Missouri GOP Poised for 2016 Success as Filing Closes

As candidate filing closes, it is clear that the Missouri Republican Party is once again poised for success in the 2016 election cycle.

In total, 254 Republican candidates filed for office, according to the Secretary of State.

In the State House, Republicans have filed candidates in 133 districts. By contrast, 66 districts have no Democrat challenger—meaning that Republicans must only win 16 contested races to maintain a majority. Even compared to previous years, this is an extraordinary number. In 2012 and 2014, Democrats failed to field a candidate in 52 and 56 House districts, respectively.

In the State Senate, where Republicans currently hold 14 seats not up for election, Democrats failed to field candidates in three districts, ensuring that the GOP will hold a minimum of 17 seats.

At the Congressional level, the Missouri Democratic Party has only been able to find token opposition in all 6 of the Congressional Districts currently held by Republicans.

Finally, while there is been much written about the number of Republican primaries for statewide constitutional offices, at the close of filing, the Democrats have exactly the same number of primary candidates for statewide offices—4 candidates each for Governor, 3 candidates each for Lt. Governor and Secretary of State, and 2 candidates each for Treasurer and Attorney General.

“Missouri Republicans have demonstrated once again that we are the only political party in Missouri serious about competing across the entire state. With 66 House seats unchallenged, the Democrats have clearly given up on many parts of Missouri,” said John Hancock, Chairman of the Missouri Republican Party. “2016 looks to be another strong year for the Missouri GOP, and thanks to the number and quality of the Republicans running for office, we are well-positions to field strong candidates in races for the next generation.”