The Missouri AFL-CIO hasendorsed Crystal Quade for Governor in the Democratic primary race. This endorsement does not necessarily extend to the general election.
Crystal Quade comes from a firmly working-class background. She was the first person in her immediate family to graduate from high school, going on to graduate from Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in social work. Quade worked as a legislative staff member for then-U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill. In 2016, she won a seat in the Missouri House of Representatives and has been re-elected multiple times, going on to be the House Minority Leader for the Democrats. She represents the Springfield area.
Quade was also the former chapter services director of Care to Learn, “a non-profit organization that provides funding to address health, hunger, and hygiene needs of schoolchildren in multiple Missouri public school districts.”
Quade has been a strong union ally in the fight against right-to-work in Missouri and has been quick to center her campaign around the needs of labor union members in the state. Outside of the state AFL-CIO, she has also received significant support from the Teamsters in Kansas City.
“Labor unions built the middle class and they’re how we’re going to grow Missouri’s economy,” said Crystal Quade. “Raising workers’ pay, improving safety and working conditions, and boosting job satisfaction help make a stronger, more equitable economy.”
Experts predict that the Missouri Governor race could go either way and be competitive, but a number of circumstances would have to go Quade’s way to allow her to become the first Democrat to win the Governor race since Jay Nixon.
Quade, who would be the first female governor elected in Missouri, says she would protect farmers by prohibiting China and Russia from owning farmland.
Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, state senator Bill Eigel, and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft are competing in the Republican primary. No endorsement has been made for the general election.
“My daddy wasn’t a US Senator or Governor,” said Quade of her Republican opponents. “I don’t own a car dealership, or a cattle farm. I’m a mom, a social worker, and a leader who builds bridges to make change.”
