Posted on 01/08/2009 9:37:55 AM PST by St. Louis Conservative
Bond is the third Republican Senator to leave the chamber in 2010 -- following Sens. Sam Brownback (Kans.) and Mel Martinez (Fla.) down that path. Democrats are expected to heavily target all three seats.
Bond's retirement ends a long -- and, at times, rocky -- career in Missouri politics that began more than four decades ago when he ran and lost a race for Congress. In 1970, Bond bounced back to be elected state auditor and two years after that was elected governor of the Show Me State. In 1976 he was defeated for re-election but in 1980 reclaimed the office. (We told you it was a long and rocky career.) In 1986, Bond won a Senate seat and had managed to hold the seat ever since -- winning re-election to a fourth term in 2004 with 56 percent, his highest share of the vote ever.
Bond's retirement makes a candidacy by Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, the daughter of the late Governor Mel and former Senator Jean Carnahan, even more likely. Robin Carnahan had made no secret of the fact she was thinking about the race before Bond's decision. Another potential candidate is state Attorney General Chris Koster although Carnahan has the right of first refusal.
The Republican bench is thinner. The three names likely to get significant attention over the next few days are former Sen. Jim Talent, former Rep. Kenny Hulshof and Rep. Roy Blunt.
Talent, who served in the House during the 1990s, lost a run for governor in 2000 but bounced back two years later to defeat Jean Carnahan. Talent lost to Sen. Claire McCaskill in his bid for a full term in 2006.
(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...
Otherwise, there's Peter Kinder. Kinder is a good guy and works very hard and can raise money, but he's not a real dynamic candidate.
Sarah Steelman would be the best candidate, IMO.
Senators up for re-election 2010:
McCain (AZ) (R)
Voinovich (OH) (R)
Gregg (NH) (R)
Specter (PA) (R)
Burr (NC) (R)
Mel Martinez (FL) (R) (retiring - open seat)
Sam Brownback (KS) (R) (retiring - open seat)
Kit Bond (MO) (R) (retiring - open seat)
Bayh (IN) (D)
Lincoln (AR) (D)
Dorgan (ND) (D)
Salazar (CO) (D)
Reid (NV) (D)
Is Carnahan popular in MO? Would you care to handicap the GOP’s chances of keeping the seat?
Wow, that is depressing. I don’t see a safe seat except for McCain’s and I don’t see an at-risk seat for the Dummies except for (perhaps) Reid.
I think Republicans like Bond are seeing the writing on the wall that they may be in the minority for a long time to come. If the Dems claim his seat, we could conceivably fall into the mid 30 range in the Senate by 2010 unless the GOP figures out a way to get their act together and counter the False Messiah.
As for Talent, he’s only won one statewide and lost two, and that’s not a good record. Hulshof is a good man, but a bust for statewide. Roy Blunt ? Worst Republican Whip in the past half-century ? No way. Same goes for his gutless son who ran away from facing a contested reelection.
Yeah, Peter Kinder (now, sadly, our last remaining statewide Republican other than Bond) or Steelman are the only viable options, although I think Jo Anne Emerson is a possibility as well. The Carnahan spawn MUST be stopped.
Robin Carnahan was just reelected in November by 62%, the highest vote-getter in the state this cycle. Unfortunately, Lt Gov. Peter Kinder, the only Republican to retain his office statewide, won with just 49.88%. Our chance of keeping Bond’s seat is 50-50, but depends upon if the national climate becomes more favorable towards us. If it’s still like this past year, we’ll lose it.
I’d like Sam Graves, but he doesn’t strike me as a career politician type.
Rush Limbaugh in 2010! :)
No way to Jo Ann Emerson. She is a RINO if there ever was one. Her husband is a big time Dem too.
She was one of 4 Republicans to vote against the surge and votes for every bloated bill that comes down the pike, Highway Bill, Farm Bill, Energy bill, etc.
Well, that is another state we can kiss goodbye.
No strong Republican statewide candidates, maybe Hulshof can try...chances to keep seat in Missouri in 2010...25%...my view from Southeast MO...magritte
Is there a reason Gov. Matt Blunt shouldn’t run?
That’s too bad. I hadn’t heard she remarried.
Like the rest of her clan, Robin Carnahan is dumb as a bag of hammers. However Planned Parenthood will spare no cost to get her elected, as they did for her mouth-breathing, low-life carpetbagger brother Russ. Another infernal legacy from St. Mel, Missouri’s foremost secular martyr.
Her ACU score last year was only 60, but 83 lifetime. Then again they gave McCain a high score too.
Sam Graves smacked Kay Barnes in November.
Yes. He’s a gutless weasel who peed his pants when he heard big bad Jay Nixon was going to run against him for Governor and ran away instead, leaving Nixon to waltz right on in. No rewards for cowards.
Special elections for Hillary’s seat, Biden’s seat and Obama’s seat (now Burris’) also come around in 2010.
It’ll be my pleasure to see Roy Blunt lose. Apparently nobody told ole Roy what exactly you’re supposed to do when you’re Minority Whip. He seemed to think it was hiding in a closet and being seen by the media once in a blue moon. Now we see where his boy got his courage from. Two worthless little weasels.
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