President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling Wednesday

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721298336544.png" alt="Biden boarding Air Force One Wednesday-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Biden boarding Air Force One Wednesday-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling Wednesday<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721256037259.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I tested positive for COVID-19 this afternoon, but I am feeling good and thank everyone for the well wishes. I will be isolating as I recover, and during this time I will continue to work to get the job done for the American people.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1813715823053193685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Read note from Biden's doctor: President tests positive for COVID

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —A reward of $6,000 is being offered for the tip that will lead detectives to identifying the individual responsible for a vicious attack on a Kansas City, Kansas Police Officer.

Just after 10p.m. July 7, a uniformed KCKPD officer was exiting his patrol vehicle at the East Patrol Station, 849 N. 47th Street, when an individual, who without warning or provocation, produced a screwdriver and stabbed the officer on the head and face.

  After a short struggle, the suspect ran north into a wooded area near 47th and State Avenue. The officer sustained cuts to his face, head and neck. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment and was released the following day. 

 The suspect is described as a black male in his 30s, approximately 5-foot-8 inches tall with a thin build. He has a full beard and receding hairline at his temples, forming a point, widow’s peak, in the middle of his forehead. 

He was wearing dark athletic shorts, a multicolored tank top and black Nike slide sandals.

A cash reward of $5,000 from the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission and $1,000 from the Kansas City, Kansas Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #4 - is currently being offered for any tip that leads to the arrest of the suspect in this case. 

Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —A reward of $6,000 is being offered for the tip that will lead detectives to identifying the individual responsible for a vicious attack on a Kansas City, Kansas Police Officer.Just after 10p.m. July 7, a uniformed KCKPD officer was exiting his patrol vehicle at the East Patrol Station, 849 N. 47th Street, when an individual, who without warning or provocation, produced a screwdriver and stabbed the officer on the head and face. After a short struggle, the suspect ran north into a wooded area near 47th and State Avenue. The officer sustained cuts to his face, head and neck. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment and was released the following day. The suspect is described as a black male in his 30s, approximately 5-foot-8 inches tall with a thin build. He has a full beard and receding hairline at his temples, forming a point, widow’s peak, in the middle of his forehead. He was wearing dark athletic shorts, a multicolored tank top and black Nike slide sandals.A cash reward of $5,000 from the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission and $1,000 from the Kansas City, Kansas Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #4 - is currently being offered for any tip that leads to the arrest of the suspect in this case. Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous.

Reward offered in attack on Kansas police officer

(Radio Iowa) - Even though the Council Bluffs area didn’t see as much widespread damage from flooding last month as other parts of western Iowa, the city's top elected official says he’s concerned about future severe weather episodes -- due to climate change. 

Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh points to record-breaking flooding and deadly tornadoes as signs climate change is real and too costly to ignore. Walsh says a levee protected Council Bluffs from devastating flooding seen upstream, but some low-lying areas near the Missouri River were underwater, with about 50 homes impacted by groundwater. 

A storm late in June also caused substantial tree damage. Walsh blames climate change and says it's time for a "reality check."

(Radio Iowa) - Even though the Council Bluffs area didn’t see as much widespread damage from flooding last month as other parts of western Iowa, the city's top elected official says he’s concerned about future severe weather episodes -- due to climate change. Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh points to record-breaking flooding and deadly tornadoes as signs climate change is real and too costly to ignore. Walsh says a levee protected Council Bluffs from devastating flooding seen upstream, but some low-lying areas near the Missouri River were underwater, with about 50 homes impacted by groundwater. A storm late in June also caused substantial tree damage. Walsh blames climate change and says it's time for a "reality check."

SW Iowa mayor says long string of severe weather is proof of climate change

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird used her prime time speaking slot at the Republican National Convention to tout former President Donald Trump's approach to crime-related issues. 

Bird said Democrats like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have made life miserable for law enforcement, while they treat criminals like victims. Bird focused on Vice President Harris, a former local prosecutor who was California's attorney general for six years, saying Democrats like Harris cannot wiggle out of their support for the defund the police movement. 

The Biden campaign points to recent data showing violent crime is at a 50 year low and the number of murders in America declined 13 percent between 2022 and 2023.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird used her prime time speaking slot at the Republican National Convention to tout former President Donald Trump's approach to crime-related issues. Bird said Democrats like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have made life miserable for law enforcement, while they treat criminals like victims. Bird focused on Vice President Harris, a former local prosecutor who was California's attorney general for six years, saying Democrats like Harris cannot wiggle out of their support for the defund the police movement. The Biden campaign points to recent data showing violent crime is at a 50 year low and the number of murders in America declined 13 percent between 2022 and 2023.

Iowa A.G. Bird criticizes V.P. Harris' record on crime

Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks and rookies hit the Mosaic practice fields at Missouri Western State University for the first training camp practice today. 

Chiefs first round pick Xavier Worthy showed off his athleticism in the practice after missing much of the spring due to a hamstring injury.  

Worthy says though with the play calling and route running he felt pretty good on day one.  

"As my time off and even when I was off in OTA's, I took the time to really learn the playbook," Worthy tells the media following practice. "So asked the questions I need to ask and relied on Coach (Matt) Nagy, and I feel like that really helped me."

Another rookie in his first camp is second round pick offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia who will compete with Wanya Morris for a starting job this camp.  

Suamataia says despite that competition looming, he has a good relationship with Morris.  

"I've known Wanya as a player, he's a great guy and he's friends with a lot of guys I know, we're boys on and off the field just trying to gain that job," Suamataia says. "We're both just working hard the best that we can and whoever comes out on top, you know still boys, but it's business out here." 

Rookie safety Jaden Hicks has been utilized all over the defense by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo 

Hicks says Spagnuolo matches well with his skillset being able to utilize that versatility.  

"He likes me to do whatever on the field, whether that's cover, playing zone, man, in the box, so it's very versatile," Hicks explains. 

Two more practices will be held for the quarterbacks and rookies before the first full team practice on Sunday.  Players take the field again tomorrow at 9:15. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721240801042.jpeg" alt="Xavier Worthy speaks to media following the first practice in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Xavier Worthy speaks to media following the first practice in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks and rookies hit the Mosaic practice fields at Missouri Western State University for the first training camp practice today. Chiefs first round pick Xavier Worthy showed off his athleticism in the practice after missing much of the spring due to a hamstring injury. Worthy says though with the play calling and route running he felt pretty good on day one. "As my time off and even when I was off in OTA's, I took the time to really learn the playbook," Worthy tells the media following practice. "So asked the questions I need to ask and relied on Coach (Matt) Nagy, and I feel like that really helped me."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721241019198.jpeg" alt="Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Another rookie in his first camp is second round pick offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia who will compete with Wanya Morris for a starting job this camp. Suamataia says despite that competition looming, he has a good relationship with Morris. "I've known Wanya as a player, he's a great guy and he's friends with a lot of guys I know, we're boys on and off the field just trying to gain that job," Suamataia says. "We're both just working hard the best that we can and whoever comes out on top, you know still boys, but it's business out here." Rookie safety Jaden Hicks has been utilized all over the defense by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo Hicks says Spagnuolo matches well with his skillset being able to utilize that versatility. "He likes me to do whatever on the field, whether that's cover, playing zone, man, in the box, so it's very versatile," Hicks explains. Two more practices will be held for the quarterbacks and rookies before the first full team practice on Sunday. Players take the field again tomorrow at 9:15. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721241065237.jpeg" alt="Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub during the first official practice in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub during the first official practice in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>

Chiefs rookies and quarterbacks hit the field for first practice of Training Camp

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s decision to forgo a third term in order to run for governor set off a mad dash of Republicans hoping to replace him.&nbsp;

Early entrants included online personality Valentina Gomez, Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller and state Rep. Adam Schwadron. They were eventually joined by longtime GOP strategist Jamie Corley, House Speaker Dean Plocher, state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and Judge Mike Carter.&nbsp;

The winner of the crowded Aug. 6 GOP primary will take on one of three Democrats: Monique Williams, Barbara Phifer or Haley Jacobson.

Gomez’s campaign for secretary of state exists nearly entirely online

She’s raised virtually no money, and doesn’t appear to have much of a campaign apparatus. What she does have, though, is the ability to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/republican-candidates-weak-gay-campaign-ad-sparks-comedic-pushback-rcna152602" target="_blank">draw attention from national news organizations</a>&nbsp;with social media posts that are equal parts homophobia and feats of strength.&nbsp;

In an interview with “<a href="https://939theeagle.com/listen-missouri-gop-secretary-of-state-candidate-valentina-gomez-appears-on-wake-up-mid-missouri/" target="_blank">Wake Up Mid-Missouri</a>,” Gomez said she plans to be the first successful candidate to win office “without holding a single fundraiser… we’re gonna win this with votes, not money.”

Gomez describes herself on her campaign website as “a real estate investor, financier, strategist, former NCAA Division I swimmer, relentless achiever, and a fierce advocate for the principle values we hold dear as Americans battling for a better future.”

