SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Rep. Roy Blunt’s disappointing first-quarter fundraising performance reflects growing concern within the party that the veteran Missouri Republican may not be the ideal Senate nominee to take on likely Democratic opponent Robin Carnahan, according to Missouri Republicans.
Much of the apprehension among rank-and-file Republicans stems from the former House minority whip’s deep Washington ties and worries about how his record in House GOP leadership will be used against him.
“I like Roy Blunt, but the Republican Party keeps going back to the same old names, and we’ve lost a lot of races doing that,” said Lincoln County GOP Chairwoman Carol Wessel. “You got to have that money to run, and I just think people are just being cautious right now with their money.”
“Roy Blunt has been a very big part of the mess we’re in. His new wife is a lobbyist. His children are lobbyists. We need a fresh face up there,” said Norm Harty, a longtime Republican activist and donor from southeast Missouri. “He’s going to have blood dripping from him; he’s going to be so beaten up.”
There’s no question that Blunt remains the GOP front-runner. He’s already in full campaign mode, with visits to 19 counties over the past two months, and he can point to an almost fully operational organization. And his time in the leadership has provided him with a nationwide fundraising base.
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