Senate hopefuls Blunt, Carnahan flying around Missouri on final push before election

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Blunt was flying around Missouri on Monday while Democrat Robin Carnahan concentrated on St. Louis in their final push before the election.

Blunt was hopping from airport to airport -- including a stop at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport -- in a 10-stop trip that started in Columbia and was to end in Cassville in southwest Missouri. Carnahan had several events planned Monday in the St. Louis area.

Carnahan, Missouri's secretary of state, and Blunt, a southwest Missouri congressman, are competing to replace Republican Sen. Kit Bond. Their race will top a ballot Tuesday that also includes a couple of hotly contested U.S. House races, the Missouri auditor's race and a trio of statewide ballot measures related to taxes and dog breeders.

The U.S. Senate race has been the most dominant in terms of advertising. Outside groups have spent about $12.5 million on the race, according to the Sunlight Foundation, which tracks political spending. The candidates have exceeded that with their own money.

Carnahan, 49, of St. Louis, has tried to portray Blunt -- who has been in Congress since 1997 -- as "the very worst of Washington." She has highlighted his connections to lobbyists, corporate interests and former Republican House members who got caught up in scandals.

Blunt, 60, of Springfield, has sought to link Carnahan to the policies of President Barack Obama and Democratic congressional leaders. He has highlighted his opposition to the health care overhaul, federal stimulus act and climate control legislation that he says would raise costs for Missouri electricity customers.

Between his opening and closing campaign stops Monday, Blunt also was headed to Cape Girardeau, Chesterfield, Hannibal, Kirksville, St. Joseph, Kansas City, Springfield and Joplin.

Carnahan had seven stops planned in the St. Louis area, beginning at a diner and then heading to a union training center and a shift change at an aerospace parts manufacturer. She also planned to attend several events aimed at getting people out to vote, such as door-to-door canvasses and phone-bank operations.

One of Missouri's closest races is in the 4th Congressional District in west-central Missouri. Longtime Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton planned campaign events Monday in Clinton and Richmond. His Republican challenger, Vicky Hartzler, was campaigning in Odessa, Marshall, Concordia and California, Mo.