Governor's race kicks into high gear

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Armed with money and election momentum, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Nixon sought Wednesday to frame Republican rival Kenny Hulshof as a Washington insider bent on continuing Gov. Matt Blunt's "failed policies."

Hulshof, meanwhile, headed straight to Nixon's home of Jefferson County on Day 1 of the general election campaign -- a symbolic gesture indicating he is ready to take on Nixon after surviving a tough Republican primary.

Hulshof, a 12-year congressman from Columbia, used a strong showing in his home district and the endorsements of much of the GOP establishment to turn back a populist-styled challenge from state Treasurer Sarah Steelman. He received a 49 percent plurality in Tuesday's four-way race, edging Steelman 194,556 to 176,750 in complete but unofficial results.

While Hulshof's campaign account will essentially be starting from scratch, Nixon emerged from his lightly contested Democratic primary with an 85 percent victory and at least a couple of million dollars in the bank. He declined to say whether he would seize upon that advantage by continuing a TV ad campaign he began before the primary.

But Nixon grouped his 303,796 primary votes together with Steelman's and those of lesser-known candidates to note that Hulshof received barely one-quarter of the total votes cast in the primary elections. He described Hulshof as "the anointed candidate of the Republican hierarchy."

"We learned yesterday that Democrats and Republicans were hungry for change," Nixon said in a media conference call from Kansas City. "They voted against the Washington candidate and the status quo."

Nixon quickly adopted Steelman's campaign characterization of Hulshof as a big Washington spender for supporting what she decried as wasteful earmarks. Although Blunt is not on the ballot, Nixon also made it clear Wednesday that he wants to make the November election a referendum on Blunt's actions.

Hulshof has generally embraced Blunt's 2005 Medicaid cuts as a budgetary necessity, has praised Blunt for improving Missouri's business climate and has supported Blunt's initiative to transfer money from Missouri's student loan authority for college construction projects.

Nixon has made reversing the Medicaid cuts his top priority, has highlighted job losses and has opposed Blunt's plan to finance college buildings as harmful to student loan holders.

Despite sharing Blunt's views on those issues, Hulshof also cast himself as the candidate best able to bring a new approach to Jefferson City. Hulshof has never held an elective office in Jefferson City, although he did previously work as a special prosecutor in the attorney general's office. Nixon is Missouri's longest-serving attorney general and was first elected to the state Senate in 1986.

"When you have been part of the status quo for decades in Jefferson City, how can you be an agent of change?" Hulshof rhetorically asked about Nixon.

Added Hulshof: "I think employers, educators and health-care professionals don't want to go back to the days of the past, they want to move forward, and I'm prepared to offer them those ideas."

Hulshof has yet to outline the details of his own health-care plan. Fleshing out some of those policy proposals will be high on his agenda, as will closing the fundraising gap.

The latter should be made easier by the Aug. 28 repeal of Missouri's campaign contribution limits.

Before the primary, Hulshof had emphasized economic issues by embarking on a 10-day tour of 26 businesses around the state. On Wednesday, he pledged to continue a focus on job training, pro-business policies and tax incentives with a tour of the Koller-Craft plastic products plant near Fenton, in northern Jefferson County.

The county was one of the few in eastern Missouri that Hulshof lost to Steelman.

Nixon grew up in the southern part of Jefferson County, where his father was mayor of De Soto and his mother was president of the local school board. Nixon's first TV ad stressed his De Soto roots, featuring a vehicle-window tour of the town.