BREAKING NEWS

A tipster reports the Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder made a surprise announcement at the Republican Lincoln Days event tonight. Apparently in the interest of party unity, he will not be seeking the nomination for governor.

UPDATED: Here’s Kinder’s statement:

“I have taken on a cause as Lt. Governor to fight for the values I believe in - the values my mom taught me to believe in - faith, family, personal responsibility, service and keeping commitments to those who have sacrificed for this great nation. 

“Missourians can be proud of what we have accomplished together in the Lt. Governor’s office for the men and women in uniform who have given so much to this great country and who need an advocate who will fight for them, for the seniors who have worked and saved to build up this nation and who deserve our respect and a higher quality of life and for our workers and employers who deserve a state government that understands how to help Missourians create jobs and grow the economy.

“Working together we have delivered positive change that Missourians deserve and I want to continue keeping the change working for our state. It will take a combined effort of every Republican, ever Democrat, every leader and every Missourian to create jobs, advocate for our veterans, fight illegal immigration and deliver world class schools for our students and I want to continue being an advocate for change on these important issues.

“Since I was elected Lt. Governor in 2004 many Missourians have told me personally they would support me if I ever decided to run for governor. I never expected to make that decision this year.”Since Gov. Blunt’s announcement I have been overwhelmed by the support I have received from many Missourians who want to join my campaign for governor. After a great deal of thought and prayer over the last several weeks I have decided I will not run for governor this year, and will ask Missourians for their vote for Lt. Governor so we can continue our accomplishments for our veterans, seniors, workers and our shared Missouri values.

“This is a campaign I believe I would have won, but I also believe in my heart that this is the right decision. I hope it will help our Party unite so together we can tell Missourians a remarkable story of how together we turned our state around by turning a $1.1 billion deficit into three straight surpluses without raising taxes, ended the cuts to education while increasing funding for classrooms, transformed Missouri’s health care system and helped bring nearly 90,000 new jobs to our state by supporting job-creating initiatives and investing in tourism as we did by bringing the Tour of Missouri to our state.

“I am enormously grateful and appreciative of everyone who supported me for governor. I know I can count on their support for my re-election. We must unite and let Missourians know how much is at stake in this election. We cannot afford to return to the failed policies of the past. We must elect a governor who will keep the change working for Missouri and that makes every dollar count.”   

UPDATE 2: Here’s the video of Kinder’s announcement:

Robin Carnahan is out.

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder is looking for a promotion. After his fellow Republican, Governor Matt Blunt, shocked the world (well, at least Missouri) by announcing he is not seeking re-election. Kinder said “me too” and dropped his plans for re-election to pursue the state’s top job. Today he launched this video on YouTube.

State Treasurer Sarah Steelman has also thrown her hat into the ring since Blunt’s announcement. Other Republicans still considering running include Congressman Kenny Hulshof of Columbia, Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson of Cape Girardeau (she will announce today whether or not she’ll run), U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway, Missouri House Speaker Rod Jetton, and Missouri Senate Majority Leader Charlie Shields.

On the Democratic side, Attorney General Jay Nixon still stands alone… for the moment. Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, daughter of the late Governor Mel Carnahan, is still considering entering the race, which would give Democrats who were not all that excited about Nixon a viable alternative.

UPDATE: Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson is out.

Missouri Attorney General and Democratic candidate for governor Jay Nixon responds to Gov. Matt Blunt’s announcement that he will not seek re-election.

Attorney General Jay Nixon, Democratic candidate for governor, has notified the Missouri Ethics Commission that he plans to return over-limit contributions to his campaign.

Attorney General candidate Chris Koster also notified the Commission that his campaign will also begin the process.

From the Nixon campaign:

“The campaign will return contributions received in excess of the newly reinstated limits in accordance with the Court’s ruling,” wrote campaign manager Ken Morley in a letter to the MEC. “We believe that if a candidate has sufficient cash on hand, then returning excess contributions in order to be compliant with the law is not a hardship. We therefore believe that circumstances do not exist under which a candidate for Governor could in good faith request, or that the Ethics Commission could conceivably grant, a hardship in this instance.”

From the Koster campaign:

“Today, Missourians for Koster notified the Missouri Ethics Commission that they intend to begin the process of returning contributions from individuals in excess of current contribution limits.”

Governor Matt Blunt stopped by St. Louis police headquarters Monday to announce his latest step to pull up the welcome mat for illegal immigrants in Missouri.

Blunt proposed making it illegal for “illegals” to get a drivers license. Blunt’s Democratic challenger, Attorney General Jay Nixon, wasted no time in pointing out that such a law already exists.

In fact, when questioned about the need for this “new” law, Blunt admitted that of the 110 people arrested since he ordered state Highway Patrol officers to check the immigration status of everyone they pull over, only one was found to have a drivers license.

Click To Play

Click to Play the Game

UPDATE: The Missouri Republican Party’s response to the Dems new video game:

“While Democrats prefer to spend their time and donor resources on frivolous pursuits in a make-believe world, Governor Blunt and Republicans are focused on real world concerns like improving the quality of life for all Missourians, which is certainly no game.

“Missourians want grownups running the state, not children, which is why Republicans continue to be so successful and Democrats continue to play political games instead of offering solutions.”

In a crowded union hall Wednesday, Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa announced his group’s support of Attorney General Jay Nixon for governor.

Nixon accepted the endorsement and gave a speech outlining his plan to improve workers’ rights and his willingness to fight current governor, Matt Blunt, for control of the state.

“They’re going to spend $25 million saying bad things about me in the next 363 days,” said Nixon. “And I’m ready to rumble.”

Click To Play

Teamster President James P. Hoffa will be in town tomorrow to announce the union’s support of Attorney General Jay Nixon in his gubernatorial bid.

Hoffa will make the official announcement tomorrow at 1:00 PM at the Teamster office in Maryland Heights.