The four candidates for governor met Friday for the first, and perhaps only, debate of the campaign. Appearing are, from left, state Rep. Crystal Quade, the Democratic nominee; Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, the Republican candidate; Bill Slantz of the Libertarian Party; and Paul Lehmann of the Green Party (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).

SPRINGFIELD — Twenty years of Republican control of the legislature has failed Missouri, giving it the most extreme abortion restrictions in the country and a child care system in crisis, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Crystal Quade said in a debate Friday.

Quade said she backs Amendment 3, which would restore abortion rights, and Proposition A, to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by Jan. 1, 2026, as measures that will help Missouri women control their reproductive decisions and earn enough to support their families.

“Right now we have women bleeding out on their bathroom floors because our doctors can not do their jobs,” Quade said

Quade is running an uphill race against Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, the Republican nominee, who polls show has a double-digit lead. Kehoe said he opposes Amendment 3 and Proposition A.

“This law goes way too far,” Kehoe said of the abortion-rights amendment. “It is very extreme.”

The minimum wage proposition is bad for business and workers, Kehoe said.

“I don’t think the government should be setting wages for people,” he said.

Quade and Kehoe met in a debate sponsored by the Missouri Press Association as part of its annual convention. They were joined on stage by Libertarian Bill Slantz, a St. Louis-are business owner, and Green Party candidate Paul Lehmann, a retired farmer and minister who lives in Fayette.

Kehoe has been lieutenant governor since 2018, appointed to the post by Gov. Mike Parson after almost eight years in the Missouri Senate. He was a Jefferson City car dealer before he got into politics.

Quade is a four-term state representative from Springfield who has been Democratic leader in the Missouri House for six years. She worked for then-U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill before seeking office.

Quade and Kehoe both won primaries but the GOP contest, which Kehoe won with 40% of the vote, was far more expensive than Quade’s victory over Springfield businessman Mike Hamra. Neither major party candidate has begun their fall television campaign.

The debate Friday could be the only time the two major party candidates are on the same stage. Kehoe has not accepted any invitations for televised debates.

The two found rare agreement on Amendment 2, which would legalize sports betting in Missouri. Kehoe said that because it is legal in adjoining states, it should be legal in Missouri to keep tax money at home.

Quade said she has supported legislation to legalize sports betting but it has been blocked by Republican factions.

“This is another example of where the status quo in Jefferson City is not listening to people,” Quade said.

Missouri is months behind in payments for subsidized child care and that is making a difficult situation a crisis, Quade said.

“The state of Missouri now is not even paying child care providers bills on time,” she said. “We have lost 53 child care providers in the last year because the state of Missouri is not meeting its basic promises.”
Kehoe, who is running with strong backing from Parson, said he agrees the system is in crisis but did not criticize the current issues with payments. Instead, the solution he offered was incentives for businesses to provide child care

“We have $1.4 billion, with a B, of labor sitting at home annually in the state of Missouri because those working folks want to go to work and can’t get child care,” Kehoe said.

There was sharp disagreement between Kehoe and Quade over what can be done to quell gun violence. When asked if he would support allowing local governments to enact restrictions, Kehoe said he did not.

“Every time we put more restrictions on a citizen’s Second Amendment rights, we actually hurt the citizens who are trying to do this law abiding and legally,” Kehoe said.

Quade said local governments are in the best position to decide what their residents need to stay safe.

“What’s going on in Webster County, where I grew up, is different than what’s going on in inner city St Louis,” Quade said. “And I do support the conversation around letting communities decide what is best for themselves.”