Born in Colombia, but “made in the United States,” Gomez’s campaign says she’s “a testament of perseverance. Her success was not inherited, it has and continues to be earned through discipline and determination.”

After serving three terms in the Missouri House, Schoeller won a competitive primary in 2012 to be the GOP nominee for secretary of state.&nbsp;

He went on to lose in the general election, but two years later won his current job as Greene County clerk — the top elections official in one of Missouri’s largest counties.&nbsp;

Schoeller says he’s the only candidate in the primary with the experience to be secretary of state.&nbsp;

“I come ready on day one,” he said. “It’s really important that we have a secretary of state who understands the duties and responsibilities of the office in terms of elections, voter registration and record retention.”

Voters continue to have concerns about the integrity of elections, Schoeller said, and one way to alleviate that would be to revamp Missouri’s central voter registration program, which he said is “dated in terms of its function and capacity.”

“When you work with that system, day in and day out, through voter registration and the administration of elections,” he said, “we need to have a program that is more up to date, more user friendly and that can also be better at providing information for the public.”

Hoskins served in the Army National Guard before becoming a certified public accountant. He has represented Warrensburg in the state House and Senate, leaving the legislature after this year because of term limits.&nbsp;

His statehouse career is defined in recent years by his membership in the Senate Freedom Caucus, where Hoskins and his cohorts&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/17/a-bizarre-session-missouri-lawmakers-head-home-after-year-defined-by-gridlock-infighting/">clashed with the chamber’s GOP leadership</a>&nbsp;— creating years of gridlock in a battle over the party’s priorities.&nbsp;

Those rumbles with Republican leaders are also a key part of Hoskins’ campaign message, which he insists is proof he’s a fighter who will stand up for the values of his party.

“I’m a conservative fighter who believes our rights come from God, not state government,” Hoskins recently&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DLHoskins/status/1811985807445569636" target="_blank">told supporters</a>, noting he is the only candidate in the race for secretary of state that was endorsed by Missouri Right to Life.

If elected, Hoskins says he’d push for the hand counting of ballots, eliminating absentee voting except for the military and disabled and making Election Day a holiday to make it easier for Missourians to vote.&nbsp;

“We want to make sure our elections are free and fair and people trust the election process,” Hoskins told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/podcast/politically-speaking/2024-04-04/secretary-of-state-candidate-hoskins-says-missouri-should-hand-count-ballots" target="_blank">Politically Speaking</a>&nbsp;podcast. “That was the thing that got me interested in this race, that we could trust our elections and one person has one vote and only legal U.S. citizens vote.”&nbsp;

Schwadron is the owner and operator of Clean Carpet Company in St. Charles County, and was elected to the state House in 2020.&nbsp;

The secretary of state oversees elections and business registration, and Schwadron believes his experience as small business owner and four-year member of the House Elections Committee give him insight into how the job should be done.&nbsp;

“Someone competent needs to be in this office,” he said. “And so I felt my professionalism, the way I’ve worked in the legislature with character and integrity, that’s what’s needed in elected office these days. And so that’s why I’m running.”

His biggest concern related to the secretary of state’s office, Schwadron said, is the “attempt by Democrats at the federal level to take over our elections.” He believes his rivals in the GOP primary don’t take the threat seriously enough.&nbsp;&nbsp;

He has sponsored legislation creating the “<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2052&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R" target="_blank">Missouri Elections Sovereignty Act</a>,” which Schwadron says declares “our elections are ours, and any attempt by the federal government to come in here and tell us how to run our elections will be met with resistance.”

Corley is a veteran GOP political operative from St. Louis who has worked for three members of Congress, including as national press secretary for former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee.

Most recently, she spearheaded a campaign seeking to place a constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/30/new-initiative-petitions-seek-to-add-rape-incest-exceptions-to-missouri-abortion-law/">adding exceptions to the state’s abortion ban</a>&nbsp;for rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormalities and the health and safety of the mother.

Her position on abortion, she notes, lines up with former President Donald Trump’s.

She decided to run for secretary of state, she said, when she looked at the crop of candidates in the race and realized there was no one she could vote for.&nbsp;

“We interact as citizens at the Secretary of State’s office more than we probably think,” she said. “Voting. Registering LLCs. Initiative petitions. It’s an important office.”

Though she’s never held public office before, Corley says she’s not short of experience in government. She’s worked in the U.S. Senate and House, and at a conservative think tank, so “I’m not new to public policy by any means.”&nbsp;

What she does lack is experience “in the absolute nonsense that has been the Missouri legislature for the past two years,” she said. “It’s a hard sell that the people who were responsible for that nonsense are all the sudden going to be competent leaders when they have to manage a statewide office.”&nbsp;

Plocher is an attorney who&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/01/01/who-is-dean-plocher-the-new-missouri-house-majority-leader/">grew up in St. Louis</a>&nbsp;and served as a municipal judge before winning a seat in the Missouri House.&nbsp;

During his time in the Capitol, Plocher rose to become speaker of the Missouri House and championed legislation aimed at making it&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/17/missouri-session-initiative-petition-senate/">harder to amend the state constitution</a>. He also sponsored the constitutional amendment repealing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/politics/2020/05/13/house-sends-clean-missouri-do/1206429007/" target="_blank">the nonpartisan redistricting plan</a>.

But for the last year Plocher has been engulfed in scandal over&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/22/missouri-lawmaker-accused-of-unlawful-conduct-in-push-for-contract-drawing-fbi-scrutiny/">an alleged pay-to-play scheme</a>&nbsp;involving a lucrative software contract and revelations he filed&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/23/records-show-dean-plocher-charged-the-state-for-travel-already-paid-for-by-his-campaign/">false expense reports</a>&nbsp;for travel already paid for by his campaign.&nbsp;He currently faces&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/31/missouri-house-chief-clerk-sues-dean-plocher-rod-jetton-alleging-whistleblower-retaliation/">a whistleblower lawsuit alleging he harassed and intimidated</a>&nbsp;nonpartisan legislative staff.&nbsp;

Plocher denies any wrongdoing, and has tried to use his trevails to his advantage by morphing his public persona from a St. Louis moderate to an embattled MAGA warrior in the mold of former President Donald Trump. In a recent interview just before the anniversary of D-Day, he compared his struggles to the troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy.&nbsp;

“Democracy is not free,” Plocher said in&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/LauraAnnSTL/status/1798807017735241994?t=bKXM3bU-F5nMcC5g1mebCg&amp;s=19" target="_blank">an interview with one of his supporters</a>. “You have to fight for it. And just as soldiers went out and gave their lives for our country, the politicians are out there, and they’re elected and answerable to the people. And right now, it’s unelected bureaucrats who are trying to run this country. It’s unelected bureaucrats who are trying to run the state of Missouri.”

Coleman is an attorney from Arnold currently serving her first term in the Missouri Senate after six years in the Missouri House.&nbsp;

Asked about her time in the legislature, she is unequivocal about her proudest achievement.

“There’s no more important thing that we have done,” she said, “than to end abortion in the state of Missouri.”&nbsp;

Coleman was one of the architects of legislation that included a trigger allowing Missouri to ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturned Roe v. Wade. When that happened in 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/24/abortion-is-now-illegal-in-missouri-in-wake-of-u-s-supreme-court-ruling/">Missouri became the first state to outlaw the procedure</a>.&nbsp;

“I’ll forever be proud of that,” she said. “I’m a conservative who delivers results. People want not just a fighter, but a fighter who can deliver. And my conservative record speaks for itself.”

Like much of the GOP primary field, Coleman talks about election integrity and ensuring only U.S. citizens can cast a ballot. But she also emphasizes ways she believes she can improve how the secretary of state interacts with Missouri businesses.&nbsp;

“We have got to do everything we can to make sure that every business owner’s experience is as positive and as minimal as possible,” she said. “We want the government to get out of people’s lives and when they have to be involved to be as effective and painless as possible.”

Carter is an attorney and Wentzville municipal judge who ran in the GOP primary for lieutenant governor in 2020 and state Senate in 2022, falling short both times.&nbsp;

He told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/podcast/politically-speaking/2024-06-14/secretary-of-state-candidate-mike-carter-says-hes-running-a-different-type-of-race" target="_blank">Politically Speaking podcast</a>&nbsp;that he decided to run for secretary of state because it was the race with the “least amount of competition, the least amount of dollars dedicated to it and the largest opening for me to repeat what I did in the past and ascend to the position.”

