Democrats nominate Skelton for 50th District special election By Rudi Keller Columbia Daily Tribune
CALIFORNIA, Mo. — Democrats on Monday nominated Michela Skelton for the 50th House District special election, setting up the first legislative election under a new regime of limited campaign donations.
The district, which includes portions of Boone, Cole, Cooper and Moniteau counties, supported Donald Trump and other Republicans in November when incumbent state Rep. Caleb Jones, R-Columbia, won re-election without opposition. Jones resigned before his term began to become deputy chief of staff to Gov. Eric Greitens.
Skelton’s nomination was uncontested at the 50th District Democratic Committee meeting, which lasted only a few minutes. Skelton is an attorney who formerly worked for the Missouri Senate.
Republicans are expected to nominate Sara Walsh, a member of the Boone County Republican Central Committee and GOP state committeewoman for the 19th Senate District. They have scheduled a meeting Jan. 28 in Ashland to make a nomination for the Aug. 8 special election.
Skelton told the six members of the nominating committee that she quit her post as a legislative attorney to prepare for a 2018 race for the legislative seat, when Jones would have been forced out by term limits if he had not resigned. “I saw firsthand the dysfunction we have running rampant in Jefferson City,” Skelton said.
The 50th District was drawn into its current boundaries after the 2010 census. The Boone County portion of the district generally had been represented by Democrats before districts were redrawn; counties south of the Missouri River generally have been represented by Republicans.
Winning the district will be a challenge for Skelton. While Jones was uncontested for re-election, Republicans including President-elect Trump carried 11 of 19 Boone County polling locations in November, while Democrats won in seven.
“I plan on winning this race by talking to everybody I absolutely can,” Skelton said.
Economics and education will be key issues, she said. State revenue faces a $500 million shortfall, and most of that will be made up from cuts in education, she predicted.
Democrats need to focus more on rural job development and ways to increase wages, she said. “We are working too much for too little, and it is tearing our families apart,” Skelton said.
Under Amendment 2, passed by voters in November, donors can contribute as much as $2,600, but candidates cannot accept donations from other candidate committees, and help from political party committees is limited. In two contested Boone County House races won by Republicans in November, $288,000 out of $383,000 raised by the GOP candidates would not be allowed under Amendment 2.
The new limits will have little impact on the race, Skelton said.
“There are sufficient loopholes that those wanting to donate large amounts will find a way,” she said.
A bigger factor, she said, will be how well the economy is doing with Republicans in charge in Washington, D.C., and Jefferson City.
“There are no Democrats really left to blame for the continuing economic stress in small communities,” Skelton said.
The committee had a few questions for Skelton before approving her nomination. She supported Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination, Robert Haslag of Cole County said, but Skelton said she voted for Hillary Clinton in the general election.
Haslag also advised Skelton to avoid social issues, such as abortion and gun rights, that work against Democrats in the district.
Committee Chairman Gail Hughes, who is also the Moniteau County Democratic Party chairman, said the committee needs to work hard for Skelton. “I think the Democrats are enthused,” he said. “I think we can possibly win this race.”
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