Lucas Kunce thinks populism has been given a bad name. “It’s outrageous,” he says, “that people call the Josh Hawleys, the Eric Greitens, the Donald Trumps of the world populist. Populism is about everyday people coming together to have power in a system that’s not working for them. So do that, Josh Hawley. I mean, good Lord, what a charlatan.”

Lucas Kunce can make a genuine progressive populist appeal that distinguishes him from millionaire candidates in both parties. He’s not a millionaire. He grew up in a working-class family that went through bankruptcy because of medical bills. He is a fierce critic of Wall Street, corporate monopolies, racist and xenophobic leaders, and big money in politics. On his campaign website, Kunce rips into the corporate politicians who helped “ship jobs and opportunities out of our state for decades.” And he promises that his “number one mission is to fundamentally change who has power in this country.” Beating the big-money politics that give us millionaire candidates and compromise governance is the first step in that process, which explains why the Post-Dispatch is so enthusiastic about Kunce.

“Unlike other candidates in this race, the only ‘ball’ he’s ever been to is the Marine Corps Ball. He’s the one we can trust. I’ve got his back because I know he has all of ours. Vote for Lucas Kunce on August 2nd because we need real Democrats in the U.S. Senate who will fight for us and respond to the voters instead of big money special interests.”

“This is Eric Greitens showing his true colors… We cannot let the Eric Greitens of the world own the discussion. He’s a literal criminal, and we have to fight back.”

Lucas Kunce was profiled by Bill Donahue in Washington Post Magazine.
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“Eventually, I’ll speak to Kristin Kobes Du Mez, a history and gender studies professor at Calvin University in Michigan, and learn that she too appreciates Kunce’s force. ‘He’s exactly the sort of candidate the Democrats should be running right now… Who better to reveal how much of the right wing’s masculinity is performative?'”
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“It would be impossible to call Lucas Kunce a wimp, or to tar him with the label ‘elitist’ — another, related slur beloved by Republicans.”
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“Kunce doesn’t deny that opposing Greitens would be tough, but he’d relish the challenge. ‘If it’s me against Greitens, it’s going to be bloody,’ Kunce says. ‘It’s going to be a very bloody, nasty fight.'”
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“Terrorists, child abusers, and criminals like Eric Greitens shouldn’t even be able to get a weapon. I’m the Marine veteran running against this guy. Send me to the U.S. Senate, and I’ll keep our families safe from criminals like him.”

We used to make shit in this country. But in the past 25 years, America has lost five million manufacturing jobs and closed nearly 70,000 factories. Our politicians didn’t just stand by – they helped make it happen.
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I’m running for Senate because we need to make shit in America again. I want to put real Missourians in charge of our state and real Americans in charge of our country. Instead of more wars overseas, I want to nation-build America – investing in the apprenticeship programs and infrastructure we need to build the next generation of industries here at home and recruit the workers we need to get it done.