Rep. Vicky Hartzler has tapped On Message Inc. to advise her Missouri Senate bid, hiring the GOP firm that guided Sen. Josh Hawley to victory in 2018 and consults for Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, the National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman.
Hartzler, 60, has not previously worked with On Message, whose top operatives are taking over general consulting, media strategy, and polling. The congresswoman’s decision to sign a firm with deep Missouri ties, and experience winning competitive Republican primaries in the state, raises the stakes for her dark-horse candidacy.
To date, the contest has been dominated by the two front-runners: Eric Greitens, the scandal-plagued former governor, and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt.
In addition to advising Hawley’s maiden Senate bid, On Message ran the show for his campaign for state attorney general two years prior, helping him win a come-from-behind victory in the GOP primary before winning more votes than former President Donald Trump in the general election. On Message partners Wes Anderson (polling), Timmy Teepell (general consulting), and Brad Todd (media) are leading the firm’s effort on behalf of Hartzler.
Sources confirmed Hartzler’s hiring of On Message to the Washington Examiner late Tuesday.
GENTEEL THIEL POPULISTS SEEK TO CAPTURE TRUMP MAGIC
Hartzler is not the only candidate with a strong Missouri consulting team. Schmitt is using Axiom and Jeff Roe, a Missouri native.
But the congresswoman’s decision to bring aboard On Message should grab the attention of political observers in Missouri who have been questioning how formidable a candidate she is.
The news comes on the heels of Hartzler’s solid second-quarter fundraising performance — she raised just under $900,000 — more than the former governor but less than the state attorney general. She topped both in cash on hand, reporting $1.5 million.
Hartzler is a traditional social conservative and the only woman in the Republican primary. Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican, is retiring in 2022. His exit has touched off a contentious primary. Greitens and Schmitt have been focused on winning Trump’s endorsement. The former president is popular in Missouri, and his pick, if he makes one, could have the edge. Regardless, there is precedent for a Hartzler-like candidate to score an upset.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
In the 2012 Republican Senate primary in Nebraska, the two front-runners pummeled each other. Now-Sen. Deb Fischer, the underdog, outflanked them, winning the nomination and cruising in the general election.
