2024 Missouri US Senate Voters Guide

Josh Hawley (R) vs Lucas Kunce (D)

US Senate | Election | Nov 5, 2024

The Candidates

Josh Hawley

Josh Hawley

Republican

Incumbent
Lucas Kunce

Lucas Kunce

Democrat

The Issues

Abortion

Ban or legal?

Josh Hawley (R)

Ban. In 2020 vowed to only support Justices who disagreed with Roe v. Wade. Sponsored a 2022 bill to ban most abortions nationwide after 15 weeks. Opposes a ballot measure to codify abortion rights in the Missouri constitution.

Lucas Kunce (D)

Legal. Will enshrine reproductive freedom and abortion rights into law.” “Missourians want freedom and the ability to control their own lives.” Supports the ballot measure to codify abortion rights into Missouri’s constitution.

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Climate Change

Should climate change be a top priority?

Josh Hawley (R)

No. Says the Biden administration is “sacrificing our energy security for a radical climate-change agenda.” Authored a bill to construct oil and gas pipelines, end climate rules and fracking regulations, and block funds for the Paris Climate Agreement.

Lucas Kunce (D)

Yes. Putting America first in renewable energy production” would make the US stronger. Would redirect federal subsidies on oil and gas production to decarbonizing instead. “We must… fully decarbonize our energy and transportation sectors” and “ditch all fossil fuels.”

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Criminal Justice

How to ensure effectiveness and fairness in law enforcement?

Josh Hawley (R)

Supports hiring more officers and increasing penalties for assaulting officers. Opposes weakening “qualified immunity for cops.” Voted for the JUSTICE Act, criminalizing certain police misconduct, but with fewer limits than the George Floyd Act.

Lucas Kunce (D)

We need the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to become law,” a bill that would increase accountability for police misconduct and require improved training. It limits qualified immunity, which gives police officers liability protection in specific circumstances.

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Economy

Decrease or increase government investment in, and regulation of, the economy?

Josh Hawley (R)

Mixed. Voted against $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. Supports stronger antitrust laws, including a ban on all mergers and acquisitions by companies with a market capitalization of over $100 billion. Supports breaking up Amazon.com and large meatpacking and poultry monopolies.

Lucas Kunce (D)

Increase. Criticizes Wall Street for destroying US’s production power. “Monopolists” control the defense industry. Increase the Defense Department’s power to regulate contracts. Wants a “historic investment… to rebuild our forgotten towns and cities… and start making stuff in America again.”

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Education

Limit teaching of issues around racism and gender identity?

Josh Hawley (R)

Yes. “Education has taken a back seat to radical politics.” Proposed a bill allowing parental review of curriculum. Would require that students read our “founding documents” and would cut federal funding to schools teaching that they are based on racism.

Lucas Kunce (D)

Unclear. Opposes “phony culture wars” that “distract and divide our families.” “Parents should have a say in their kids’ education.” Opposed “billionaires and the consultant class” inserting themselves into schools.

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Elections

Did Joe Biden win the 2020 Presidential election?

Josh Hawley (R)

Mostly no. Voted against certifying Electoral College results from two states. Cheered on Jan 6 protestors outside the Capitol. Said later “I never said that the goal was to overturn the election. That was never the point.”

Lucas Kunce (D)

Yes. “It looked fair and honest and I think it was accurately decided.”

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Environment

Loosen or tighten environmental regulations?

Josh Hawley (R)

Loosen. Opposed EPA’s regulation on water pollution. Voted to roll back a rule giving gov’t agencies power to regulate “critical habitats.” Introduced a bill to ban “new radical climate regulations that reduce our energy security.”

Lucas Kunce (D)

Tighten. “Corporations like Tyson…. destroy our land and water, and poison our people.” Is “proud to be supported by” the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund.

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Gun Laws

Loosen or tighten gun regulation?

Josh Hawley (R)

Loosen. “Will oppose all attempts to undermine the Second Amendment’s protections.” Opposed a bipartisan gun safety bill with enhanced background checks for minors and support for “red flag” laws.

