Help Kay Bury Graves!

by --Blue Girl

5
Supporters 575
Raised $
 

If you are looking for a battleground state, cast your eyes to the center of the map and take a long look at Missouri. It is a true swing state – in my lifetime, there have been seven presidential elections – four went to Republican candidates and three went to Democrats – and in every single race, Missouri went to the victor.
In 2000, Missouri’s 11 electoral votes would have spared us the entire Bush administration, and he only won by 80,000 votes, with over 2.5 million ballots cast.
In this swing state, we have a swing district in the MO 06.
Since the post-civil war era drew to a close early in the 20th century and brought the curtain down on Democratic dominance, no party has dominated that district. In fact, with the exception of the span of time from 1955 until the death of Jerry Litton, whose plane crashed hours after he won the Senate primary in August 1976, neither party has held the seat for 10 consecutive terms. The Sixth historically tends to go back and forth every few years. In fact, using history as an indicator, it is due to flip this election cycle. Just in time, we have a real candidate who can beat Sam Graves and flip the federal representation to advantage Democrats. (Right now, it is five-four to the Republicans, with one Senator from each party.)
The Sixth came into being in the first half of the 1850’s, which coincided with the rise of Kansas City and St. Joseph. Since the district came into being, it has been represented by 27 different people, members of four different parties, and the average term of office has been just over five years. Graves has been there seven, and the Sixth is due to flip.
I am backing Kay Barnes for Congress, and I am in this to win. History and circumstance are on our side, but it is going to take more than that. It is going to take organization. It is going to take a presence. A reintroduction, even. We might start with “Hello, we are the Democrats. Remember us? We’re the people who brought you electricity and Medicare.”
The district takes in all or part of over 20% of the counties in the entire nine-district state. Of those 26 counties, exactly one (Platte) has a Missouri Democratic Party affiliated organization, and it is part of the Kansas City metro area. The Sixth is vast in area, and a whole lot of rural folks have been directly hurt by Republican policies, at both the state and federal level. That isn’t just in the Sixth – that is the story in every rural county in the state.
I am not willing to sit around and wait for the state party to get off their duffs and reclaim the rural areas. Just writing us off is a disservice. The population up here is not dense, but neither are the people.
Kay has the experience, the name recognition, the savvy, and the political acumen to turn out the “meanest SOB in the Missouri delegation.”
Can you help?
You can contact me directly by sending me an email:
bluegirl.redstate@gmail.com