JEFFERSON CITY — Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, one of the Republican candidates for governor, is facing scorn from both sides of the political aisle after he criticized military discounts during a recent candidate forum.
In response to a question about how Missouri can better support veterans and military personnel, Ashcroft said, in part, “I don’t think we ought to treat people based on classifications. I think we ought to treat everybody equally. And I don’t think we ought to say that if you live here we’re gonna charge you this, but if you live here, we charge you this.
“I don’t think we ought to say if you’re in the military, we give you this discount, but everybody else has to pay twice as much,†Ashcroft said.
“I don’t think that’s good government. I think what we ought to say is, if you’re a Missourian, if you’re an American, the law applies to you equally,†he said, according to comments captured by the X account and posted on Sunday.
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State Sen. Bill Eigel, a Weldon Spring Republican also running for governor, blasted Ashcroft’s remarks.
“I know first hand the struggles that our veterans and active military personnel face. I lost friends. I saw the struggle upon returning to the States,†Eigel, a U.S. Air Force veteran, said on X.
“I disdain the ruling elite who send our men and women to die in their wars, all while doing nothing to ensure their sacrifice is honored when they return home,†he said. “In an Eigel administration, I can promise you this: our military men and women will be taken care of in Missouri.â€
Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, who like Ashcroft and Eigel is also running for the Republican nomination, also scolded the state’s elections chief.
“For Jay Ashcroft to treat our veterans as anything less than heroes is disrespectful to all veterans and their families,†Kehoe said on X.
“Communities across our state value our nation’s heroes and their service and sacrifice to our country, and they would want their governor to do the same,†Kehoe said. “As governor, I will work to make Missouri the best state in the nation for our veterans.â€
The Democratic Governors Association, which works to elect Democrats, helped pile on in a news release issued Wednesday.
“Jay Ashcroft is an insider politician who only looks out for himself, but wants to rip away benefits from members of the military and veterans who put their lives on the line to protect our freedom,†said DGA States Press Secretary Emma O’Brien. “While the GOP candidates for governor take one extreme position after another to prove their right-wing credentials, Missourians want a governor who will fight for them, not against them. Missouri veterans, active service members, and their families deserve better.â€
On Thursday, a statement Ashcroft released through his campaign said he honored military service and said as governor, I “will make our commitment to them a priority, without qualification.â€
“It is shameful that we have failed to fulfill our commitment to our veterans. No Americans make a greater sacrifice for our freedoms and security than the men and women who wear the uniform of our armed forces,†he said. “The sacrifices that they and their families make are unimaginable for those of us who have not served.â€