Zwiefel won’t endorse in Lt. Gov. primary

State Treasurer Clint Zweifel. (PoliticMo Photo)

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Standing within yards of his party’s newest candidate for Lieutenant Governor, Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel, D., said he will stay out of the inter-party fray.

In an interview with PoliticMo, Zweifel said he will not endorse either Judy Baker or his former statewide colleague, former State Auditor Susan Montee, for the Democratic nomination for Lt. Governor.

Baker, a former state representative who had served in the Obama administration since losing a congressional campaign in 2008, entered the race last week against Montee, who stepped down as chairwoman of the Missouri Democratic Party to make her bid.

Some Democrats are skeptical of Baker’s candidacy. Among some, one mind-meld is that the party should back Montee because she stepped up when nobody else would run against Republican Speaker Steven Tilley, and that in such a challenging year for Democrats, the party simply should not mess with primaries.

Zweifel, a product of a primary and now a rising star among Missouri Democrats, said though challenging, a primary could be a good thing for the ultimate Democratic nominate.

“I think it made me into a better, stronger candidate on the campaign trail, and I’m someone who believes those primaries can serve a purpose and are helpful,” he said. “I’d like to see high quality people elected, and the primary process helps determine that for us.”

Speaking to the larger gathering of Boone County Democrats, Zweifel did offer support for Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley, a new candidate challenging U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville. Hensley’s campaign told PoliticMo she is traveling her district, building her organization, and planning to make an official announcement in March.

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