The Missouri senate race for 2016 features lead candidates, current secretary of state, Democrat Jason Kander (35), and current incumbent, Republican Senator Roy D. Blunt. Recently, Mr. Kander released a television ad that shows him putting an AR-15 rifle together blindfolded while reciting a script about gun rights and verbally attacking his opponent, Senator Blunt. Because of this, Mr. Kander's polls soared while Republicans worried about keeping their seat in the Senate. Many of Mr. Kander's ads have suggested, among other things, that Mr. Blunt took votes to enrich industries that his family represented. In Mr. Blunt's ads, however, he and his supporters have worked hard to cast Mr. Kander as a doormat to both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who are both unpopular in Missouri. In one of the senator's ads, Mr. Kander's face is depicted morphing into Mrs. Clinton's and the president's face with the line, "Fresh face. Same old liberal thinking."
Roy Blunt, 66, studied history at Southwest Baptist University during which time he recieved three draft deferments from the Vietnam War. Later, he earned his masters degree in history from Missouri State University. He was elected secretary of state in 1984 and again in 1988. He was elected to be a representative in the house in 1998-2008.
     -Key issues:
        -Education: Voted in favor of school prayer and supports the No Child Left Behind Act.
        -Gun rights: Voted to reduce the waiting period to purchase a gun from 72 hours to 24.
        -Voted pro-life.
Jason Kander graduated from American University and after 9/11 enlisted in the Army National Guard. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2008 and won Missouri Secretary of State in 2012.
-Pro-gun rights with background checks
-Believes women should get equal pay for equal work, fighting for protection against financial fraud, pushing for open and honest government, wants to reduce business fees.
As of mid-October, Mr. Blunt led Mr. Kander 465 TO 445, a three percentage point drop since August.
Mr. Kander is now known as a gun-wielding Democrat, but is also a veteran and a Georgetown- educated lawyer.
Because of recent homogeneous growth outside of it's larger cities, Missouri has become more reliably Republican on the presidential level. Like Florida, however, Missouri tends to vote Democratic for statewide officials, such as senators.
Two weeks after Mr. Kander's now famous ad with the rifle, political action committees and other outside groups invested more than $8 million into the state on both Mr. Kander and Senator Blunt, quadruple what they had spent in the previous two weeks, according to the Federal Election Commission. 
Kander has "embraced" Clinton, but not endorsed her for the presidential candidate.
Kander has received $47,265 in donations
Kander edorsements: League of Conservative Voters
Missouri AFL-CIU
NARAL Pro-choice America
National Education Association
National Organization for Women

Blunt endorsed Trump for president
Roy Blunt endorsements: 
Airline Pilot Association
Eagle Forum
Missouri Farm Bureau Federation
Missouri Right to Life
National Federation of Independent Business
National Rifle Association

Missouri statistics: 
Population: 6.06 million
Economics: Industry; aerospace, transportation equipment, food products, chemicals.
Party Identification: 48.8% democratic lean, 37.9% republican lean.


https://showmeprogress.com/2009/01/30/party-identification-in-missouri-gallup/
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/23/us/politics/senate-race-missouri.html

Roy Blunt