McCaskill woos independents as Holden keeps party's core

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- As the titular head of the Missouri Democratic Party, Gov. Bob Holden has the backing of the party establishment in the Aug. 3 gubernatorial primary.

State Auditor Claire McCaskill, however, has picked up the endorsements of several prominent Democrats and is counting on the support of independent voters to wrest the party's nomination from the incumbent.

Holden's backers include Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell, former U.S. Sens. Jean Carnahan and Thomas Eagleton and ex-Missouri Gov. Warren Hearnes.

Hearnes, a two-term governor from Charleston, said he personally likes McCaskill but believes Holden is deserving of another four years in office.

"It is hard, having been governor, to go against a sitting governor when you don't have any reason to," Hearnes said.

Holden's campaign Web site lists the endorsements of 28 of the 87 Democratic members of the Missouri Legislature, although at least 12 others have expressed support for the incumbent, according to a recent survey by The Associated Press.

McCaskill's campaign claims the backing of 10 sitting Democratic lawmakers plus a number of former officeholders.

Other key supporters include former Gov. Roger Wilson, ex-House Speaker Jim Kreider and former Lt. Gov. Harriett Woods, the first woman to hold statewide office in Missouri.

McCaskill's Southeast Missouri supporters include former longtime state Reps. Dennis Ziegenhorn of Sikeston and Marvin Proffer, who represented Jackson in the House and is currently Southeast Missouri State University's lobbyist in the Capitol. Neither could be reached for comment Tuesday.

Since the state treasurer's race offers the only hotly contested statewide primary on the Republican ticket, independent voters could be prompted to take Democratic ballots, which could influence the outcome of the Holden-McCaskill contest. Missouri voters do not register by party.

Overall voter participation in the upcoming primary is expected to be bolstered by statewide ballot measures to ban same-sex marriages within the Missouri Constitution and to allow casino gambling at Rockaway Beach in the Ozarks.

McCaskill campaign spokesman Glenn Campbell said independent voters will provide the margin of victory.

"The higher turnout will help our campaign beyond the core Democrats," Campbell said.

Holden campaign spokesman Caleb Weaver, however, downplayed the role of independents.

"We don't think it is going to be an especially large impact," Weaver said.

Other Democratic hopefuls include Cole County Auditor Jim LePage and Jeffery Emrick, a political unknown from the Kansas City area.

Secretary of State Matt Blunt is virtually assured of claiming the Republican nomination for governor over five little-known opponents.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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