In his 2020 statewide race, Carter won nearly 27% of the vote in a four-way GOP primary. With a much more crowded field this year, he said replicating that success would likely mean victory.&nbsp;

He’s different from others seeking the office, Carter contends, because he won’t be beholden to donors or special interests.&nbsp;

“If I get in there,” he said, “I’ll have to answer just to the folks in the voting booth.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602535639897.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s decision to forgo a third term in order to run for governor set off a mad dash of Republicans hoping to replace him.&nbsp;Early entrants included online personality Valentina Gomez, Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller and state Rep. Adam Schwadron. They were eventually joined by longtime GOP strategist Jamie Corley, House Speaker Dean Plocher, state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and Judge Mike Carter.&nbsp;The winner of the crowded Aug. 6 GOP primary will take on one of three Democrats: Monique Williams, Barbara Phifer or Haley Jacobson.<h2>Valentina Gomez</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721229143383.png" alt="Valentina Gomez" />
 <figcaption>Valentina Gomez</figcaption>
 </figure>Gomez’s campaign for secretary of state exists nearly entirely onlineShe’s raised virtually no money, and doesn’t appear to have much of a campaign apparatus. What she does have, though, is the ability to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/republican-candidates-weak-gay-campaign-ad-sparks-comedic-pushback-rcna152602" target="_blank">draw attention from national news organizations</a>&nbsp;with social media posts that are equal parts homophobia and feats of strength.&nbsp;In an interview with “<a href="https://939theeagle.com/listen-missouri-gop-secretary-of-state-candidate-valentina-gomez-appears-on-wake-up-mid-missouri/" target="_blank">Wake Up Mid-Missouri</a>,” Gomez said she plans to be the first successful candidate to win office “without holding a single fundraiser… we’re gonna win this with votes, not money.”Gomez describes herself on her campaign website as “a real estate investor, financier, strategist, former NCAA Division I swimmer, relentless achiever, and a fierce advocate for the principle values we hold dear as Americans battling for a better future.”Born in Colombia, but “made in the United States,” Gomez’s campaign says she’s “a testament of perseverance. Her success was not inherited, it has and continues to be earned through discipline and determination.”<h2>Shane Schoeller&nbsp;</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721229103489.png" alt="Shane Schoeller" />
 <figcaption>Shane Schoeller</figcaption>
 </figure>After serving three terms in the Missouri House, Schoeller won a competitive primary in 2012 to be the GOP nominee for secretary of state.&nbsp;He went on to lose in the general election, but two years later won his current job as Greene County clerk — the top elections official in one of Missouri’s largest counties.&nbsp;Schoeller says he’s the only candidate in the primary with the experience to be secretary of state.&nbsp;“I come ready on day one,” he said. “It’s really important that we have a secretary of state who understands the duties and responsibilities of the office in terms of elections, voter registration and record retention.”Voters continue to have concerns about the integrity of elections, Schoeller said, and one way to alleviate that would be to revamp Missouri’s central voter registration program, which he said is “dated in terms of its function and capacity.”“When you work with that system, day in and day out, through voter registration and the administration of elections,” he said, “we need to have a program that is more up to date, more user friendly and that can also be better at providing information for the public.”<h2>Denny Hoskins</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721229060098.png" alt="Denny Hoskins" />
 <figcaption>Denny Hoskins</figcaption>
 </figure>Hoskins served in the Army National Guard before becoming a certified public accountant. He has represented Warrensburg in the state House and Senate, leaving the legislature after this year because of term limits.&nbsp;His statehouse career is defined in recent years by his membership in the Senate Freedom Caucus, where Hoskins and his cohorts&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/17/a-bizarre-session-missouri-lawmakers-head-home-after-year-defined-by-gridlock-infighting/">clashed with the chamber’s GOP leadership</a>&nbsp;— creating years of gridlock in a battle over the party’s priorities.&nbsp;Those rumbles with Republican leaders are also a key part of Hoskins’ campaign message, which he insists is proof he’s a fighter who will stand up for the values of his party.“I’m a conservative fighter who believes our rights come from God, not state government,” Hoskins recently&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DLHoskins/status/1811985807445569636" target="_blank">told supporters</a>, noting he is the only candidate in the race for secretary of state that was endorsed by Missouri Right to Life.If elected, Hoskins says he’d push for the hand counting of ballots, eliminating absentee voting except for the military and disabled and making Election Day a holiday to make it easier for Missourians to vote.&nbsp;“We want to make sure our elections are free and fair and people trust the election process,” Hoskins told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/podcast/politically-speaking/2024-04-04/secretary-of-state-candidate-hoskins-says-missouri-should-hand-count-ballots" target="_blank">Politically Speaking</a>&nbsp;podcast. “That was the thing that got me interested in this race, that we could trust our elections and one person has one vote and only legal U.S. citizens vote.”&nbsp;<h2>Adam Schwadron</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721229013168.png" alt="Adam Schwadron" />
 <figcaption>Adam Schwadron</figcaption>
 </figure>Schwadron is the owner and operator of Clean Carpet Company in St. Charles County, and was elected to the state House in 2020.&nbsp;The secretary of state oversees elections and business registration, and Schwadron believes his experience as small business owner and four-year member of the House Elections Committee give him insight into how the job should be done.&nbsp;“Someone competent needs to be in this office,” he said. “And so I felt my professionalism, the way I’ve worked in the legislature with character and integrity, that’s what’s needed in elected office these days. And so that’s why I’m running.”His biggest concern related to the secretary of state’s office, Schwadron said, is the “attempt by Democrats at the federal level to take over our elections.” He believes his rivals in the GOP primary don’t take the threat seriously enough.&nbsp;&nbsp;He has sponsored legislation creating the “<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2052&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R" target="_blank">Missouri Elections Sovereignty Act</a>,” which Schwadron says declares “our elections are ours, and any attempt by the federal government to come in here and tell us how to run our elections will be met with resistance.”<h2>Jamie Corley&nbsp;</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721228974014.png" alt="Jamie Corley " />
 <figcaption>Jamie Corley </figcaption>
 </figure>Corley is a veteran GOP political operative from St. Louis who has worked for three members of Congress, including as national press secretary for former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee.Most recently, she spearheaded a campaign seeking to place a constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/30/new-initiative-petitions-seek-to-add-rape-incest-exceptions-to-missouri-abortion-law/">adding exceptions to the state’s abortion ban</a>&nbsp;for rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormalities and the health and safety of the mother.Her position on abortion, she notes, lines up with former President Donald Trump’s.She decided to run for secretary of state, she said, when she looked at the crop of candidates in the race and realized there was no one she could vote for.&nbsp;“We interact as citizens at the Secretary of State’s office more than we probably think,” she said. “Voting. Registering LLCs. Initiative petitions. It’s an important office.”Though she’s never held public office before, Corley says she’s not short of experience in government. She’s worked in the U.S. Senate and House, and at a conservative think tank, so “I’m not new to public policy by any means.”&nbsp;What she does lack is experience “in the absolute nonsense that has been the Missouri legislature for the past two years,” she said. “It’s a hard sell that the people who were responsible for that nonsense are all the sudden going to be competent leaders when they have to manage a statewide office.”&nbsp;<h2>Dean Plocher</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721228929473.png" alt="Dean Plocher" />
 <figcaption>Dean Plocher</figcaption>
 </figure>Plocher is an attorney who&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/01/01/who-is-dean-plocher-the-new-missouri-house-majority-leader/">grew up in St. Louis</a>&nbsp;and served as a municipal judge before winning a seat in the Missouri House.&nbsp;During his time in the Capitol, Plocher rose to become speaker of the Missouri House and championed legislation aimed at making it&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/17/missouri-session-initiative-petition-senate/">harder to amend the state constitution</a>. He also sponsored the constitutional amendment repealing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/politics/2020/05/13/house-sends-clean-missouri-do/1206429007/" target="_blank">the nonpartisan redistricting plan</a>.But for the last year Plocher has been engulfed in scandal over&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/22/missouri-lawmaker-accused-of-unlawful-conduct-in-push-for-contract-drawing-fbi-scrutiny/">an alleged pay-to-play scheme</a>&nbsp;involving a lucrative software contract and revelations he filed&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/23/records-show-dean-plocher-charged-the-state-for-travel-already-paid-for-by-his-campaign/">false expense reports</a>&nbsp;for travel already paid for by his campaign.&nbsp;He currently faces&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/31/missouri-house-chief-clerk-sues-dean-plocher-rod-jetton-alleging-whistleblower-retaliation/">a whistleblower lawsuit alleging he harassed and intimidated</a>&nbsp;nonpartisan legislative staff.&nbsp;Plocher denies any wrongdoing, and has tried to use his trevails to his advantage by morphing his public persona from a St. Louis moderate to an embattled MAGA warrior in the mold of former President Donald Trump. In a recent interview just before the anniversary of D-Day, he compared his struggles to the troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy.&nbsp;“Democracy is not free,” Plocher said in&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/LauraAnnSTL/status/1798807017735241994?t=bKXM3bU-F5nMcC5g1mebCg&amp;s=19" target="_blank">an interview with one of his supporters</a>. “You have to fight for it. And just as soldiers went out and gave their lives for our country, the politicians are out there, and they’re elected and answerable to the people. And right now, it’s unelected bureaucrats who are trying to run this country. It’s unelected bureaucrats who are trying to run the state of Missouri.”<h2>Mary Elizabeth Coleman&nbsp;</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721228890340.png" alt="Mary Elizabeth Coleman " />
 <figcaption>Mary Elizabeth Coleman </figcaption>
 </figure>Coleman is an attorney from Arnold currently serving her first term in the Missouri Senate after six years in the Missouri House.&nbsp;Asked about her time in the legislature, she is unequivocal about her proudest achievement.“There’s no more important thing that we have done,” she said, “than to end abortion in the state of Missouri.”&nbsp;Coleman was one of the architects of legislation that included a trigger allowing Missouri to ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturned Roe v. Wade. When that happened in 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/24/abortion-is-now-illegal-in-missouri-in-wake-of-u-s-supreme-court-ruling/">Missouri became the first state to outlaw the procedure</a>.&nbsp;“I’ll forever be proud of that,” she said. “I’m a conservative who delivers results. People want not just a fighter, but a fighter who can deliver. And my conservative record speaks for itself.”Like much of the GOP primary field, Coleman talks about election integrity and ensuring only U.S. citizens can cast a ballot. But she also emphasizes ways she believes she can improve how the secretary of state interacts with Missouri businesses.&nbsp;“We have got to do everything we can to make sure that every business owner’s experience is as positive and as minimal as possible,” she said. “We want the government to get out of people’s lives and when they have to be involved to be as effective and painless as possible.”<h2>Mike Carter</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721228841080.png" alt="Mike Carter" />
 <figcaption>Mike Carter</figcaption>
 </figure>Carter is an attorney and Wentzville municipal judge who ran in the GOP primary for lieutenant governor in 2020 and state Senate in 2022, falling short both times.&nbsp;He told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/podcast/politically-speaking/2024-06-14/secretary-of-state-candidate-mike-carter-says-hes-running-a-different-type-of-race" target="_blank">Politically Speaking podcast</a>&nbsp;that he decided to run for secretary of state because it was the race with the “least amount of competition, the least amount of dollars dedicated to it and the largest opening for me to repeat what I did in the past and ascend to the position.”In his 2020 statewide race, Carter won nearly 27% of the vote in a four-way GOP primary. With a much more crowded field this year, he said replicating that success would likely mean victory.&nbsp;He’s different from others seeking the office, Carter contends, because he won’t be beholden to donors or special interests.&nbsp;“If I get in there,” he said, “I’ll have to answer just to the folks in the voting booth.”

