us senate

Rasmussen Reports has released a poll of 500 Missouri voters that shows US Representative Todd Akin is now trailing his Democratic opponent in the US…

Missouri’s GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin is facing a wave of criticism for comments he made during an interview about pregnancies caused by rape.Akin is…

Every year, politicians descend on the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia to attend the Governor’s Ham Breakfast and woo voters – and almost every year…

In the high-profile race for U.S. Senate in Missouri, incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill is seizing on this year’s drought to win support among rural voters. Speaking at the historic Soulard Farmers Market, Senator McCaskill laid in to her opponent in the November election—Republican Congressman Todd Akin—for his opposition the Senate version of the federal farm bill, which includes disaster assistance for farmers reeling from this year’s record drought. Were it not for Republicans like Todd Akin, McCaskill says that relief would be on its way to farmers and ranchers. “I don’t think that Mr. Akin comprehends how big this problem is,” McCaskill said. “He actually said not too long ago that he thought the farm programs were kind of like bailouts.” McCaskill is touring the state this week playing up her work as an advocate for Missouri agriculture. She says Akin’s opposition to the farm bill is typical of Tea Party Republicans who don’t think the government has a role to play in disaster assistance. She says the Senate passed the farm bill with the kind of bipartisan support that Congress just can’t muster. “Because the Tea Party is refusing to allow it to come to the floor for a vote,” McCaskill said. “And one of those people that is blocking this critical relief for our farmers and ranchers right now is Todd Akin.” Akin has said in the past that he opposes the bill’s inclusion of food assistance for low income families and other entitlement programs. In a statement today to St. Louis Public Radio, Akin says that McCaskill's agricultural tour is an election-year ploy, and points out that he has garnered the endorsement of the Missouri Farm Bureau. McCaskill’s seat is one that the GOP feels they have the best chances of recapturing in November. Follow Adam Allington on Twitter: @aallington

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill says she's "relieved" to not have to face wealthy businessman John Brunner in her fight to keep her Senate seat. But she's still expecting to be outspent in the race against Todd Akin. As of July 18, McCaskill had significantly more money in the bank than Akin, who had to survive a three-way primary. But outside groups poured $15 million into the race even before McCaskill knew who she'd face in the general election. "I worry about the independent ads, but I also trust Missourians to know that if these are ugly, bloated, distorted pictures coming from anonymous, out-of-state sources, they're probably not something you should pay a lot of attention to," she said during a campaign appearance Thursday at a small window shade manufacturer in midtown St. Louis. McCaskill says she'll have the resources to advertise over the next 80 or so days. But she admits that a bigger presence from the Obama campaign would help her conserve her dollars. "All of those offices that we're opening, typically that would be the presidential campaigns that would be opening those offices instead of us," she said. "So that makes it stressful because of the pressure we feel on fundraising." McCaskill says she'd happily campaign with her fellow Democrat, but she's not expecting either side to make many campaign stops in the Show-Me State. Regardless, she said, Missouri residents will hear about the presidential race. For complete election coverage, please go to our website, BeyondNovember.org. Follow Rachel Lippmann on Twitter: @rlippmann

Missouri's Claire McCaskill is one of the most embattled Senate Democrats in the country. Conservative outside groups have been running TV ads against her for months. Tuesday night, Missouri voters in the Republican primary chose Congressman Todd Akin to face McCaskill in the fall.

Most of the people gathered outside of Washington University’s Edison Theater before a recent GOP Senate Primary debate already knew who they were voting…

The wealth of businessman John Brunner has allowed him to easily outspend his rivals in Missouri's Republican U.S. Senate primary.New figures show…

Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill garnered some unwanted attention last year when she paid about $320,000 in overdue taxes and penalties on an airplane. As it turns out, her three leading Republican opponents also have paid penalties for late taxes. Documents obtained by The Associated Press and reviewed online show that St. Louis businessman John Brunner, Congressman Todd Akin and former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman all paid late taxes on vehicles or real estate in recent years. Records also show that Brunner's business of Vi-Jon Inc. was delinquent on taxes in Missouri and Tennessee. All of the taxes ultimately appear to have been paid. The Republican Senate candidates generally owed smaller amounts than McCaskill did on the airplane. In some cases, their late penalties were only several dollars. Follow St. Louis Public Radio on Twitter: @stlpublicradio

The U.S. Senate passed a new half-trillion dollar farm bill today, funding programs from farm subsidies to food stamps for the next five years. Both of…