Lucas Kunce (D)

Tighten. Supports “red flag” laws and expanded background checks, and raising the minimum age for gun purchases to 21. “We need things that keep the weapons out of people who are going to be unsafe.”

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Health Care

Increase or decrease government support for health care?

Josh Hawley (R)

Mixed. Joined a lawsuit to end Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Opposed a 2022 bill which included provisions capping insulin at $35 a month and penalizing drug makers for hiking Medicare drug prices. In 2023 introduced bills with similar provisions.

Lucas Kunce (D)

Increase. “When my little sister was born with a heart condition, the medical bills bankrupted us.” Supports universal health care; the Affordable Care Act is “a stopgap” toward that. Sees the federal government supporting insulin production.

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Immigration

How to handle immigration and the border? Support a path to citizenship for “DACA” participants brought to the US as children?

Josh Hawley (R)

Opposed the 2024 bipartisan border security bill. Supports letting border states deport illegal immigrants and put up barriers. Position on DACA unclear. Opposes “mass amnesty to illegal migrants.”

Lucas Kunce (D)

The solution is simple, it’s fund more border patrol.” Would “shut down the flow of fentanyl, and end catch and release.” Criticizes the 2024 border security bill; would have worked to improve it.

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Labor

Make it easier or harder for unions to organize?

Josh Hawley (R)

Mixed. Opposes the PRO Act, which would protect organizing rights. Criticized Amazon’s treatment of its delivery drivers. Approves of private sector unions, but “public sector unions… [have] held vital government services for people hostage.” Formerly supported right-to-work laws; now opposes.

Lucas Kunce (D)

Easier. “I support the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, and that’s one of the first things that I’ll co-sponsor.” Calls for “investing in and empowering workers.” Calls out support from “union workers and organizations fighting for everyday people.”

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LGBTQ Rights

Limit or expand LGBTQ rights?

Josh Hawley (R)

Limit. Opposed federal protection for same-sex marriage. Opposed the Equality Act, which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Sponsored a bill to ban transgender athletes on school sports programs.

Lucas Kunce (D)

Expand. “I’ll always be committed to being an advocate and fighter for LGBTQ+ Americans.” Supports marriage equality and gender-affirming care. Supports the Equality Act, which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

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Marijuana

Ban or legal?

Josh Hawley (R)

Mostly ban. “I just think that marijuana is still a gateway drug.” Opposes federal legalization and giving marijuana businesses access to banks. Supported medical marijuana research for veterans with chronic pain or PTSD.

Lucas Kunce (D)

Legal. Supports nationwide legalization and expunging nonviolent marijuana convictions. Legalizing provides cannabis businesses more access to banks and “helps veterans… struggling through” PTSD.

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Minimum Wage

Raise federal minimum from $7.25/hr?

Josh Hawley (R)

Mostly no. Voted against increasing it to $15 over 5 years. In 2018 opposed raising Missouri’s minimum wage to $12 by 2023. Proposed requiring companies with more than $1 billion in revenue to pay $15.

Lucas Kunce (D)

Yes. Supports a $15 minimum wage. Supports the Missouri ballot measure to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 by 2027.

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Student Financial Aid

Support lowering interest on student loans and/or forgiving them?

Josh Hawley (R)

Mostly no. Called President Biden’s student loan forgiveness “a massive giveaway to the wealthy.” Supports eliminating loan origination fees. Require colleges to pay 50% of defaulted federal student loan balance.

Lucas Kunce (D)

Yes. Supported forgiving student loans and increasing money for Pell grants. Would invest in historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions.

Click To Share Stance

Taxes

Raise or lower taxes on corporations and wealthier individuals?

Josh Hawley (R)

Mostly lower. In 2017, endorsed Trump tax cuts, with the largest corporate cut in US history. Might be open to raising corporate taxes.

Lucas Kunce (D)

Raise for corporations. “34% of large and profitable corporations… paid $0 in federal income taxes in 2018.” Congress has been “spending TRILLIONS on corporate tax cuts.”

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Voting Rules

Make voting harder or easier?