Eight Republicans face off in primary to be Missouri’s top election official

Republicans have heavily contested primaries and are spending big while Democrats search for cash and an opening in November

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/04/07/mike-kehoe-is-running-hard-for-missouri-governor-while-jay-ashcroft-waits-in-the-wings/">campaign for governor</a>&nbsp;has raised almost $13 million over the past two years and the two funds supporting him have lapped the field in the Republican primary.

During the second quarter of the year, Kehoe raised $907,288 for his campaign and his joint fundraising committee, American Dream PAC, took in $3.6 million. It is a fundraising lead Kehoe has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/18/kehoe-leads-fundraising-for-missouri-governor-in-latest-campaign-filings/">held throughout the campaign</a>.

The campaign crowed about the advantage over his major rivals,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/06/jay-ashcroft-makes-it-official-hes-running-for-missouri-governor-in-2024/">Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">state Sen. Bill Eigel</a>, in a news release after his quarterly report was filed Friday.

“Mike Kehoe is outworking every candidate in this race, and Missouri conservatives have responded with overwhelming financial and grassroots support,” campaign manager Derek Coats said in a news release.

Kehoe has been&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/mike-kehoe-passes-on-senate-run-in-2022-to-run-for-missouri-governor-in-2024/">planning his race</a>&nbsp;since he began his term as lieutenant governor.

Eigel’s campaign manager, Sophia Shore, said Kehoe&nbsp; is “raking in corporate cash” and should take part in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/politics/gop-candidates-debate-primary-contest-missouri-governor/63-ba2876aa-02b8-48c6-9c3b-6c485c5e871b" target="_blank">televised debate set for 7 p.m. July 24</a>. It will be broadcast on pubic television, NBC affiliates and public radio stations. Kehoe has not participated in any debates this summer.

“He thinks this campaign will be won in secret meetings with donors, but in reality the voters will decide,” Shore said. “He should have the courage to face them next week.”

Every candidate in the race running a full-scale campaign has both an official campaign committee and a joint fundraising PAC. Official campaign committees can accept donations up to $2,825, while the joint fundraising PACs can accept donations of any size.

Candidates can solicit donations for the PAC, but cannot direct how the money is spent.&nbsp;

Kehoe’s official committee raised more than the combined totals of his rivals both in the most recent quarter and since the start of 2023.

State and federal finance reports for the three months ending June 30 were due Monday. There is one more report due before the Aug. 6 primary.

The Independent compiled the totals for all statewide candidates, plus major congressional, legislative and ballot measure efforts.

The combined fundraising in the race for governor in both parties has exceeded $21 million. Republican candidates in contested primaries for all other statewide constitutional offices have raised more than $25 million more.

There was one withdrawal among federal candidates Tuesday as the fundraising numbers showed&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/justin-hicks-adds-to-growing-list-of-hopefuls-in-missouri-gops-3rd-district-primary/">state Rep. Justin Hicks of Lake Saint Louis</a>&nbsp;lagging behind his chief rivals in the 3rd Congressional District Republican primary.

Hicks faced former state Sen. Bob Onder of Lake Saint Louis, who is largely self-funding his campaign and has the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/donald-trump-endorses-bob-onder-over-gop-rivals-in-missouris-3rd-congressional-district-primary/">endorsement of former President Donald Trump</a>, and former state Sen. Kurt Schaefer of Columbia.

Schaefer&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/incumbent-blaine-luetkemeyer-backs-kurt-schaefer-in-missouri-3rd-district-primary/">has the backing</a>&nbsp;of incumbent U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of St. Elizabeth.

Onder reported raising $224,000 in the quarter, Schaefer raised $124,000 and Hicks raised $89,000.&nbsp;

“I am truly humbled and honored at the support our campaign has earned from so many people across Missouri and this nation,” Hicks said in a news release. “I am certain that there will be other opportunities for me to continue to serve our state and nation in the future, but for now, I look forward to spending time with my family and ensuring the Republican team wins up and down the ballot.”

Of Kehoe’s two major rivals In the most expensive contest, the GOP race for governor, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft raised $310,000 in the quarter for his campaign, while state Sen. Bill Eigel of Weldon Spring took in $231,000.&nbsp;

Committee for Liberty, Ashcroft’s PAC, raised $405,000 in the quarter, while Eigel’s committee, BILL PAC, raised $580,000.&nbsp;

Between his campaign and PAC, Ashcroft has raised $2.1 million since the start of 2023. Eigel’s two committees have combined for $3.9 million.

Kehoe has used his big cash advantage to go on television early with advertising, erasing Ashcroft’s polling lead from the spring.&nbsp;

Despite spending between the two committees that exceeds $8 million, Kehoe’s campaign had $2.2 million on hand as of June 30. The PAC account held $4 million.

Ashcroft’s combined spending was $2.7 million and the campaign committee had $770,000, while the PAC had $730,000.

Eigel has spent more than Ashcroft, $3.7 million from his two committees. On June 30, he had less money remaining that any of his major rivals, $588,000 in his campaign fund and $242,000 in the PAC.

In the&nbsp;Democratic primary, state Rep. Crystal Quade of Springfield raised $281,723, bringing her total for the campaign to just over $1 million. Her major rival, businessman Mike Hamra of Springfield, has put $1.25 million of his own money into the campaign so far.

The GOP primary for attorney general is the second-most expensive primary contest this year.

Incumbent Andrew Bailey,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/andrew-bailey-begins-fundraising-for-missouri-ag-campaign-with-help-from-lobbyist/">seeking to win a full term</a>, raised $274,823 during the second quarter while Liberty and Justice PAC, his joint fundraising committee, took in $854,064.

His challenger&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/25/will-scharf-gets-another-2m-for-missouri-ag-campaign-from-group-tied-to-leonard-leo/">Will Scharf</a>, however, put in $500,000 of his own money into his campaign committee, and his joint fundraising committee, Defend Missouri, received $1 million from Club For Growth Missouri. The PAC took another $700,000 from Club for Growth Action Missouri on July 2. Since the beginning of 2023, the Concord Fund has donated $3.5 million to help Scharf through Club for Growth Action Missouri.

The winner of the primary will face Democratic candidate Elad Gross, who reported raising $69,414 in the quarter and is unopposed for the nomination.

There are no expensive primaries in the race for U.S. Senate this year in Missouri.

The only uncertainty is whether state Sen. Karla May was right when she told St. Louis Public Radio that “<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2024-07-15/karla-may-says-her-statewide-recognition-means-she-can-beat-lucas-kunce-in-senate-primary" target="_blank">most people around the state know me</a>” and that she will win the Democratic primary to face incumbent U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley.

