JEFFERSON CITY — A ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Democrat is targeting her GOP opponent’s donations to “radical, anti-choice politicians†in a television ad that began airing over the weekend.
State Rep. Tracy McCreery, an Olivette Democrat running for the 24th Senate District against Dr. George Hruza of Huntleigh, criticized “tens of thousands of dollars†in political contributions the Republican has made over the years.
In an email to supporters, McCreery’s campaign singled out $1,000 Hruza gave to the campaign of former U.S. Rep. Todd Akin after his comments on rape in 2012.
The then-U.S. Senate candidate claimed in August 2012 that female bodies could shut down a pregnancy if a woman had suffered a “legitimate rape.â€
People are also reading…
“With Hruza’s support, these same politicians passed a near-total ban on abortion, even in cases of rape and incest,†McCreery said in , referring to Missouri’s current abortion law. “I trust women to make their own health care decisions.â€
Hruza’s campaign called McCreery’s ad “misleading.â€
“George has never agreed with Todd Akin’s position on abortion,†said Frank Catanzaro, spokesman for Hruza’s campaign.
Akin died in October after a yearslong battle with cancer, his son said at the time.
Hruza has campaigned as more of a moderate in the competitive Senate district, which stretches from Maryland Heights south to Fenton and Sunset Hills.
“He supports (abortion) exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and the health of the mother,†Catanzaro said. “George Hruza as a doctor has treated thousands of women and has always been a strong advocate for women’s health.
“In the Senate, Dr. Hruza will work for reforms to our foster care and adoption system, affordable birth control, protecting pregnant women from workplace discrimination, supporting family leave, and expanding access to post-partum care for new mothers,†Catanzaro said.
Catanzaro went on to call McCreery’s ad “shameful†and said McCreery had worked for politicians and groups that have supported defunding the police and “abortions without restrictions.â€
“If anyone is extreme, it’s Tracy McCreery,†Catanzaro said.
Hruza has made thousands of dollars in political contributions since 2009, according to the FEC, with money flowing to well-known Missouri Republicans such as U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley, as well as U.S. Reps. Ann Wagner and Vicky Hartzler.
Hruza also gave $3,000 in 2020 to Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican who signed Missouri’s near-total abortion ban in 2019.
He has also supported Democrats to a lesser extent, writing checks to politicians such as U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier of Washington, records show.
With the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in June, Missouri has since outlawed all abortions except in medical emergencies.
District tilts ‘pro-choice’
McCreery’s ad followed a poll released earlier this month signaling that voters in the 24th are more in sync with Democrats than Republicans on the issue of abortion.
The poll, released Sept. 17 by Missouri Scout and the Remington Research Group, found 53% of respondents in the state Senate district described themselves as “pro-choice†versus 38% who said they were “pro-life.â€
The poll showed McCreery with 50% support in the poll, Hruza with 42% and Libertarian LaDonna Higgins with 1%.
Seven percent of voters were undecided. Pollsters surveyed 441 likely voters.
The poll showed respondents favored Democrats to handle education issues by a 50%-43% margin, with 7% undecided.
On crime, respondents narrowly favored Republicans, with 45% of respondents saying Republicans do the best job on crime and 41% backing Democrats.
Fourteen percent of respondents were undecided on the crime question. The advantage on crime for Republicans fell within the poll’s 4.8% margin of error.
Half of Missouri’s 34 state Senate seats are up for grabs in the Nov. 8 election, but the race for the 24th in ºüÀêÊÓƵ County is considered the most competitive contest.
Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, flipped the district from Republican control in 2014. She won reelection easily in 2018 and is now term-limited.
A panel of appellate judges drew new state Senate districts this year to reflect population shifts following the 2020 U.S. Census.
While the new 24th District lines still favor Democrats, the party’s advantage shrank with the new boundaries. As President Joe Biden’s approval ratings suffered over the summer, Republicans said they would target the district.
If the GOP flips the 24th, and no other seats change parties on Nov. 8, Democrats would hold only nine seats in the Senate while Republicans would expand their two-thirds majority to 25 seats.