This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Jan. 3, 2013 - Outgoing state Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, confirms that she is actively campaigning for a key post up for grabs on Saturday – chair of the Missouri Republican Party.
Her chief reason? “No. 1, the results of the last election speak volumes as to the need for new ideas and new energy,” said Cunningham, referring to the Missouri Democrats’ near sweep of all statewide offices on Nov. 6.
The only victorious statewide Republican (aside from presidential nominee Mitt Romney) was Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder.
Cunningham and St. Louis lawyer Ed Martin are both challenging incumbent party chairman David Cole, a lawyer from Cassville, Mo.
The choice will be made Saturday morning in Columbia, Mo., by 68 members of the state GOP’s governing executive committee, made up of a man and a woman from each of the state’s 34 state Senate districts.
Neither Cole nor Martin could be reached for comment Wednesday. But Cole and his allies have previously pointed to Republican successes this fall in retaining or expanding majorities in the state Senate (Republicans hold 24 of 34 seats) and the state House (the GOP now has 109 of 163 seats).
Their point? That Cole has helped set the stage for a stronger statewide GOP showing in future elections.
Even so, Martin is reported by GOP insiders as having built alliances with some Missouri supporters of Ron and Rand Paul – the conservative father-son duo in the U.S. House and Senate – who won seats this year on the state GOP’s executive board.
Martin was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Missouri attorney general in November. He also headed the state GOP's statewide "Missouri Victory 2012'' campaign.
Tea Party and Paul backers could be key
As for Cunningham, she is citing her ties to various tea party or self-identified “patriot” groups and her success as a leader in the August 2010 victory of Proposition C, which sought to exempt Missouri from mandates contained in the federal health-insurance law known as the Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare.”
She also pointed to herself as “someone who has experience both as an elected official, and has experience with the grassroots and ‘patriot’ folks, as well as a long history with the party.”
Cunningham said that the Missouri Republican Party needs to “expand our tent,” adding that she believes that can be done while still holding firm to the party’s principles.
“The values in our platform are attractive to a lot of people,” she said.
Without criticizing Cole directly, Cunningham contended that she had the skills to articulate conservative Republican values to the public better and to forge alliances with various conservative groups.
Cunningham pointed out that she also is a woman, which she said could help alleviate the anti-woman impression that some voters hold of the Republican party, nationally and in Missouri.
Some of the gender divide stemmed from the furor prompted by Republican U.S. Senate nominee Todd Akin’s assertion in August that victims of “legitimate rape’’ rarely get pregnant because of hormonal defenses.
Cunningham said she would have handled the uproar differently. “It should not have been handled in the public arena,” she said, referring to the very public effort by some GOP leaders to force Akin to withdraw as a candidate.
Cunningham also took note of another factor: Her 7th state Senate district was moved across the state during redistricting in 2011, which in effect prevented her from seeking re-election this fall.
Cunningham’s allies have blamed party leaders for her predicament (as well as that faced by fellow conservative state Sen. Jim Lembke, R- Lemay, who lost on Nov. 6).
Cunningham briefly touched on redistricting as she assessed her chances of victory on Saturday: “My district was eliminated. I have tremendous background and experience; I can do this.”
She said she has discussed the contest with Martin and Cole. A party spokesman confirmed that Saturday’s balloting will continue until one contender has a majority of the votes of the board.
Saturday’s voting will be by secret ballot, but the process will be open to the public, the spokesman said.
