Demstock draws local candidates

Democratic officials say they have registered more than 1,500 voters locally.

By Greg Young

Published Sept. 19, 2008

Correction appended

Democratic students and candidates gathered at The Blue Fugue on Thursday for Demstock, an annual party meant to register new voters and recruit volunteers.

Rep. Judy Baker, D-Columbia, who is running for U.S. Congress against Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer, appeared at an MU College Democrats meeting on Thursday, and afterward, gave a speech along with Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia. Graham is running for re-election against Kurt Schaefer.

Scattered around in the event were interns from the campaign of Attorney General Jay Nixon, the Democratic candidate for governor running against Republican U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof. They passed around clipboards with volunteer signups.

"What we are trying to do is help all the different campaigns," MU College Democrats President Caitlin Ellis said. "We are also trying to help the campaigns directly contact students."

Ellis said the College Democrats have had an extremely successful time registering voters. By her estimation, they have registered more than 1,500 voters.

"This is always a very competitive county," Ellis said. "I don't think that the polling fully takes into account all of the people we are registering and the people who haven't voted before."

Also at the event was Kelly Schultz, the Democratic candidate for the 21st district state representative seat. Schultz is running against incumbant Steve Hobbes.

At the meeting, Schultz stressed the importance of "down-ballot," or smaller, races such as those for state senator or state representative.

"Down-ballot races help the up-ballot a lot," Schultz said. "It is very important that people get motivated for the down-ballot races."

Baker started out by stressing the importance of her race for the state's Ninth U.S. Congressional district.

"I could have stayed safely in my seat and done my job," Baker said in reference to her seat in the General Assembly. "But this is not the year to do that. The issues are too important and critical to our future for me to sit around and wait."

Throughout the speech, while urging the attendees to volunteer, Baker focused on the dominant themes of her campaign, such as the economy, health care and spending and earmark reform in Congress. Baker also took the opportunity to poke fun at the current administration.

"What we really need is one great omnibus bill that undoes everything George Bush has ever done," Baker said.

Baker also mentioned her internal poll that was taken at the start of the race that showed her up by two points, but admitted that the Ninth District has a conservative tint. She also went after the incumbent, Hulshof, who has held the seat for 12 years and is the Republican candidate for governor.

"(Hulshof) voted against veterans benefits," Baker said. "He also voted against the mortgage lending bill while everyone knew that people in the Ninth District were losing their homes left and right."

Young Democrats of Missouri College Federation Chairman Nate Kennedy said the event drew a considerable crowd and that though the event focused on the youth vote, it was also intended to "engage" members of the organization.

"We're getting them fired up to get them knocking on doors and making some phone calls," Kennedy said.

This article has been changed to reflect the following correction.