Running Against Rex

Meet Rex Sinquefield. He’s a wealthy, retired stock guru, St. Louis native and conservative ideologue, who is making big waves on the current Missouri political landscape.

He also is a multimillionaire with an axe to grind and poses a real threat to traditional state politics, according to a couple of local representatives who have voted against Sinquefield’s wishes.

Among the statewide targets in Sinquefield’s crosshairs is Rep. Jeff Messenger, R-Republic.

Just months after the Sinquefield-backed Missouri Club for Growth Political Action Committee sent mailers to Nixa residents questioning the way the school district issues its bonds, the PAC is dropping anti-Messenger mailers ahead of the Aug. 5 primary.   

Last month, the Missouri Club for Growth endorsed Loren Hunt, owner of LHT Enterprises Inc., in a race against the incumbent in the 130th District.

Hunt is one of four primary opponents challenging 15 GOP representatives, who last year voted against the veto override of House Bill 253, a tax-cut measure Sinquefield spent at least $2 million promoting.  

According to Missouri Ethics Commission reports, Sinquefield has funneled $3.77 million this year through July 16 to conservative political action committees and campaigns to support the candidates and issues near to his heart. Reports show Hunt has received $25,000 from Missouri Club for Growth.

Primary targets
A mailer paid for by the state PAC and sent to residents in the district says Messenger was “one of just 15 Republicans to side with liberal Democrats in upholding Gov. Nixon’s veto of the first income tax cut in nearly 100 years.”

Messenger said the language is misleading.

“In reality, we weren’t voting down the tax cuts. We were voting down the taxes in that bill,” Messenger said, referring to new taxes on prescriptions and propane that were part of the proposal. “What bothers me is that he twists the truth. He doesn’t feel it is his responsibility to tell all of the truth.”

The mailer also says, “Representative Messenger: looking out for himself, turning his back on us!”

“What upsets me is the deception that they use, which leads people to believe we didn’t want people to have tax cuts. That’s not the truth,” Messenger said, adding this year he voted for tax cuts in Senate Bill 509 and for the subsequent override of the governor’s veto before the end of the session.

Sinquefield and Todd Abrajano, an adviser for St. Louis-based Missouri Club for Growth, did not respond to requests for interviews by press time.

According to campaign contribution reports, the PAC that paid for the local mailings had received $973,000 from Sinquefield as of July 17, but it’s not clear how much money could support Hunt’s challenge of Messenger. Messenger expects it could be up to $100,000 as he’s heard radio and TV spots are planned.

“Twenty-five thousand dollars is what shows, but it is not what’s being spent, of course, by his special interest groups,” Messenger said. “They are spending a lot more than that.”

Missouri Club for Growth also has contributed $25,000 to each of the challengers of Rep. Paul Fitzwater, R-Potosi, and Rep. Lyle Rowland, R-Cedarcreek, but it has donated $50,000 to the campaign of the opponent of Rep. Nate Walker, R-Kirksville, according to campaign reports.

Rep. Lynn Morris, R-Nixa, founder and president of Ozark-based Family Pharmacy Inc., is among the 15 Republicans who voted against the override of HB 253 last September. Morris said he believes Sinquefield’s support of Hunt against Messenger is designed to send a powerful political message: If you’re not voting with him, he’s against you.

“I’ve heard that people in our area were offered $50,000 to run against me, but nobody wanted to run against me in the primary,” Morris said. “They didn’t just single out four people. They were trying to single out 15 people and make us pay.”

Acknowledging Sinquefield has put a target on his back, Morris said the implications of such politics are far reaching.

“If he’s ever successful in one of these races, it’ll be like a shark frenzy up in Jefferson City,” Morris said.

Strategy realignment
Republican strategist and political consultant David Barklage of St. Louis-based The Barklage Co. said if Sinquefield’s strategy is to target those Republicans based on a single vote, it’s not likely to be effective.  

“I think probably his approach and strategies in the past have undermined his efforts,” said Barklage, whose firm also operates a Springfield office. “He’s put a lot of money in, but strategically, I don’t think he’s made a lot of good decisions.

“He’ll get into primaries between two conservatives, which doesn’t make a lot of sense because they are probably fairly supportive of his positions either way.”

That might be changing. Barklage said he understands Sinquefield is in the middle of switching to a new team of advisers to get more bang for his buck.

Barklage suggests putting support behind Republicans running in traditionally Democratic or swing districts.  

“The fact is Missouri is a big swing state with a lot of independent voters,” he said. “For the legislature to have a two-thirds majority in both houses requires them to elect representatives in areas where they aren’t typically Republican – big ‘R’ – voters.”

He said sometimes conservatives from more left-leaning districts feel obligated to represent the interests of their district, and they shouldn’t feel threatened for straying some from the party line.

“There can be minor cases of differences in philosophy. I sort of liken it to people who go to the Baptist church or Assemblies of God. They all sit in the same pews in the same church, but they might not always agree to the same degree on their understanding of the Bible,” he added.

Morris and Messenger might have similar philosophies as Sinquefield. But the local legislators say they are not fans.

“He tries to be a bully with his money, and if he ever succeeds, most of the legislators will be afraid to vote the right vote,” Morris said.

In any case, Sinquefield is changing the face of Missouri politics.

“What’s happening is we’re bringing Washington politics to the state,” Messenger said. “We all know that’s what they do in Washington. There are special interest groups that are all the time directing votes and directing legislators. We don’t want to get that started in this state.”

Barklage described Sinquefield as generous and hard working for the issues he believes in, such as educational reform and lowering income taxes. He said strategy adjustments are needed, though.

“I don’t think there is anyone who has committed more to their vision of how Missouri can grow and prosper to create jobs and opportunities,” Barklage said. “I think he truly cares. But I think tactically, being able to turn that into a strategy that has made inroads has been very problematic.”[[In-content Ad]]