The 2016 election brought big victories for republicans at the U.S. presidential level, in the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House, and multiple races in Missouri. Incumbent U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, a democrat, hopes voters will keep her in office in 2018.
The Senator fielded questions in Springfield Friday on everything from Obamacare to North Korea to the federal deficit. McCaskill worked to portray herself as a moderate to voters gathered at the town hall meeting.
“Also that I’m willing to work with this administration, that I’m getting a positive response, even when I told some of the people that wanted me to be totally anti-Trump today that, ‘No, I’m not going to do that,’ they didn’t yell at me, so that’s always a good sign,” McCaskill said, laughing.
The democrat acknowledged Missouri is a red state, citing Trump won it handily, by 19 percentage points. She said she hopes those who voted for her last time will show up again.
“I’ve been a supporter of McCaskill since she was a state auditor,” said Jack Hembree who attended the town hall.
“I was excited to hear an elected official answer questions from their constituents,” said Lexi Amos, also at the town hall.
McCaskill told the crowd she believes there is a chance her vote against the newly-confirmed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch could cost her the election, but based in part on some of his previous rulings, she believes it was the right thing to do.
“No question I’m an underdog. No question about that. I’m most comfortable as an underdog,” McCaskill said.
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