Rivals say Mike Kehoe dodging debates ahead of Aug. 6 primary for Missouri governor (2024)

JEFFERSON CITY — Two of the top Republican candidates for Missouri governor say a third contender, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, is avoiding debates ahead of the Aug. 6 GOP primary.

“Bill Eigel will debate anytime, anywhere,” Sophia Shore, spokeswoman for Eigel, said in a statement. She said there were “several” debate plans “if Kehoe doesn’t chicken out per usual.”

A spokesman for the third major contender, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, said in a text message Friday that with regard to debates, “several (are) in the works, we’ve accepted all of them” but that “Kehoe has accepted none of them.”

Eigel’s team noted two “hopeful” debates next month: a July 11 debate and forum hosted by the central Republican committees for St. Louis, St. Louis County, and Jefferson County; and a July 24 debate hosted by KSDK-TV (Channel 5).

Gabby Picard, spokeswoman for Kehoe, said Friday the July 11 event “has been declined” due to a previously scheduled event. As for the KSDK debate, she said “we are still working through that request but hoping it works out.”

Picard said Kehoe already took part in a February forum at the statewide Lincoln Days in Kansas City.

“Lt. Gov. Kehoe has a packed schedule leading up to August 6th traveling across the state to see Missourians who want him to visit their communities and host events for the campaign,” she said in a text. “Any requests that have been declined are due to previously scheduled events.”

Kehoe had committed to debates in Cole County and Springfield, but one of the candidates backed out days before, according to Kehoe’s campaign.

Kehoe has outperformed both Eigel and Ashcroft in the fundraising race, and the lieutenant governor has received endorsem*nts from big-name groups such as the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Missouri Farm Bureau and the Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters.

“He is gonna try and buy the race, avoiding any cross-examination,” said Jason Cabel Roe, spokesman for Ashcroft.

In response, Picard said that “losing candidates focus all of their time and energy on a debate schedule.

“Throughout this campaign,” she said, “Kehoe has been more accessible, attended more events, visited more cities and towns, and met more Missourians than possibly any candidate for governor in history.”

Eigel’s campaign sent a list of five debates or forums that never occurred or have been cancelled, and said Ashcroft didn’t commit to a January debate in Greene County, and that he backed out of an April debate in Camden County. The campaign said Kehoe didn’t commit to a debate by Scott Faughn of the Missouri Times that was supposed to occur later this month.

“Mike Kehoe and Jay Ashcroft need to show up and defend their failed records,” Shore said.

Renee Artman, chair of the St. Louis County Republican Central Committee, said Ashcroft, Eigel and another gubernatorial candidate, Chris Wright, were scheduled to attend the July 11 event, at 6:30 p.m. at Parkway West High School.

Missouri politicians are no strangers to debate-stage standoffs.

In 2022, then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt avoided the debate stage in his successful campaign for U.S. Senate, first in the primary against U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler and former Gov. Eric Greitens, and then in the general election against Trudy Busch Valentine, a Democrat.

Valentine, a first-time candidate criticized for verbal stumbles, didn’t debate competitor Lucas Kunce in the Democratic primary that year, ignoring an invitation.

In the governor’s race, Kehoe has been accused of running to the left of Ashcroft and Eigel.

The lieutenant governor has said he is open to slightly altering Missouri’s near-total abortion ban and has supported increasing the fuel tax to raise money for road upgrades. Kehoe could also be attacked for his past votes, as a state senator, in favor of foreign ownership of farmland.

Democrat unenthused

On the Democratic side, House Minority Leader Crystal Quade faces Springfield businessman Mike Hamra in the Aug. 6 primary for governor.

Representatives for both campaigns said Friday that no debates had been confirmed. But one side sounded more enthusiastic than the other about facing off.

“Seems pretty late for that kind of thing to come together at this point,” Laura Swinford, spokeswoman for Hamra, said in a text message Friday, 53 days before the Aug. 6 primary.

“Mike will definitely be getting the word out about his vision and agenda in the coming weeks,” she said in a text message.

Quade, in a statement, said: “I believe a debate ahead of the primary is important to give voters a chance to hear directly from the candidates, not their TV ads, or social media.”

She said the campaign had not received any invitations, but added she was “optimistic about an opportunity to share my vision for a stronger Missouri.”