Rick Brattin wins Missouri 5th District GOP primary amid uncertainty over district lines

A late endorsement from President Donald Trump boosted state Sen. Rick Brattin to the Republican nomination for Congress in Missouri’s 5th District Tuesday against former Boone County Clerk Taylor Burks.

Trump was the instigator of Missouri’s gerrymandered redistricting map and issued his endorsement just before 5:30 p.m. Monday, after early voting had ended and too late to generate news stories on evening broadcasts.

The Associated Press called the race shortly after 9 p.m., with Brattin leading Burks 44% to 26%, with more than 60% of precincts reporting. There were four other candidates in the primary, only one of which, Brett Hueffmeier, had substantial funding. 

“I am honored to be the Republican nominee for the 5th Congressional District,” Brattin said, “and I look forward to working with President Donald J. Trump to keep his America First agenda on track.”

Brattin now faces 11-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, and Randy Langkraehr, a Libertarian, in the November election. A court battle over Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’ denial Tuesday afternoon of a referendum petition will decide if the November election is held in the counties voting Tuesday or if the map will revert to the plan used in the 2022 and 2024 elections.

If the map drawn last year is used, Brattin has a clear advantage, based on Republican success in past elections. If the older map is used, Cleaver will have the advantage in a district where he has rarely received less than 55% of the vote.

Trump’s endorsement is meaningful whenever it is given, said Gov. Mike Kehoe after voting in Jefferson City. Kehoe, a Jefferson City resident, endorsed Brattin and is a constituent in the district drawn by lawmakers last year.

“Anytime President Trump weighs in, I think it can be powerful, whether it’s on time or not on time,” Kehoe said.

Brattin was carried to the nomination by the Club For Growth’s Win It Back PAC, which spent $2.1 million on his behalf, including $1.4 million on television ads attacking Burks. Outside groups spent $3.8 million total, more than four times what the candidates themselves spent.

Brattin is a two-term state senator who previously held office as a state representative and Cass County auditor. He is a Marine Corps veteran and owns a small construction company.

It is the second time Brattin has bested Burks in a congressional primary. In 2022, Brattin came in second and Burks finished fourth in the 4th District primary won by now-U.S. Rep. Mark Alford.

In an interview after he voted Tuesday morning in Ashland, Burks discounted the impact of the endorsement because of its late arrival. As he campaigned door-to-door over the weekend, he said, about half of voters had not yet decided.

“I don’t know what these national groups were telling the president or the White House and why he decided to weigh in at the last minute,” Burks said. “Most voters were already doing their research and trying to determine how they’re going to cast their ballot this morning anyway.”

The upcoming court challenge over Hoskins’ denial of the referendum will determine if the entire redistricting plan is suspended, which would throw Tuesday’s results into question and create uncertainty about the boundaries for most of Missouri’s eight districts.

Since the map was passed last year, court decisions have upheld it against every challenge. The uncertainty about the future if a referendum is ordered is based on the Missouri Constitution’s language that a state law subject to a referendum cannot take effect until a statewide vote.

The candidates filed for office knowing there is uncertainty about the redistricting plan, Kehoe told reporters after voting in Jefferson City.

“Those candidates went into this election in Congressional District 5 with their eyes wide open,” Kehoe said. “They understand that there probably would be some controversy over whether that goes. We’ll let the courts decide that. I think the map represents Missouri’s values.”