JOPLIN, Mo. 鈥 A crowd of about 150 showed up Wednesday at VFW Post 534 to hear from Lucas Kunce, a Democrat and Marine veteran who hopes to do the unlikely: dislodge a Republican incumbent in a deep-red state.
Kunce, 42, proceeded to call U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, 44, a coward, sought to tie him to the 鈥渕assive corporations鈥 that have plundered the state and accused the state鈥檚 senior senator of failing to bring any federal dollars back to Missouri.
The Democrat also promised to support the AFL-CIO-backed and support paid medical and sick leave.
And, Kunce told this Joplin audience, he鈥檇 鈥渄o everything in my power鈥 to end to , the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court case that ushered in an era of unlimited political spending, drawing cheers from the crowd.
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鈥淚 have seen it. Those are the tools that these guys use to buy off weak-minded, ambitious, hungry guys like Josh Hawley and literally use them to strip our communities for parts,鈥 Kunce told the crowd.
The Wednesday event was part of Kunce鈥檚 final push to win over voters ahead of the Nov. 5 general election. The left-leaning populist Democrat, who lost a U.S. Senate bid in 2022, faces an uphill battle against Hawley, a socially conservative Republican who has embraced Christian nationalism and certain progressive economic policies.
To John Felder, a 58-year-old teacher from Neosho who attended the Joplin rally, Kunce鈥檚 approach is a 鈥減otent鈥 one.
But can he win?
鈥淗e鈥檚 willing to go out and hit the ground and go talk to people,鈥 Felder said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檒l change a lot of people鈥檚 minds. But he鈥檚 got to get around and get to those.
鈥淭he hardest part is these rural areas,鈥 Felder said, because 鈥渢hese people feel disenfranchised,鈥 adding that they feel like 鈥渢hey鈥檙e not being listened to.鈥
Kunce has an ability to connect with working-class people, Felder said.
鈥淗awley can鈥檛 walk into a VFW and talk to them face to face,鈥 Felder said. 鈥淏ecause he didn鈥檛 do the service.
鈥淚 think he (Kunce) can talk to the working-class people,鈥 Felder said, calling Hawley an 鈥渁ctor.鈥
Not everyone who attended Kunce鈥檚 rally Wednesday walked in as a supporter.
Ryan Melvin, a 21-year-old from Joplin who works as an assistant superintendent at a golf course, said he leans to the right politically but was 鈥渧ery鈥 undecided in the Senate race.
He said he preferred the Republican approach to economic policies. Melvin added he grew up in a farm community and that policies Republicans push 鈥渙ften help people like me.鈥
鈥淩epublicans tend to push things through and vote for policies that help farmers,鈥 Melvin said. 鈥淲hereas I鈥檓 not saying Democrats don鈥檛, but the Republicans go out of their way to do it more than I鈥檝e seen Democrats do it.鈥
Melvin, asked what would sell him on either candidate, said he wanted to vote for the person he thinks will 鈥渄o the best to help me.鈥
After the Wednesday rally, Melvin said Friday he was still undecided.
鈥淚 was a little disappointed with Kunce seemingly attacking Sen. Hawley鈥檚 character,鈥 he said.
Melvin said the rally gave him more insight into Kunce鈥檚 running points, which he said was nice to know.
鈥淗owever, I would like to know his positions on subjects other than the current hot-button topics that really divide the left and the right,鈥 Melvin said.
How close is the race?
Hawley, in an interview with the Post-Dispatch last week, said the Senate race was 鈥渧ery competitive.鈥
That was despite September polls showing the incumbent leading Kunce by double digits and analysts the seat safely Republican.
鈥淗e has spent inordinate sums of money,鈥 Hawley said. 鈥淚 mean, just unbelievable amounts of money that continue to pour in from outside the state.
Kunce鈥檚 campaign had raised more than $11 million since the start of 2023 and through the last federal reporting period. Kunce鈥檚 campaign said the Democrat added an additional $8.3 million between July and September.
Hawley鈥檚 campaign committee and the joint fundraising Hawley Victory Committee had reported more than $10 million in contributions over the summer. His campaign hasn鈥檛 announced more recent fundraising figures for the latest quarter.
Most contributions to both candidates had flowed from out of state, the Missouri Independent previously .
Kunce has sought to capitalize on negative feelings voters across the country have toward Hawley.
Hawley鈥檚 national profile grew after he tried to overturn the 2020 election and cheered on protesters outside the U.S. Capitol the morning of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
Hawley last week wouldn鈥檛 commit to respecting the results of the 2024 election if Vice President Kamala Harris beat former President Donald Trump.
鈥淵eah, sure. I mean, so long as it鈥檚 fair,鈥 Hawley said when asked if he would respect the results if Harris won.
Kunce rallies supporters
One of Kunce鈥檚 arguments is that, unlike former Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, Hawley hasn鈥檛 brought back any federal dollars to the state.
鈥淲e literally can鈥檛 afford another six years of Josh Hawley,鈥 Kunce said at the rally.
Kunce said Blunt brought back $300 million per year in direct congressional spending in his last year in office but that Hawley had brought $0.
鈥淚 did not realize that. That is a big deal,鈥 one woman said after the rally, adding that information could sway people.
Kunce鈥檚 latest ad in the Senate race slams Hawley on this point while calling attention to money Hawley has made from book sales since taking office.
鈥淥ur last Republican senator brought home $300 million a year to create new jobs and raise wages. And so will I,鈥 Kunce said.
In support of his claim, Kunce鈥檚 campaign pointed to an August 2023 article in Roll Call. The article said Missouri received $362 million in earmarks during Blunt鈥檚 last year as the top Republican on a Senate appropriations committee.
But the state鈥檚 current senators, Hawley and Eric Schmitt, don鈥檛 request earmarks, and the total for Missouri dropped to zero last year, Roll Call reported.
Hawley, asked to respond to Kunce鈥檚 criticism, pointed to his push for direct COVID-19 relief payments with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in 2020. Sanders is an independent but caucuses and tends to vote with Democrats.
And, Hawley said, 鈥渨e鈥檝e gotten new housing for Fort Leonard Wood, about $100 million in new housing.鈥
KSDK-TV (Channel 5) last month that Hawley falsely claimed to have 鈥渟ecured鈥 Fort Leonard Wood funding, saying he voted against it multiple times.
But Hawley鈥檚 staff pointed to other actions he took in office, including a letter he sent to U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, to defend the senator鈥檚 claim.
Hawley, in an interview, said it鈥檚 Kunce who isn鈥檛 being honest with voters. Kunce has declined to say whether he will vote for Harris for president.
鈥淗is campaign is really a fraud. I mean, he鈥檚 a far-left, nutty guy, and he knows now he won鈥檛 get elected that way. So now he won鈥檛 say who he鈥檚 voting for. He鈥檚 pretending he doesn鈥檛 remember any of his former positions.
鈥淚 just don鈥檛 think Missourians are buying that,鈥 Hawley said. 鈥淭hey can sniff out a fraud when they see one.鈥
Kunce and Hawley are scheduled to meet in a televised debate at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, hosted by Nexstar鈥檚 Missouri stations, which include KTVI (Channel 2) and KPLR (Channel 11) in St. 亚洲无码.