May is looking to defeat&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/06/democrat-lucas-kunce-says-hell-challenge-josh-hawley-in-2024-missouri-senate-race/">Lucas Kunce</a>, making his second bid for the Senate after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/08/02/beer-heiress-trudy-bucsh-valentine-captures-missouri-democratic-nomination-for-u-s-senate/">losing a close primary in 2022</a>&nbsp;to beer heiress Trudy Busch Valentine.

Hawley and Kunce are neck-and-neck in fundraising since Jan. 1 2023 and available cash-on-hand.

Hawley and the Hawley Victory Fund combined to raise $3 million in the most recent quarter, bringing the total to $12.3 million since Jan. 1, 2023.

Kunce took in $2.8 million for his campaign fund in the second quarter, bringing his total for the election to $10.5 million.

Hawley had $5.8 million on hand June 30, while Kunce was sitting on $4.2 million.

State Sen. Lincoln Hough of Springfield took in the biggest total of donations during the quarter in the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/10/crowded-gop-primary-field-seeks-nomination-to-be-missouris-next-lieutenant-governor/">crowded GOP primary for lieutenant governor</a>, but the $1.5 million loan to his own campaign by St. Louis attorney Dave Wasinger gave him the largest quarterly total.

There are four candidates who have raised at least $100,000 for their campaigns and two others, not so well funded, with a well of name recognition who believe they have a chance at the nomination.

Hough’s campaign raised about $230,000 in the quarter, and Lincoln PAC, a joint fundraising committee, took in $730,000. The campaign had about $518,000 in the bank and the PAC was sitting on $639,000 as the quarter ended.

State Sen. Holly Rehder of Scott City took in $69,838 and her Southern Drawl PAC raised another $58,075. She had $338,000 in her campaign account and the PAC had $286,000 as the quarter ended.

Matthew Porter of St. Louis has raised $136,000 for his campaign so far and had $104,955 left.

Tim Baker, the Franklin County Clerk, and Paul Berry III, who has run several campaigns in St. Louis County, are the candidates who have not raised at least $100,000.

The even-more-crowded GOP race for Secretary of State, with eight candidates in all, has six candidates who have accumulated $100,000 or more for their campaign funds and includes candidates making waves on social media who are not raising large funds.

House Speaker Dean Plocher of Des Peres is counting on a large cash-on-hand balance to carry him through the primary since his fundraising&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/26/amid-dean-plocher-obstruction-allegations-talk-turns-to-fixes-for-house-ethics-rules/">dried up amid ethics inquiries</a>. His campaign raised less than $12,000 in the quarter, and his PAC, Missouri United, did about the same.&nbsp;

The funds had the largest cash balances in the race, with his campaign holding $508,415 on June 30 and Missouri United holding $765,000.

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/republican-senator-leaves-congressional-race-to-run-for-missouri-secretary-of-state/">State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman</a>&nbsp;had the best fundraising quarter, taking in $120,373 for her campaign and $57,350 for her PAC, Conservative Solutions for Missouri.

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/leader-of-defunct-abortion-rights-campaign-launches-bid-for-missouri-secretary-of-state/">Jamie Corley</a>, a long-time GOP strategist making her first campaign, loaned her campaign $250,000 and raised another $28,800, while Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller, the GOP’s 2012 nominee, raised $39,709.

Incumbent State Treasurer Vivek Malek continues to dominate fundraising in the Republican primary as he&nbsp;seeks a full term in office. Malek raised $207,000 for his campaign, bringing his total to $1.8 million, including a personal loan of $800,000. Malek Had $1.3 million in the bank June 30.

His joint fundraising PAC, American Promise, raised $1.8 million in the quarter, has taken in $3.3 million total and had $1.5 million on hand.

Malek’s best funded challenger is House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith of Carthage, based largely on the accumulation of cash from years in office. Smith took in $35,800 for his campaign, which had $291,000 on hand, and the Ozark Gateway Leadership Fund, his joint fundraising PAC, took in $54,850, and had a bank balance of $227,251. Both cash balances are more than Smith has raised since the start of 2023.

Close behind in funding is Lori Rook of Springfield, who has put $500,000 of her own money into her campaign. She has raised an additional $55,000.

State Sen. Andrew Koenig of Manchester, the only other candidate in the six-way primary to raise at least $100,000, lags behind. Koenig took in $13,562 in the quarter, while his PAC, Freedom’s Promise, raised only $1,288.&nbsp;

Mark Osmack of Valley Park is the only Democratic candidate. He has raised $27,000 so far.

In other hotly contested Congressional races, St. Louis County&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/wesley-bell-drops-out-senate-race-jumps-into-primary-against-democrat-cori-bush/">Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell</a>&nbsp;has far outstripped&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/08/02/cori-bush-cruises-to-victory-in-missouris-1st-congressional-district-democratic-primary/">incumbent U.S. Rep. Cori Bush</a>&nbsp;in fundraising for their 1st Congressional District Democratic primary. Bell has raised $4.2 million so far to Bush’s $2.8 million.&nbsp;

Bush has spent far more than Bell, however, and she had $573,354 in the bank on June 30 compared to more than $2.4 million for Bell.

The 2nd Congressional District is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/ray-hartmann-founder-of-riverfront-times-files-for-congress-in-missouris-2nd-district/">a fall matchup</a>&nbsp;that pits a veteran Republican, U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, against a long-time St. Louis media personality, Ray Hartmann. Both face nominal primary opposition.

Hartmann had a good fundraising quarter, taking in almost $200,000, but Wagner did better, raising $561,710, and cash accumulated during her years in office totaled $3.1 million on June 30, while Hartmann had $141,471 on hand.

The signatures on four petitions proposing ballot measures for the November election are being checked and the campaigns are in a wait-and-see mode to know if they will be active in the fall.

That means fundraising now is for the fall campaign as they expect to make the ballot.

Winning for Missouri Education has spent the most, $6 million so far, for its campaign to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/Elections/Petitions/2024-160.pdf" target="_blank">legalize sports wagering</a>&nbsp;and while it only reported $99,000 in the bank, the online platforms financing the campaign should be good for millions more if it makes the ballot.

The effort to put a constitutional amendment&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">restoring abortion rights</a>&nbsp;has cost $5 million so far and the committee backing it, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, has $1.9 million on hand.

Healthy Families and Fair Wages, which is pushing a measure&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/Elections/Petitions/2024-038.pdf" target="_blank">increasing the minimum wage</a>&nbsp;to $15 an hour and requiring employers to provide paid leave for illness and family needs, spent $850,000 making the ballot and had $1 million on hand.

