“With recent polls showing Hawley with a single-digit lead over Kunce in a state Trump won by 16 points in 2020, Democrats may in fact have the opportunity for an upset here. They also have an opportunity to seat a senator the state could finally be proud of… With the presidency now likely to fall to Republican ex-President Donald Trump, it becomes even more urgent”
Independence, MO — Lucas Kunce, the Marine veteran challenging unpopular incumbent Josh Hawley, earned the endorsement of both of Missouri’s biggest newspapers following another record-breaking quarter. Editorial boards for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star argued Kunce has the experience and powerful message needed to take on Hawley and win this race:
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “…this Editorial Board strongly recommended that Missouri Democrats nominate centrist attorney and former U.S. Marine Lucas Kunce… Kunce’s personal story demolishes the stereotype of the latte-sipping, out-of-touch liberal Democrat: Raised in a struggling working-class family, he earned his way up to become a Yale grad with a Mizzou law degree and extensive military and foreign relations experience… with his modest upbringing and centrist political bearings, he is also able to communicate to more conservative rural voters, potentially bridging political polarization…”
The Kansas City Star: “Kunce is a lawyer and former U.S. Marine, serving for a time in Iraq. His extensive legal and military experience far outpaces Hawley’s… Missouri [has] two right-wing politicians as senators. Kunce offers Democrats, and Missourians, a chance to change that sorry outcome.”
Both editorial boards also highlighted the unique strength of Kunce’s record-breaking, people-powered, worker-led campaign — as well as the high stakes of this election:
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “Despite his refusal to take corporate donations, [Kunce] has consistently outraised Hawley in the crucial money battle, while racking up endorsements from both pro-labor and pro-veterans organizations… With the presidency now likely to fall to Republican ex-President Donald Trump, it becomes even more urgent for Democrats to hold their Senate majority. And Hawley (who is running unopposed for the GOP nomination next month) adds to the reasons Missourians should help hold that line. From his political and personal culpability for the events of Jan. 6, 2021, to his insincere populist showboating on the Senate floor, to his outrageous recent defense of Christian nationalism, Hawley has been a frequently embarrassing senator for Missouri — and not an especially effective one. With recent polls showing Hawley with a single-digit lead over Kunce in a state Trump won by 16 points in 2020, Democrats may in fact have the opportunity for an upset here. They also have an opportunity to seat a senator the state could finally be proud of.”
The Kansas City Star: “Kunce has worked to assemble a coalition of workers and organized labor with veterans and women’s rights supporters. ‘I’m running for U.S. Senate because I think working people should be calling the shots in our country,’ he told us…”
The endorsements follow a wave of momentum for Kunce, including a record-breaking quarter (outraising Hawley again), tightening polls, and major endorsements from champions for veterans, reproductive freedom, and organized labor (and a rejection of Hawley’s “pro-worker” phoniness).