JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri’s newspaper editors heard the opening arguments of the race for the Republican nomination for governor in 2016 during presentations from both of the party’s top candidates on Thursday.Both Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich and former House Speaker Catherine Hanaway laid out their cases at a meeting of the Missouri Press Association. The two advocated for lower taxes and limitations on labor unions, but they split when it came to their qualifications for the office, education reform and their stances on campaign finance reform.
Schweich, acknowledging that most of their positions are the same, sought to draw contrast between the two by highlighting his electoral success and broad support by Republicans.
“My case to the people is going to be, I don’t think you have anybody who is better qualified than I am,” he said, noting audits of state agencies to make the point, “I know what’s right and wrong with government.”
Noting his political successes since his first campaign in 2010, Schweich referred to himself as a “proven statewide winner,” an implicit jab at Hanaway, who lost her only prior statewide run in 2004 for secretary of state (it was a close election but nonetheless in a year when Republicans won the other statewide offices on the ballot).
Schweich said, “If you want to win, you go with a proven winner, especially when they’re running a proven winner,” pointing to Attorney General Chris Koster, the likely Democratic candidate in 2016.
While Schweich touted his political successes, Hanaway touted her legislative expertise. Hanaway became House speaker after leading the party through the 2002 election cycle, during which Republicans won control of the Legislature for the first time in a generation.
“I’d assume we’d be similar on a lot of issues, because of the fact that we’re from the same political party,” she said. “Our differences are experiential. To pass something, to get it done, you have to persuade 81 other people, the Senate and get the governor to sign it. Those fundamental rules of legislating have been completely lost in this building.”
The two are also split on campaign finance reform. Schweich said he supports capping the amount of money a candidate can receive from any one donor at 25 percent, not capping the amount of money a donor can contribute, in an effort to sidestep any potential First Amendment concerns.
“There is too much money in campaigns right now,” he said. “It can be disruptive. If you can’t take a 25 percent pledge, you are vulnerable to the accurate accusation that you’re bought and paid for.”
Hanaway — who has accepted more than 70 percent of her current campaign account from one donor, St. Louis billionaire Rex Sinquefield — said there was simply less transparency when finance limits were in place, pointing to large donors, like Sinquefield, who attempted to hide the source of money in various political action committees.
Hanaway discounted the notion that she was “paid for” by Sinquefield because of his large amount of contributions to her campaign, which amount to nearly $1 million.
“I was speaker of the House and a U.S. attorney before I ever took one red cent from Rex Sinquefield,” she said. “I stood for lower taxes, better schools and tort reform long before I met Rex Sinquefield. He contributes to me because he believes in what I believe in.”
As the campaign kicks off, Hanaway on Thursday sought to highlight support from state legislators, including Senate Majority Leader Ron Richard, R-Joplin, who endorsed her when she announced her campaign last spring. During an interview, Richard said he supports Hanaway out of loyalty because of the support she gave him early in his political career.
“She was a speaker, I’m a former speaker, out of respect for sharing that job,” he said. “I’ve had a relationship with her since 2002, so naturally I’m going to support her early, but her or Schweich, I’m going to support them. She got me on a start. Why wouldn’t I give her the same courtesy?”
Campaign in gear
The session in Jefferson City was not exactly a face-to-face matchup — the two presentations were split by 45 minutes and the candidates never saw each other. Tom Schweich and Catherine Hanaway will be together next weekend, when Republicans meet in Kansas City for their annual Lincoln Days gathering.