Ozark River Gaming and Convention, seeking to create a licensed casino near the Lake of the Ozarks, has spent $4.3 million so far and, like the sports wagering proposal, has two deep-pocket backers, a development company and a casino operator, ready to finance a fall campaign.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721219472705.png" alt="Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, alongside his wife, Claudia, formally kicks off his 2024 campaign for governor with a rally in Jefferson City on April 5, 2022 (Jason Hancock/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, alongside his wife, Claudia, formally kicks off his 2024 campaign for governor with a rally in Jefferson City on April 5, 2022 (Jason Hancock/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Republicans have heavily contested primaries and are spending big while Democrats search for cash and an opening in November</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/04/07/mike-kehoe-is-running-hard-for-missouri-governor-while-jay-ashcroft-waits-in-the-wings/">campaign for governor</a>&nbsp;has raised almost $13 million over the past two years and the two funds supporting him have lapped the field in the Republican primary.During the second quarter of the year, Kehoe raised $907,288 for his campaign and his joint fundraising committee, American Dream PAC, took in $3.6 million. It is a fundraising lead Kehoe has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/18/kehoe-leads-fundraising-for-missouri-governor-in-latest-campaign-filings/">held throughout the campaign</a>.The campaign crowed about the advantage over his major rivals,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/06/jay-ashcroft-makes-it-official-hes-running-for-missouri-governor-in-2024/">Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">state Sen. Bill Eigel</a>, in a news release after his quarterly report was filed Friday.“Mike Kehoe is outworking every candidate in this race, and Missouri conservatives have responded with overwhelming financial and grassroots support,” campaign manager Derek Coats said in a news release.Kehoe has been&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/mike-kehoe-passes-on-senate-run-in-2022-to-run-for-missouri-governor-in-2024/">planning his race</a>&nbsp;since he began his term as lieutenant governor.Eigel’s campaign manager, Sophia Shore, said Kehoe&nbsp; is “raking in corporate cash” and should take part in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/politics/gop-candidates-debate-primary-contest-missouri-governor/63-ba2876aa-02b8-48c6-9c3b-6c485c5e871b" target="_blank">televised debate set for 7 p.m. July 24</a>. It will be broadcast on pubic television, NBC affiliates and public radio stations. Kehoe has not participated in any debates this summer.“He thinks this campaign will be won in secret meetings with donors, but in reality the voters will decide,” Shore said. “He should have the courage to face them next week.”Every candidate in the race running a full-scale campaign has both an official campaign committee and a joint fundraising PAC. Official campaign committees can accept donations up to $2,825, while the joint fundraising PACs can accept donations of any size.Candidates can solicit donations for the PAC, but cannot direct how the money is spent.&nbsp;Kehoe’s official committee raised more than the combined totals of his rivals both in the most recent quarter and since the start of 2023.State and federal finance reports for the three months ending June 30 were due Monday. There is one more report due before the Aug. 6 primary.The Independent compiled the totals for all statewide candidates, plus major congressional, legislative and ballot measure efforts.The combined fundraising in the race for governor in both parties has exceeded $21 million. Republican candidates in contested primaries for all other statewide constitutional offices have raised more than $25 million more.There was one withdrawal among federal candidates Tuesday as the fundraising numbers showed&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/justin-hicks-adds-to-growing-list-of-hopefuls-in-missouri-gops-3rd-district-primary/">state Rep. Justin Hicks of Lake Saint Louis</a>&nbsp;lagging behind his chief rivals in the 3rd Congressional District Republican primary.Hicks faced former state Sen. Bob Onder of Lake Saint Louis, who is largely self-funding his campaign and has the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/donald-trump-endorses-bob-onder-over-gop-rivals-in-missouris-3rd-congressional-district-primary/">endorsement of former President Donald Trump</a>, and former state Sen. Kurt Schaefer of Columbia.Schaefer&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/incumbent-blaine-luetkemeyer-backs-kurt-schaefer-in-missouri-3rd-district-primary/">has the backing</a>&nbsp;of incumbent U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of St. Elizabeth.Onder reported raising $224,000 in the quarter, Schaefer raised $124,000 and Hicks raised $89,000.&nbsp;“I am truly humbled and honored at the support our campaign has earned from so many people across Missouri and this nation,” Hicks said in a news release. “I am certain that there will be other opportunities for me to continue to serve our state and nation in the future, but for now, I look forward to spending time with my family and ensuring the Republican team wins up and down the ballot.”<h2>Governor’s race</h2>Of Kehoe’s two major rivals In the most expensive contest, the GOP race for governor, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft raised $310,000 in the quarter for his campaign, while state Sen. Bill Eigel of Weldon Spring took in $231,000.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721219434967.png" alt=" State Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, pins on an “I love life” button and talks to advocates before to an anti-abortion rally Tuesday, March 12 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> State Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, pins on an “I love life” button and talks to advocates before to an anti-abortion rally Tuesday, March 12 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Committee for Liberty, Ashcroft’s PAC, raised $405,000 in the quarter, while Eigel’s committee, BILL PAC, raised $580,000.&nbsp;Between his campaign and PAC, Ashcroft has raised $2.1 million since the start of 2023. Eigel’s two committees have combined for $3.9 million.Kehoe has used his big cash advantage to go on television early with advertising, erasing Ashcroft’s polling lead from the spring.&nbsp;Despite spending between the two committees that exceeds $8 million, Kehoe’s campaign had $2.2 million on hand as of June 30. The PAC account held $4 million.Ashcroft’s combined spending was $2.7 million and the campaign committee had $770,000, while the PAC had $730,000.Eigel has spent more than Ashcroft, $3.7 million from his two committees. On June 30, he had less money remaining that any of his major rivals, $588,000 in his campaign fund and $242,000 in the PAC.In the&nbsp;Democratic primary, state Rep. Crystal Quade of Springfield raised $281,723, bringing her total for the campaign to just over $1 million. Her major rival, businessman Mike Hamra of Springfield, has put $1.25 million of his own money into the campaign so far.<h2>Attorney General</h2>The GOP primary for attorney general is the second-most expensive primary contest this year.Incumbent Andrew Bailey,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/andrew-bailey-begins-fundraising-for-missouri-ag-campaign-with-help-from-lobbyist/">seeking to win a full term</a>, raised $274,823 during the second quarter while Liberty and Justice PAC, his joint fundraising committee, took in $854,064.His challenger&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/25/will-scharf-gets-another-2m-for-missouri-ag-campaign-from-group-tied-to-leonard-leo/">Will Scharf</a>, however, put in $500,000 of his own money into his campaign committee, and his joint fundraising committee, Defend Missouri, received $1 million from Club For Growth Missouri. The PAC took another $700,000 from Club for Growth Action Missouri on July 2. Since the beginning of 2023, the Concord Fund has donated $3.5 million to help Scharf through Club for Growth Action Missouri.The winner of the primary will face Democratic candidate Elad Gross, who reported raising $69,414 in the quarter and is unopposed for the nomination.<h2>U.S. Senate</h2>There are no expensive primaries in the race for U.S. Senate this year in Missouri.The only uncertainty is whether state Sen. Karla May was right when she told St. Louis Public Radio that “<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2024-07-15/karla-may-says-her-statewide-recognition-means-she-can-beat-lucas-kunce-in-senate-primary" target="_blank">most people around the state know me</a>” and that she will win the Democratic primary to face incumbent U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley.May is looking to defeat&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/06/democrat-lucas-kunce-says-hell-challenge-josh-hawley-in-2024-missouri-senate-race/">Lucas Kunce</a>, making his second bid for the Senate after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/08/02/beer-heiress-trudy-bucsh-valentine-captures-missouri-democratic-nomination-for-u-s-senate/">losing a close primary in 2022</a>&nbsp;to beer heiress Trudy Busch Valentine.Hawley and Kunce are neck-and-neck in fundraising since Jan. 1 2023 and available cash-on-hand.Hawley and the Hawley Victory Fund combined to raise $3 million in the most recent quarter, bringing the total to $12.3 million since Jan. 1, 2023.Kunce took in $2.8 million for his campaign fund in the second quarter, bringing his total for the election to $10.5 million.Hawley had $5.8 million on hand June 30, while Kunce was sitting on $4.2 million.May has raised just under $50,000.<h2>Other statewide races</h2>State Sen. Lincoln Hough of Springfield took in the biggest total of donations during the quarter in the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/10/crowded-gop-primary-field-seeks-nomination-to-be-missouris-next-lieutenant-governor/">crowded GOP primary for lieutenant governor</a>, but the $1.5 million loan to his own campaign by St. Louis attorney Dave Wasinger gave him the largest quarterly total.There are four candidates who have raised at least $100,000 for their campaigns and two others, not so well funded, with a well of name recognition who believe they have a chance at the nomination.Hough’s campaign raised about $230,000 in the quarter, and Lincoln PAC, a joint fundraising committee, took in $730,000. The campaign had about $518,000 in the bank and the PAC was sitting on $639,000 as the quarter ended.State Sen. Holly Rehder of Scott City took in $69,838 and her Southern Drawl PAC raised another $58,075. She had $338,000 in her campaign account and the PAC had $286,000 as the quarter ended.Matthew Porter of St. Louis has raised $136,000 for his campaign so far and had $104,955 left.Tim Baker, the Franklin County Clerk, and Paul Berry III, who has run several campaigns in St. Louis County, are the candidates who have not raised at least $100,000.The even-more-crowded GOP race for Secretary of State, with eight candidates in all, has six candidates who have accumulated $100,000 or more for their campaign funds and includes candidates making waves on social media who are not raising large funds.House Speaker Dean Plocher of Des Peres is counting on a large cash-on-hand balance to carry him through the primary since his fundraising&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/26/amid-dean-plocher-obstruction-allegations-talk-turns-to-fixes-for-house-ethics-rules/">dried up amid ethics inquiries</a>. His campaign raised less than $12,000 in the quarter, and his PAC, Missouri United, did about the same.&nbsp;The funds had the largest cash balances in the race, with his campaign holding $508,415 on June 30 and Missouri United holding $765,000.<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/republican-senator-leaves-congressional-race-to-run-for-missouri-secretary-of-state/">State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman</a>&nbsp;had the best fundraising quarter, taking in $120,373 for her campaign and $57,350 for her PAC, Conservative Solutions for Missouri.<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/leader-of-defunct-abortion-rights-campaign-launches-bid-for-missouri-secretary-of-state/">Jamie Corley</a>, a long-time GOP strategist making her first campaign, loaned her campaign $250,000 and raised another $28,800, while Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller, the GOP’s 2012 nominee, raised $39,709.Incumbent State Treasurer Vivek Malek continues to dominate fundraising in the Republican primary as he&nbsp;seeks a full term in office. Malek raised $207,000 for his campaign, bringing his total to $1.8 million, including a personal loan of $800,000. Malek Had $1.3 million in the bank June 30.His joint fundraising PAC, American Promise, raised $1.8 million in the quarter, has taken in $3.3 million total and had $1.5 million on hand.Malek’s best funded challenger is House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith of Carthage, based largely on the accumulation of cash from years in office. Smith took in $35,800 for his campaign, which had $291,000 on hand, and the Ozark Gateway Leadership Fund, his joint fundraising PAC, took in $54,850, and had a bank balance of $227,251. Both cash balances are more than Smith has raised since the start of 2023.Close behind in funding is Lori Rook of Springfield, who has put $500,000 of her own money into her campaign. She has raised an additional $55,000.State Sen. Andrew Koenig of Manchester, the only other candidate in the six-way primary to raise at least $100,000, lags behind. Koenig took in $13,562 in the quarter, while his PAC, Freedom’s Promise, raised only $1,288.&nbsp;Mark Osmack of Valley Park is the only Democratic candidate. He has raised $27,000 so far.<h2>Congress</h2>In other hotly contested Congressional races, St. Louis County&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/wesley-bell-drops-out-senate-race-jumps-into-primary-against-democrat-cori-bush/">Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell</a>&nbsp;has far outstripped&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/08/02/cori-bush-cruises-to-victory-in-missouris-1st-congressional-district-democratic-primary/">incumbent U.S. Rep. Cori Bush</a>&nbsp;in fundraising for their 1st Congressional District Democratic primary. Bell has raised $4.2 million so far to Bush’s $2.8 million.&nbsp;Bush has spent far more than Bell, however, and she had $573,354 in the bank on June 30 compared to more than $2.4 million for Bell.The 2nd Congressional District is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/ray-hartmann-founder-of-riverfront-times-files-for-congress-in-missouris-2nd-district/">a fall matchup</a>&nbsp;that pits a veteran Republican, U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, against a long-time St. Louis media personality, Ray Hartmann. Both face nominal primary opposition.Hartmann had a good fundraising quarter, taking in almost $200,000, but Wagner did better, raising $561,710, and cash accumulated during her years in office totaled $3.1 million on June 30, while Hartmann had $141,471 on hand.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721219392376.png" alt=" Attendees cheer during a Missourians for Constitutional Freedom rally after the campaign turned in 380,000 signatures for its initiative petition to enshrine abortion rights in Missouri’s constitution Friday morning (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Attendees cheer during a Missourians for Constitutional Freedom rally after the campaign turned in 380,000 signatures for its initiative petition to enshrine abortion rights in Missouri’s constitution Friday morning (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Initiative campaigns</h2>The signatures on four petitions proposing ballot measures for the November election are being checked and the campaigns are in a wait-and-see mode to know if they will be active in the fall.That means fundraising now is for the fall campaign as they expect to make the ballot.Winning for Missouri Education has spent the most, $6 million so far, for its campaign to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/Elections/Petitions/2024-160.pdf" target="_blank">legalize sports wagering</a>&nbsp;and while it only reported $99,000 in the bank, the online platforms financing the campaign should be good for millions more if it makes the ballot.The effort to put a constitutional amendment&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">restoring abortion rights</a>&nbsp;has cost $5 million so far and the committee backing it, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, has $1.9 million on hand.Healthy Families and Fair Wages, which is pushing a measure&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/Elections/Petitions/2024-038.pdf" target="_blank">increasing the minimum wage</a>&nbsp;to $15 an hour and requiring employers to provide paid leave for illness and family needs, spent $850,000 making the ballot and had $1 million on hand.Ozark River Gaming and Convention, seeking to create a licensed casino near the Lake of the Ozarks, has spent $4.3 million so far and, like the sports wagering proposal, has two deep-pocket backers, a development company and a casino operator, ready to finance a fall campaign.

