient. I suspect that the raw number of Democratic reps would remain almost the same, to where the current House could be 45 Dems and 59 GOPers.
Yes, still a Republican majority but not a supermajority.
Now, the number of people who want to be politicians always out numbers the number of available positions. I expect that a smaller House will reduce the number of people getting a House seat just by filing as candidates. More contested primaries and general elections results in better, more centrist candidates.
In other words, no Second Amendment Protection Act and other really, really stupid bills.
Missouri needs more Democrats in the legislature. The road remains steep and long yet it must be climbed.
Glenn Koenen