Josh Hawley (R)

Harder. Authored a bill to ban the practice of delivering other voters’ vote-by-mail ballots to election offices. As Attorney General appealed a court decision that struck down parts of Missouri’s voter photo ID law.

Lucas Kunce (D)

Easier. Called for passing a bill to expand voting access and voter registration. Called for passing a bill to restore parts of Voting Rights Act stuck down by the Supreme Court.

Click To Share Stance

guides.vote is a nonpartisan effort to show where candidates stand. We do not support or oppose any political party or candidate. We have space for candidates polling 15% or more. Check out others including Nathan Kline (G), Jared Young (I), and W.C. Young (L). Vote411.org offers guides to local races and how to vote. For campuses, see Campus Vote Project’s state-specific guides to student voting rules.

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Josh Hawley

republican Party

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Lucas Kunce

democratic Party

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Josh Hawley

republican

Lucas Kunce

democratic

See guides.vote for online guides with links & sources https://joshhawley.com/ https://lucaskunce.com/
Abortion

Ban or legal?

Ban. In 2020 vowed to only support Justices who disagreed with Roe v. Wade. Sponsored a 2022 bill to ban most abortions nationwide after 15 weeks. Opposes a ballot measure to codify abortion rights in the Missouri constitution.Legal. Will enshrine reproductive freedom and abortion rights into law.” “Missourians want freedom and the ability to control their own lives.” Supports the ballot measure to codify abortion rights into Missouri’s constitution.
Climate Change

Should climate change be a top priority?

No. Says the Biden administration is “sacrificing our energy security for a radical climate-change agenda.” Authored a bill to construct oil and gas pipelines, end climate rules and fracking regulations, and block funds for the Paris Climate Agreement.Yes. Putting America first in renewable energy production” would make the US stronger. Would redirect federal subsidies on oil and gas production to decarbonizing instead. “We must… fully decarbonize our energy and transportation sectors” and “ditch all fossil fuels.”
Criminal Justice

How to ensure effectiveness and fairness in law enforcement?

Supports hiring more officers and increasing penalties for assaulting officers. Opposes weakening “qualified immunity for cops.” Voted for the JUSTICE Act, criminalizing certain police misconduct, but with fewer limits than the George Floyd Act.We need the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to become law,” a bill that would increase accountability for police misconduct and require improved training. It limits qualified immunity, which gives police officers liability protection in specific circumstances.
Economy

Decrease or increase government investment in, and regulation of, the economy?

Mixed. Voted against $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. Supports stronger antitrust laws, including a ban on all mergers and acquisitions by companies with a market capitalization of over $100 billion. Supports breaking up Amazon.com and large meatpacking and poultry monopolies.Increase. Criticizes Wall Street for destroying US’s production power. “Monopolists” control the defense industry. Increase the Defense Department’s power to regulate contracts. Wants a “historic investment… to rebuild our forgotten towns and cities… and start making stuff in America again.”
Education

Limit teaching of issues around racism and gender identity?

Yes. “Education has taken a back seat to radical politics.” Proposed a bill allowing parental review of curriculum. Would require that students read our “founding documents” and would cut federal funding to schools teaching that they are based on racism.Unclear. Opposes “phony culture wars” that “distract and divide our families.” “Parents should have a say in their kids’ education.” Opposed “billionaires and the consultant class” inserting themselves into schools.
Elections

Did Joe Biden win the 2020 Presidential election?

Mostly no. Voted against certifying Electoral College results from two states. Cheered on Jan 6 protestors outside the Capitol. Said later "I never said that the goal was to overturn the election. That was never the point.”Yes. “It looked fair and honest and I think it was accurately decided.”
Environment

Loosen or tighten environmental regulations?

Loosen. Opposed EPA’s regulation on water pollution. Voted to roll back a rule giving gov’t agencies power to regulate “critical habitats.” Introduced a bill to ban “new radical climate regulations that reduce our energy security.”Tighten. “Corporations like Tyson…. destroy our land and water, and poison our people.” Is “proud to be supported by” the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund.
Gun Laws

Loosen or tighten gun regulation?

