Yet another U. S. Senate candidate locked in a tight race was able to count on a state university for not only emotional but financial support but this time it was an incumbent who was able to maximize her incumbency. “According to a Campus Reform analysis, 98.4 percent of all Mizzou administrators who donated to political candidates or causes gave a total of $30,019.97 to Democrat politicians or Democrat organizations, such as congressional candidate Hallie Thomson and embattled Sen. Claire McCaskill,” Grace Gottschling reports in Campus Reform. “In total, Mizzou employees donated $422,044.09 from 2017-2018.”
“Of that amount, 96.7 percent were made to Democrat politicians or Democrat organizations, while just 3.3 percent of the donations were made to Republican politicians or Republican organizations. Only 12 Mizzou employees donated Republican, eight of whom were faculty members; one was an administrator.”
“Three hundred fifty-six faculty members, specifically, donated a total of $317,149.47 to politicians or political organizations. They contributed 97.6 percent of the money to Democrat politicians or organizations. Just 2.4 percent of donations, given by eight faculty members, went to Republican causes or politicians, like Representative Vicky Hartzler.”
“Meanwhile, 60 administrators donated $30,019.97 to Democrat political candidates and politicians, such as Renee Hoagenson’s congressional campaign. According to the records, there was only one donation made by Mizzou administrators to Republican politicians or Republican organizations from 2017-2018.”
“End Citizens United and Senator Claire McCaskill received the highest amount of donations in the Democrat category.”
In fact, Open Secrets reports that Sen. McCaskill got $368,703 from individuals at the University of Missouri. Yet and still, she received much more from Washington University of St. Louis.
Individuals at Washington University gave the senator $571,965. Moreover, this made the university the senator’s second largest contributor, right behind Emily’s List.
Nevertheless, it is interesting that one university’s contributions to the senator dwarf those of a statewide system with four branch campuses. She goes to Washington University a lot.
Nonetheless, she is a Mizzou graduate and does not forget her alma mater. Indeed, she met with the president of the university last May to discuss funding for the med school at Mizzou.
Additionally, she is a sure vote for student loans and taxpayer funding for education from K-12 to institutions of higher learning. And, of course, her other positions do not differ markedly from those of academics everywhere.
Yet and still, one has to wonder, whenever she does retire, could she be in line to become president of Mizzou?
