Politically Speaking

St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies look at three things playing a big role in Missouri’s 2018 election cycle.

The first is debate over pre-existing conditions between U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill and her GOP opponent Josh Hawley. It stems from Hawley’s decision to be a part of a lawsuit seeking to upend the Affordable Care Act.

McCaskill made health care a signature issue of her re-election campaign long before it became a trend among other Democratic candidate running in states where President Donald Trump is reasonably popular.

Mannies and Rosenbaum also discuss the importance of turnout, and Democratic unity, in St. Louis County for candidates like McCaskill. They also reflect on former Secretary of State Jason Kander’s decision to bow out of the Kansas City mayor’s race to seek treatment for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Randy Auxier, the Green Party nominee in Illinois’ 12th Congressional District, is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast.

Auxier is running against incumbent Republican Congressman Mike Bost and Democratic nominee Brendan Kelly. Both Kelly and Bost both recorded episodes of Politically Speaking earlier this year.

Auxier is a Memphis native who is currently a philosophy professor at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. He’s been active in Green Party politics for some time, most recently running for a slot on the Jackson County Board in 2016.

Democrat Robert Butler is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. He joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Abigail Censky to talk about his bid for the 22nd District Senate seat.

Butler is running against incumbent Sen. Paul Wieland, an Imperial Republican who first captured the Jefferson County-based district in 2014. Wieland’s episode of Politically Speaking was posted on Monday.

Butler is an attorney who has lived in Jefferson County for more than 20 years. The Barnhart resident is not a first time candidate: He’s run for a state House seat encompassing part of northern Jefferson County twice, losing both times to House Majority Leader Rob Vescovo.

Sen. Paul Wieland is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. He talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies and Abigail Censky about his re-election bid in Missouri’s 22nd District Senate seat.

The Imperial Republican represents a portion of Jefferson County in the Missouri Senate. His race against Democrat Robert Butler is one of the most competitive state Senate races in the entire state — and could give a sense of how other statewide campaigns shake out.

St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies look at the importance of Jefferson County in this year’s statewide election.

Whenever there’s a competitive statewide election, Jefferson County often gets a lot of attention. That’s because voters there almost always pick winners of statewide elections — as they did in 2016 and 2012.

Democrat Patrice Billings is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. The St. Charles County resident talked to St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies about her bid for Missouri’s 2nd Senatorial District seat.

Billings worked for several decades a helicopter pilot for the St. Louis County Police Department. She is squaring off against incumbent Sen. Bob Onder, a Lake Saint Louis Republican who recorded an episode of Politically Speaking earlier this month.

St. Louis County Assessor Jake Zimmerman joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies to talk about his re-election bid — and what he learned from his successful run for attorney general two years ago.

The Olivette Democrat has served as St. Louis County assessor since 2011. Before that, Zimmerman was a member of the Missouri House and a staffer for governors Jay Nixon and Bob Holden.

Illinois Congressman Mike Bost joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies on Politically Speaking to talk about his bid for a third term.

The Murphysboro Republican has represented Illinois’ 12th District since 2015. He’s running against Democrat Brendan Kelly, who is St. Clair County’s state’s attorney. The Bost-Kelly race is expected to be one of the competitive congressional races in the nation.

Kelly previously appeared on Politically Speaking. You can listen to that episode by clicking here.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s decision to vote against Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court is a key topic of the latest Politically Speaking podcast.

St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies look into how undisclosed political money is playing into the contest between McCaskill and GOP Attorney Josh Hawley. It comes as millions of 501(c)(4) cash is going to support Hawley’s bid — and to ensure McCaskill wins a second term.

East Central College hosted a candidate forum on Thursday night featuring numerous contenders for local, state and federal offices.

St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum moderated the event, which featured questions on pressing public policy issues — as well as ballot initiatives that voters will consider on the Nov. 6 election.

The candidates that Rosenbaum questioned include:

• State Sen. Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, and Democrat John Kiehne, who are running for the 26th District Senate seat.
• Democrat Katy Geppart, who is running for Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District seat.
• Constitution Party candidate Jacob Luetkemeyer, a contender for Missouri state auditor.
• Republican Aaron Griesheimer and Democrat Pamela Menefee, who are running for the 61st District House seat.
• Republican John Simmons and Democrat James Cordrey, the candidates for the 109th District House seat.
• Republican Dottie Bailey, the GOP nominee for the 110th District House seat.
• Democrat Marcie Nichols, who is running for the 119th District House seat.