Loosen. “Will oppose all attempts to undermine the Second Amendment’s protections.” Opposed a bipartisan gun safety bill with enhanced background checks for minors and support for “red flag” laws.Tighten. Supports “red flag” laws and expanded background checks, and raising the minimum age for gun purchases to 21. “We need things that keep the weapons out of people who are going to be unsafe.”
Health Care

Increase or decrease government support for health care?

Mixed. Joined a lawsuit to end Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Opposed a 2022 bill which included provisions capping insulin at $35 a month and penalizing drug makers for hiking Medicare drug prices. In 2023 introduced bills with similar provisions.Increase. “When my little sister was born with a heart condition, the medical bills bankrupted us.” Supports universal health care; the Affordable Care Act is “a stopgap” toward that. Sees the federal government supporting insulin production.
Immigration

How to handle immigration and the border? Support a path to citizenship for “DACA” participants brought to the US as children?

Opposed the 2024 bipartisan border security bill. Supports letting border states deport illegal immigrants and put up barriers. Position on DACA unclear. Opposes “mass amnesty to illegal migrants.”The solution is simple, it's fund more border patrol.” Would “shut down the flow of fentanyl, and end catch and release.” Criticizes the 2024 border security bill; would have worked to improve it.
Labor

Make it easier or harder for unions to organize?

Mixed. Opposes the PRO Act, which would protect organizing rights. Criticized Amazon's treatment of its delivery drivers. Approves of private sector unions, but "public sector unions... [have] held vital government services for people hostage." Formerly supported right-to-work laws; now opposes.Easier. “I support the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, and that's one of the first things that I'll co-sponsor.” Calls for “investing in and empowering workers.” Calls out support from “union workers and organizations fighting for everyday people.”
LGBTQ Rights

Limit or expand LGBTQ rights?

Limit. Opposed federal protection for same-sex marriage. Opposed the Equality Act, which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Sponsored a bill to ban transgender athletes on school sports programs.Expand. “I'll always be committed to being an advocate and fighter for LGBTQ+ Americans.” Supports marriage equality and gender-affirming care. Supports the Equality Act, which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Marijuana

Ban or legal?

Mostly ban. “I just think that marijuana is still a gateway drug.” Opposes federal legalization and giving marijuana businesses access to banks. Supported medical marijuana research for veterans with chronic pain or PTSD.Legal. Supports nationwide legalization and expunging nonviolent marijuana convictions. Legalizing provides cannabis businesses more access to banks and “helps veterans… struggling through” PTSD.
Minimum Wage

Raise federal minimum from $7.25/hr?

Mostly no. Voted against increasing it to $15 over 5 years. In 2018 opposed raising Missouri’s minimum wage to $12 by 2023. Proposed requiring companies with more than $1 billion in revenue to pay $15.Yes. Supports a $15 minimum wage. Supports the Missouri ballot measure to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 by 2027.
Student Financial Aid

Support lowering interest on student loans and/or forgiving them?

Mostly no. Called President Biden’s student loan forgiveness “a massive giveaway to the wealthy.” Supports eliminating loan origination fees. Require colleges to pay 50% of defaulted federal student loan balance.Yes. Supported forgiving student loans and increasing money for Pell grants. Would invest in historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions.
Taxes

Raise or lower taxes on corporations and wealthier individuals?

Mostly lower. In 2017, endorsed Trump tax cuts, with the largest corporate cut in US history. Might be open to raising corporate taxes.Raise for corporations. “34% of large and profitable corporations… paid $0 in federal income taxes in 2018.” Congress has been “spending TRILLIONS on corporate tax cuts.”
Voting Rules

Make voting harder or easier?

Harder. Authored a bill to ban the practice of delivering other voters’ vote-by-mail ballots to election offices. As Attorney General appealed a court decision that struck down parts of Missouri’s voter photo ID law.Easier. Called for passing a bill to expand voting access and voter registration. Called for passing a bill to restore parts of Voting Rights Act stuck down by the Supreme Court.

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