Fundraising in Missouri governor’s race tops $21 million, with most going to Kehoe

JERUSALEM —From January to June 2024, ISIS has claimed 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria. At this rate, ISIS is on pace to more than double the total number of attacks they claimed in 2023, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

The increase in attacks indicates ISIS is attempting to reconstitute following several years of decreased capability.

To continue the effort to defeat ISIS and prevent its ability to conduct external attacks, United States Central Command, along with our Defeat ISIS partners, Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces, conducted 196 Defeat ISIS Missions resulting in 44 ISIS operatives killed and 166 detained in the first half of 2024. In Iraq, 137 partnered operations resulted in 30 ISIS operatives killed and 74 ISIS operatives detained. In Syria, 59 operations conducted alongside the SDF and other partners resulted in 14 ISIS operatives killed and 92 ISIS operatives detained. 

The above operations resulted in eight senior ISIS leaders killed and 32 captured in both Iraq and Syria. These leaders include those responsible for planning of operations outside of Syria and Iraq, recruiting, training, and weapons smuggling. The removal of these individuals from their leadership positions further degrades ISIS capabilities to conduct external operations in the U.S. and allied nations.

The continued pursuit of the approximately 2,500 ISIS fighters at large across Iraq and Syria is a critical component to the enduring defeat of ISIS.  Equally important are the ongoing international efforts to repatriate more than 9,000 ISIS detainees in detention facilities in Syria, and the repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of more than 43,000 individuals and families from the Al Hol and Al Roj camps. This is down from the peak of over 70,000 in 2019. 

“The global enduring defeat of ISIS relies on combined efforts of the Coalition and partners to remove key leaders from the battlefield and the repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of families from Al Hol and Al Roj,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command. “We continue to focus our efforts on specifically targeting those members of ISIS who are seeking to conduct external operations outside of Iraq and Syria and those ISIS members attempting to break out ISIS members in detention in an attempt to reconstitute their forces.”

JERUSALEM —From January to June 2024, ISIS has claimed 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria. At this rate, ISIS is on pace to more than double the total number of attacks they claimed in 2023, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.The increase in attacks indicates ISIS is attempting to reconstitute following several years of decreased capability.To continue the effort to defeat ISIS and prevent its ability to conduct external attacks, United States Central Command, along with our Defeat ISIS partners, Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces, conducted 196 Defeat ISIS Missions resulting in 44 ISIS operatives killed and 166 detained in the first half of 2024. In Iraq, 137 partnered operations resulted in 30 ISIS operatives killed and 74 ISIS operatives detained. In Syria, 59 operations conducted alongside the SDF and other partners resulted in 14 ISIS operatives killed and 92 ISIS operatives detained. The above operations resulted in eight senior ISIS leaders killed and 32 captured in both Iraq and Syria. These leaders include those responsible for planning of operations outside of Syria and Iraq, recruiting, training, and weapons smuggling. The removal of these individuals from their leadership positions further degrades ISIS capabilities to conduct external operations in the U.S. and allied nations.The continued pursuit of the approximately 2,500 ISIS fighters at large across Iraq and Syria is a critical component to the enduring defeat of ISIS. Equally important are the ongoing international efforts to repatriate more than 9,000 ISIS detainees in detention facilities in Syria, and the repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of more than 43,000 individuals and families from the Al Hol and Al Roj camps. This is down from the peak of over 70,000 in 2019. “The global enduring defeat of ISIS relies on combined efforts of the Coalition and partners to remove key leaders from the battlefield and the repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of families from Al Hol and Al Roj,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command. “We continue to focus our efforts on specifically targeting those members of ISIS who are seeking to conduct external operations outside of Iraq and Syria and those ISIS members attempting to break out ISIS members in detention in an attempt to reconstitute their forces.”

ISIS on pace to more than double number of attacks they claimed in 2023

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>

President Joe Biden called for a de-escalation in political rhetoric but kept up criticism of former President Donald Trump on Monday, in Biden’s first interview since a Saturday assassination attempt on Trump.

Talking to NBC News anchor Lester Holt, Biden said he called the injured Trump on Saturday to convey his well wishes.

But he argued to Holt that Trump, whom Republicans officially nominated as their presidential candidate at their convention Monday, remains a threat to U.S. democracy who routinely employed violent rhetoric and led an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Biden said it was a mistake to use the word “bullseye” on a call with Democratic donors last week, when telling them to concentrate on the Republican candidate instead of the fallout from Biden’s poor debate performance.

Many elected officials and fundraisers after the debate wondered if Biden should withdraw from his reelection campaign.

“I meant focus on him,” Biden said of Trump. “Focus on what he’s doing. Focus on his policies.”

The former president survived a shooting on Saturday that killed one person and left two others injured at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The gunman was killed at the scene.

Biden said he did not intentionally use violent rhetoric, but did not apologize or back down from his criticisms of Trump as a “threat to democracy.”

“How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says?” Biden said.

“I’m not engaged in that rhetoric,” Biden said. “My opponent is engaged in that rhetoric, talking about there will be a bloodbath if he loses.”

He also noted Trump said he would commute the sentences of those convicted for attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and mocked then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband after he was assaulted by a man with a hammer during a home invasion.

“This doesn’t sound like you’re turning down the heat,” Holt said.

Biden responded that some ideas that Trump champions — continuing to challenge the 2020 election results despite losing in dozens of court cases, demanding a loyalty pledge from Republicans, calling political opponents “vermin” and saying he would be a dictator on day one of a second term — were antithetical to democracy.

