Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder says his win shows value of reaching out to Democratic voting blocs

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau was the only Republican to escape a Democratic sweep of statewide offices in Tuesday's election, a victory he said showed the value of reaching out to minorities and other traditionally Democratic voting blocs.

"I took my campaign to every corner of this state," Kinder said Wednesday. "I spent an enormous amount of time appealing to a bipartisan, biracial coalition. I worked for African-American support, and I am humbled and gratified by the response."

Kinder also worked to maintain support in areas where Republicans must do well to prevail statewide. While Republican presidential nominee John McCain lost St. Louis County by 111,000 votes, Kinder trailed there by only 72,000. In heavily Republican St. Charles County, where McCain won by 18,000 votes, Kinder's margin was 22,000.

Overall, Kinder defeated Rep. Sam Page with 1.4 million votes to 1.33 million votes.

The victory makes Kinder the party's most visible leader in the state.

Asked which part of his effort was more important, Kinder said each was vital to victory. "What is the most important leg of a three-legged stool?" he asked. "We cannot solely be the party of rural conservative voters who drive pickup trucks like I do. We have got to concede no vote and take our campaign to every part of the state."

Must escape regional trap

Nationally, Republicans lost at least five seats in the U.S. Senate and have no U.S. House members from New England.

Republicans must escape becoming a regional party with a narrow appeal, Kinder said. "We cannot be the party of anger about immigration. We cannot send out an exclusionary message to minority voters. When we do that, we have election results nationally like we saw Tuesday. When we make a sincere effort, we have a result like I had."

Under Gov. Matt Blunt, a fellow Republican, Kinder was often called on to take over the duties of governor while Blunt was out of the state. He knows that will be unlikely after Democrat Jay Nixon takes over as governor, but he said he intends to work with Nixon in good faith.

Republicans gained three seats in the Missouri Senate, increasing their majority to a historic high of 23-11. While the GOP lost three seats in the Missouri House, it maintained a majority that should allow Republicans to pursue the party's agenda.

Kinder sees his role as that of intermediary, working to create an atmosphere where both sides can achieve their policy goals. He said he has sought to speak to Nixon about working together.

"I am a very intense and strong competitor in election campaigns," Kinder said. "When the election is over and the dust settles, I believe the people expect us to work together to do what is right to move Missouri forward, and that is what I intend to tell governor-elect Nixon."

rkeller@semissourian.com

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