Friday, March 21, 2014

Strong support for Schatz prompts Tim Jones' withdrawal from State Senate consideration

The wheels of Missouri Republican politics keep moving.

When Mr. Second Amendment, Brian Nieves opted out of running for another term in the State Senate, Rep. Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan announced his candidacy and it seemed all but certain that Speaker of the House Tim Jones R-Eureka was going to enter the race.

Today, in a Facebook post, Jones announced he would not run and with former Sen. Jane Cunningham, perhaps the biggest foe of public education in Missouri, deciding not to run for St. Louis County Executive, the possibility of Mrs. Cunningham, who was pushed out of the Senate after one term due to redistricting, joining the race seems quite possible.

Though Jones has $1 million plus in his campaign account, the ease with which Schatz has attracted oversized contributions this month most likely contributed to his decision not to run.

Missouri Ethics Commission documents show Schatz has collected approximately $400,000 in contributions of $5,000 or more in less than a month, including putting a quarter of a million of his own money into the campaign.

The following is the message Jones left on his Facebook site:

The following is my statement regarding my decision not to run for the State Senate. Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to do so. It is truly humbling to have your support.
"I am humbled that when Senator Nieves chose not to run for re-election, so many of my friends and supporters, including Senator Nieves and many of my current and former colleagues in the General Assembly, encouraged me to consider running for the Missouri Senate.
However, after taking the time to discuss this opportunity with my family, I feel that the best course forward is not to enter the race, as doing so would greatly distract from the important work before me. Instead, I will continue to focus on serving this year as Speaker of the House, passing the conservative legislation that Missouri needs, standing up for our constitutional rights and working to have our voice heard in what could be another historic veto session. After this important responsibility is completed, I will focus on preparing for a statewide campaign for 2016.
Dave Schatz is a good man and has been a reliable and hard working caucus member. I wish him all the best as he pursues a new goal in public service."

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