ShareThisMonday, October 23, 2006
Missouri lies in the heart of the Midwest, surrounded by eight states and bordering the Mississippi River. Lewis and Clark began and ended their expedition here. Divided by the Mason-Dixon line, Missouri was a slave state but fought for the Union in the Civil War. Birthplace of former "the-buck-stops-here" President Harry Truman, it calls itself the "Show Me State," meaning Missourians are not persuaded by pretty talk.
Demographics
Population: 5.8 million. 84.5 percent white; 11.5 percent black; 2.6 percent Latino
Major cities: St. Louis (343,000) and Kansas City (445,000)
Counties: 114 counties, 109 of which are rural
Religion: Roughly 60 percent Protestant, 20 percent Catholic
Economy
Per capita income in 2005: $31,899, ranked 30th among states
Major manufacturing: Aerospace, transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, printing and publishing, electrical equipment, beer
Agriculture: One of the nation's top agricultural states dominated by small producers. Ranks sixth in the nation for hogs and seventh for cattle.
Politics
No party registration
Republican Gov. Matt Blunt; Republican Sens. Jim Talent and Christopher "Kit" Bond
2004 presidential election vote: Republican George W. Bush 53 percent, Democrat John Kerry 46 percent
2000 presidential election vote: Bush 50 percent, Democrat Al Gore 47 percent
1996 presidential election vote: Democrat Bill Clinton 48 percent, Republican Bob Dole 41 percent
1992 presidential election vote: Clinton 44 percent, Republican George H.W. Bush 34 percent, Ross Perot 22 percent
The Senate race
Jim Talent
Party: Republican
Age: 49
Education: Bachelor's degree, Washington University (St. Louis); law degree, University of Chicago
Career: U.S. Senate 2002-present; U.S. House of Representatives 1992-2000; Missouri House of Representatives 1984-1992; lawyer 1981-1992
Family: Wife, Brenda
Claire McCaskill
Party: Democratic
Age: 53
Education: Bachelor's degree, University of Missouri-Columbia; law degree, University of Missouri
Career: Missouri state auditor 1999-present; Jackson County (Kansas City) prosecutor 1992-1999; Missouri House of Representatives 1982-1988; county lawmaker, local prosecutor
Family: Husband, Joseph Shepard; three children, four stepchildren
The issues
Ethanol: Considered the holy grail in the farm belt. McCaskill slammed Talent for voting for a federal energy bill that included big tax breaks for oil companies. Talent responded by accusing McCaskill of opposing the ethanol requirements he helped add to the bill, a charge she denied.
Stem cells: A state ballot measure would prevent the Legislature from banning embryonic stem cell research. Early polls show it has a 64 percent approval rating. Talent wavered initially but now opposes the measure; McCaskill supports it.
Minimum wage: Another popular ballot initiative that could drive voter turnout. The initiative would raise Missouri's minimum wage to $6.50 from the federal $5.15 an hour. A St. Louis Post-Dispatch poll found two-thirds support among Missourians, with 20 percent opposed. Support is overwhelming among Democrats and independents, while Republicans are almost evenly divided. McCaskill backs the measure; Talent has declined to take a position on the measure.
