The 2008 gubernatorial races were never meant to be the cycle's most suspenseful contests, but my March ratings found that the top four races had gotten unexpectedly more competitive, with three making their way to the toss-up rating. Yet, things have quieted down over the past few months. For one, heated Democratic primaries in Indiana and North Carolina were resolved and it will take some time before the general election in these states reaches full speed. Meanwhile, Missouri's Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon is expanding his lead over his two potential opponents in what is looking like it could be a runaway race.

Originally posted on Campaign Diaries.

Crossposted from Show Me Progress.

As I approached the press entrance to the Truman Memorial Building I stopped to take a photo of the media trucks. This very nice lady stopped and asked me, "Are you with the Kansas City Star?" I replied that I was not, I was a blogger. She then asked me, "Would you like to take my picture with my husband he's just around the corner?" I thought, "Why not?" and told her I would. As we walked back to the line of people around the corner I asked her if she had ever been to an event like this before. She replied, "No, never before. This is historic." We found her husband in line and I took this photo. They reminded me of my parents.

I waited my turn to go through security at the press entrance. The uniformed officer had me take out and start up all of my electronic equipment, including my camera. As he peered through the viewfinder he took this photo. He quipped to me, "If you publish this I should get credit." He's got it.

Breaking schmooze: Obama headed here on Monday
By Deb Peterson
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

If anyone has anymore details, please share.  I MUST be there if it's open to the public, but I thought others in the state/area may want to know.

I've been telling my friends for months now that HOW this primary ends is far more important than WHEN it ends.  It's going to end soon, the question is, how?

Two troubling stories have come out regarding Sen. Obama's chances of winning over voters in a head-to-head match-up against Sen. McCain in the general election.  

First up - the Show Me state's not buyin' what he's selling - at least not yet.

Earlier this week, SurveyUSA released polling on the Missouri Governor's race, which will feature Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon and one of two potential GOP nominees seeking to succeed incumbent Matt Blunt, whose extremely poor ratings have prohibited him from running for a second term. The numbers look good. Real good.

Congressman Kenny Hulshof (R): 33 percent
Attorney General Jay Nixon (D): 57 percent

State Treasurer Sarah Steelman (R): 33 percent
Attorney General Jay Nixon (D): 58 percent

Lest you think these numbers are too bullish on Nixon's chances this fall (after all, while Nixon has won four statewide elections as AG, he has lost two for the Senate in the past), Rasmussen Reports polling released earlier in the month showed Nixon leading either Steelman (whose husband Nixon beat in 1992) and Hulshof by 16 points -- not too far off from the margin found by SUSA. So all in all, while the prognosticators may call this one a tossup, it sure looks like Nixon has a great chance at becoming Missouri's next governor (potentially opening up the possibility of Barack Obama putting Claire McCaskill on the ticket?).

By Nathan Henderson-James

Partisan efforts to keep up to 300,000 eligible Missouri citizens, mostly progressive-leaning voters from elderly and low-income demographics but also including such large blocks as married women, permanently off the voting rolls are coming to a head in the Missouri Senate today as the Legislature prepares to adjourn. Measures not passed by that time will die, pending the Governor calling a special session.

Voting rights and progressive activists, led by Missourians for Fair Elections are fighting back and report an extremely tough but increasingly winnable fight against what the Kansas City Star is calling a "real deception...being perpetrated by legislators, whose claims of fraud are driving what appears to be a political agenda".

Robin Carnahan, Missouri's Secretary of State, and an opponent of the measure, HJR 48 - which would amend Missouri's constitution to require proof of citizenship to register and vote, will be holding a press conference today in Kansas City to point out the partisan agenda behind this measure.

Cross-posted at Project Vote's blog, Voting Matters

Weekly Voting Rights News Update

By Erin Ferns

Requiring proof-of-citizenship in order to register to vote is the latest addition to voter suppression arsenal. Spurred by Arizona's 2004 implementation of proof of citizenship requirements and the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold Indiana's strict voter ID law, proof of citizenship bills - often coupled with voter ID - are gaining traction across the country. With more than 13 million Americans lacking ready access to citizenship documentation and scant evidence of voter registration fraud by non-citizens (or any voter for that matter) leading to illegal votes, proof of citizenship requirements could have a significant impact on the electorate. Wasting no time after the high court's decision, the neighboring states of Kansas and Missouri have swiftly moved forward with efforts to pass such legislation that could take effect in the November election.