Smith Joins Koster at Announcement

St. Louis State Senator Jeff Smith was by Chris Koster’s side today as the Harrisville senator announced his crossover to the Democratic Party this morning in Columbia.

“Sen. Chris Koster is one of the most respected and capable members of the Missouri Senate,” said Smith in a written statement. “For him to change political party shows that Republicans are in trouble.”

Smith is responsible for leading Senate Democratic Campaign efforts for the 2008 elections. His involvement with Koster may ruffle the feathers of some in his party if Koster jumps into the Democratic Primary for Attorney General as he is expected to announce later today.

In another Smith-Koster connection, Elisabeth Smith, Jeff Smith’s girlfriend and a former staffer to U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, is handling communications for Koster. (Readers may recall this great video featuring a victory kiss between the Smiths on Election Night 2006.)

“The Republican Party has become anti-research, anti-working families and anti-progress – while Democrats seek to move Missouri forward, Republicans want to hold our state back. Sen. Koster’s decision to leave the GOP is another sign that Republicans have become out-of-touch with the average Missourian,” said Senator Smith.

Koster’s change in party brings the number of Democrats in the Senate to 14 Democrats, with 19 Republicans and 1 vacancy.

And fueling allegations by Republicans of a Koster-Nixon conspiracy is a report from a source at this morning’s Columbia announcement that Chuck Hatfield, Jay Nixon’s former chief of staff, not only attended the event but physically carried the podium behind which Koster made his historic announcement.

Just a reminder: Koster will hold a press conference in St. Louis today at 3:00 p.m. in front of St. Louis University High School. Check PubDef.net later today for video.

UPDATE: No video. SLUH shooed us off.