House Minority Leader Quade Visits Sedalia During Campaign Stop

Missouri House Minority Leader and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Crystal Quade paid a visit to the meeting room at Boonslick Regional Library, 219 W. 3rd, on Saturday.

The event was hosted by the Pettis County Democratic Central Committee and attracted about a dozen people.

Rep. Quade (D-132) was formally introduced by Kyle Yaber, who asked her a series of questions before opening up the floor to questions from the audience.

Quade said that she feels there are Republicans who feel like their party has left them. “They may not be ready to say ‘I’m a Democrat’ but they know that what is happening is not working,” she said, adding that she noticed that a lot more people are showing up at Democratic events wanting to learn and asking questions. “That’s a huge sign for me about the direction of where our state is going and can continue to go. So we’re excited. We definitely have an opportunity here that we’ve not seen in a long time. So hopefully, we can finish strong.”

Quade was on her way to Springfield where she lives, after spending the day at an MU Homecoming event in Columbia, participating in a parade and other events.

Quade noted that she has been traveling across the state, visiting as many communities as possible before Election Day on Nov. 5.

Some have questioned her choices as to where she appears, but she responds by saying “we need to.” Last weekend was spent in the bootheel of Missouri. Quade still has a few rallies to attend, then a huge “get out the vote” effort on that final weekend in Kansas City and St. Louis.

According to the Missouri Independent, on Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, the Republican nominee for governor, reported raising about $760,000 during September for his campaign committee and another $1.3 million for his joint-fundraising committee, American Dream PAC.

Quade, raised $425,000 and her joint fund-raising committee, Crystal PAC, took in $7,000.

Quade used her modest campaign budget to start television advertising two weeks ago, spending about $165,000 so far. Kehoe has reserved time for later in the month, spending about $835,000.

“My opponent spent $17 million to win his primary to my one (million), Quade said Saturday. “So we’re definitely being outspent of course. So we are still raising money all the way to the end to get out TV ads out. There are phone banks happening across the state and of course, door knocking.”

“We are very close to raising the super majority in the State House and the State Senate. And what that does is, as governor, I can veto things, and it gives it more balance of power. We’ve got opportunities if folks want to volunteer. And of course we are partnering with Yes on Amendment 3 in places that we can, to try to get out the vote on that effort as well, and Proposition A.

Quade noted that a seat in Lee’s Summit seat turned blue by 47 votes and a House seat in Springfield turned blue by 75 votes. “And we lost one by 99 votes last year in St. Louis County.

”So when folks say my vote doesn’t matter, it absolutely matters,” Quade told those gathered at the library. “Even if your candidate doesn’t win in Sedalia, if you move the needle two or three percentages, that’s how we get all the rest of it done.”

She encouraged Democrats to have a plan to help get out the vote, and know who they’re voting for in the next two weeks.

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In a one-on-one interview after the Q & A session, Rep. Quade spoke with KSIS briefly before she headed south to Springfield.

She was asked what it’s going to turn Missouri blue in the governor’s race.

“Yeah, you know, it’s a combination of just folks turning out to vote. We know enthusiasm this year is really high. There’s lots of issues on the ballot, lots of races that folks deeply care about, so it’s about increasing voter turnout, and of course, showing up in places like this, you know. It’s important for folks to get a chance to meet their candidates. Especially as the Democratic nominee, I think it’s important that I’m going to counties that are more traditionally red, so that I can introduce myself and learn what’s important to people,” Quade said.

Rep. Quade, who seems willing to work across the political aisle with others, said she thinks “that’s the most important thing we can do in a state like Missouri. Find those folks who we can work with and the issues that deeply matter to folks,” Quade told KSIS, adding that such topics as child care, accessibility to and affordability of elder care, education funding, infrastructure, roads & bridges.

“All of these are nonpartisan issues. And it’s so important that we work with folks from across the aisle,” she noted.

When asked what the major policy difference is between Quade and her opponent (Kehoe), she responded “that I support getting politicians out of our doctor’s offices and personal lives, and he does not.” Quade said, adding that she is “very much” pro-Amendment 3.