Biden focused especially on the Jan. 6 attack, when a mob of Trump supporters sought to stop Congress and Vice President Mike Pence from certifying Biden’s 2020 victory over then-President Trump.

“When you say there’s nothing wrong with going to the Capitol, breaking in, threatening people, a couple cops dying, putting up a noose and gallows for the former vice president, and then you say you’re going to forgive people for that? That you’re going to pardon them?” Biden said.

“Violence is never appropriate,” he said. “Never, never, never, never, never in politics.”

He pledged to “keep talking about the issues” and chastised Holt and the rest of the news media for what he said was a lack of focus on real policy issues.

“Sometime come and talk to me about what we should be talking about, OK? The issues,” Biden said at the close of the roughly 20-minute interview.

Holt asked Biden about the news earlier Monday that Judge Aileen Cannon, a federal judge in South Florida,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-classified-documents-criminal-case" target="_blank">dismissed the charges</a>&nbsp;against Trump in a case accusing him of improperly storing classified documents from his presidency.

Biden said he felt the decision from a Trump-appointed federal judge was reached in error.

“I’m not surprised,” Biden said. “But my generic point is that … the basis upon which the case was thrown out, I find specious.”

Asked by Holt if he’d “weathered the storm” of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-camp-works-stem-growing-democratic-unease-over-reelection-prospects" target="_blank">Democratic discontent</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-and-trump-trade-insults-accusations-lying-acrimonious-presidential-debate" target="_blank">his June 27 debate</a>&nbsp;performance that shook confidence in his candidacy, Biden said he was staying in the race, citing his victories in primaries and caucuses that didn’t see a serious challenge to his reelection.

“Look, 14 million people voted for me to be the nominee in the Democratic Party, OK?” Biden said. “I listen to them.”

Biden again conceded he’d “had a bad, bad night” at the debate, but told Holt that news reports should have paid more attention to Trump’s performance.

“I screwed up,” Biden said. “Why didn’t the press cover all the lies he told?”

Asked about comments from senior members of his party in Congress, including Pelosi and former No. 3 House Democrat Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, seeming to leave open the possibility he could step aside, Biden said he remained ready to campaign on a strong record.

The race remains close even after the poor debate, Biden said. He added that he’s had one of the most successful presidencies since Franklin Roosevelt nearly 100 years ago.

“I’ve gotten more done than any president has in a long, long time in three-and-a-half years, so I’m willing to be judged on that.”

Biden, 81, said he understood the concerns about his age and called it a “legitimate question” to ask how he would perform over the next four years.

But when Holt asked if Biden was motivated to “get back on the horse” and debate Trump again “in the next few weeks,” Biden pushed back, noting a packed public schedule since the debate.

“I’m on the horse,” he told the interviewer. “Where you been?”

Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/former-president-trump-taps-ohio-us-sen-jd-vance-running-mate-2024" target="_blank">choice of U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio</a>&nbsp;as his running mate showed that he would surround himself “with people who agree completely with him,” Biden said.

Holt noted Vance has made comments about Biden, but the president urged Holt to examine Vance’s comments about Trump. In 2016, as a private citizen with a somewhat public profile as a businessperson and memoirist, Vance made&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/opioid-of-the-masses/489911/" target="_blank">several harsh comments</a>&nbsp;about Trump.

Biden expressed some frustration that Holt did not seem interested in that history.

“He said some things about me, but see what he said about Trump,” Biden said. “What’s with you guys? Come on, man.”

The president said Vance has endorsed Republican positions to severely restrict abortion, cut taxes on high-income earners and to deny climate change.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>President Joe Biden called for a de-escalation in political rhetoric but kept up criticism of former President Donald Trump on Monday, in Biden’s first interview since a Saturday assassination attempt on Trump.Talking to NBC News anchor Lester Holt, Biden said he called the injured Trump on Saturday to convey his well wishes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">There’s no place at all for violence in politics at all in America. Zero.<a href="https://t.co/BrDeLD8bKq">pic.twitter.com/BrDeLD8bKq</a>&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1813033120998039586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But he argued to Holt that Trump, whom Republicans officially nominated as their presidential candidate at their convention Monday, remains a threat to U.S. democracy who routinely employed violent rhetoric and led an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.Biden said it was a mistake to use the word “bullseye” on a call with Democratic donors last week, when telling them to concentrate on the Republican candidate instead of the fallout from Biden’s poor debate performance.Many elected officials and fundraisers after the debate wondered if Biden should withdraw from his reelection campaign.“I meant focus on him,” Biden said of Trump. “Focus on what he’s doing. Focus on his policies.”The former president survived a shooting on Saturday that killed one person and left two others injured at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The gunman was killed at the scene.Biden said he did not intentionally use violent rhetoric, but did not apologize or back down from his criticisms of Trump as a “threat to democracy.”“How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says?” Biden said.“I’m not engaged in that rhetoric,” Biden said. “My opponent is engaged in that rhetoric, talking about there will be a bloodbath if he loses.”He also noted Trump said he would commute the sentences of those convicted for attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and mocked then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband after he was assaulted by a man with a hammer during a home invasion.“This doesn’t sound like you’re turning down the heat,” Holt said.Biden responded that some ideas that Trump champions — continuing to challenge the 2020 election results despite losing in dozens of court cases, demanding a loyalty pledge from Republicans, calling political opponents “vermin” and saying he would be a dictator on day one of a second term — were antithetical to democracy.Biden focused especially on the Jan. 6 attack, when a mob of Trump supporters sought to stop Congress and Vice President Mike Pence from certifying Biden’s 2020 victory over then-President Trump.“When you say there’s nothing wrong with going to the Capitol, breaking in, threatening people, a couple cops dying, putting up a noose and gallows for the former vice president, and then you say you’re going to forgive people for that? That you’re going to pardon them?” Biden said.“Violence is never appropriate,” he said. “Never, never, never, never, never in politics.”He pledged to “keep talking about the issues” and chastised Holt and the rest of the news media for what he said was a lack of focus on real policy issues.“Sometime come and talk to me about what we should be talking about, OK? The issues,” Biden said at the close of the roughly 20-minute interview.<h2>Classified documents charges</h2>Holt asked Biden about the news earlier Monday that Judge Aileen Cannon, a federal judge in South Florida,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-classified-documents-criminal-case" target="_blank">dismissed the charges</a>&nbsp;against Trump in a case accusing him of improperly storing classified documents from his presidency.Biden said he felt the decision from a Trump-appointed federal judge was reached in error.“I’m not surprised,” Biden said. “But my generic point is that … the basis upon which the case was thrown out, I find specious.”<h2>Debate fallout</h2>Asked by Holt if he’d “weathered the storm” of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-camp-works-stem-growing-democratic-unease-over-reelection-prospects" target="_blank">Democratic discontent</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-and-trump-trade-insults-accusations-lying-acrimonious-presidential-debate" target="_blank">his June 27 debate</a>&nbsp;performance that shook confidence in his candidacy, Biden said he was staying in the race, citing his victories in primaries and caucuses that didn’t see a serious challenge to his reelection.“Look, 14 million people voted for me to be the nominee in the Democratic Party, OK?” Biden said. “I listen to them.”Biden again conceded he’d “had a bad, bad night” at the debate, but told Holt that news reports should have paid more attention to Trump’s performance.“I screwed up,” Biden said. “Why didn’t the press cover all the lies he told?”Asked about comments from senior members of his party in Congress, including Pelosi and former No. 3 House Democrat Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, seeming to leave open the possibility he could step aside, Biden said he remained ready to campaign on a strong record.The race remains close even after the poor debate, Biden said. He added that he’s had one of the most successful presidencies since Franklin Roosevelt nearly 100 years ago.“I’ve gotten more done than any president has in a long, long time in three-and-a-half years, so I’m willing to be judged on that.”Biden, 81, said he understood the concerns about his age and called it a “legitimate question” to ask how he would perform over the next four years.But when Holt asked if Biden was motivated to “get back on the horse” and debate Trump again “in the next few weeks,” Biden pushed back, noting a packed public schedule since the debate.“I’m on the horse,” he told the interviewer. “Where you been?”<h2>Vance pick</h2>Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/former-president-trump-taps-ohio-us-sen-jd-vance-running-mate-2024" target="_blank">choice of U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio</a>&nbsp;as his running mate showed that he would surround himself “with people who agree completely with him,” Biden said.Holt noted Vance has made comments about Biden, but the president urged Holt to examine Vance’s comments about Trump. In 2016, as a private citizen with a somewhat public profile as a businessperson and memoirist, Vance made&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/opioid-of-the-masses/489911/" target="_blank">several harsh comments</a>&nbsp;about Trump.Biden expressed some frustration that Holt did not seem interested in that history.“He said some things about me, but see what he said about Trump,” Biden said. “What’s with you guys? Come on, man.”The president said Vance has endorsed Republican positions to severely restrict abortion, cut taxes on high-income earners and to deny climate change.

Kbct