ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Missouri Primaries is set to take place on Tuesday, Aug. 6 and the one of the most interesting races on the ballot Tuesday is the GOP nomination for Missouri Governor, with Jay Ashcroft, Bill Eigel and Mike Kehoe being the most serious candidates to claim it.
Steve Rogers, Saint Louis University Associate Professor of Political Science and the SLU/YouGov Poll Director joined Total Information A.M. to explain the make up of the race between Ashcroft, Eigel, and Mike Kehoe.
Rogers says he has been impressed with how Kehoe has run his campaign, something that would've been a surprise six months ago.
"If you talked about this race six months ago, you would've thought 'oh Ashcroft is going to take this away.' He's secretary of state in Missouri, a little bit of name recognition in his father being attorney general," said Rogers. "But Kehoe has ran a really strong campaign, out funding the other candidates, landing the endorsement of (Missouri Gov. Mike Parson), Senate Leadership and that has made this a really competitive race."
Rogers has also been impressed with how Eigel has ran his campaign, with Eigel not even being a name in conversation for the GOP nomination for Missouri governor a year ago.
"He wasn't even in the polls, let alone asked about," said Rogers. "Now he is in double digits, kind of making it competitive."
"He has really been a fireballer (quite literally with some of his ads involving flamethrowers)."
Rogers says Eigel has some positions that could help him sway Republicans to his side, from his position to wanting to phase out and/or eliminate the income tax and property tax. But he also has some "flamethrower" issues like wanting to eliminate the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
"He has some "flamethrower" issues that will appeal to some Republicans voters, but maybe not all Republican voters," said Rogers.
Rogers says that he has felt that while all three candidates are conservative candidates that fit in line with what most Missouri Republicans are, but there are key differences a few stances, including abortion.
"All candidates are clearly pro-life, however, Kehoe did come out, say last year, and kind of say he maybe more open to have exceptions to rape and incest," said Rogers.
Rogers says the idea of having exceptions for rape and incest in abortions is an issue that many voters in Missouri are favorable of, including Republicans.
"Republicans are typically pro-life but a SLU/YouGov poll found that at least 60% of Democrats, Independents and Republicans voters are all in favor of exceptions for abortions in cases of rape, incest, and life of mother," said Rogers.