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The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Missouri and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Qualification,
Priorities
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. What are your Qualifications for Office? (200 word limit)
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Answer from Jeff Harris:
I am the most qualified candidate in this race. I am the only candidate to serve as an Assistant Attorney General under Jay Nixon and I know how the office works better than any other candidate in this race. I was the Minority Leader in the Missouri House of Representatives during the most critical time in our state's history. My colleagues turned to me when Governor Blunt cut thousands of Missourians from their health care and tried to disenfranchise thousands of Missouri's voters. It is the job of the Attorney General to ensure that our consumers are protected and there is no better record of protecting consumers and Missouri families than mine. As our next Attorney General, I will stand up for the everyday Missourian. I am the candidate with the most comprehensive plan to protect Missourians. As the next Attorney General I will fight to ensure that our government is transparent. That is why I will establish a Sunshine Law Enforcement Unit to investigate and ensure that all sunshine requests are faithfully executed. I also have a plan to create a special counsel for child exploitation cases with the specific purpose of preventing acts of child predation.
Answer from Margaret Donnelly:
Trial Experience: For 20 years I have fought in courtrooms to protect Missouri families. I represented women who were beaten by their husbands. I have tried case after case to protect children from the adults who have sexually or physically abused them. And I have represented families in wrenching custody battles. `Protecting families' is not just a slogan, it is what I have done my entire career.
Fiscal Experience: As ranking member of the Budget Committee, I studied the budgets of every government office and worked with the staff that spend our taxpayers money. I understand these departments better than anyone in this race.
Public Service: As a state representative, I fought to keep sexual predators away from children, to increase penalties for crimes against the elderly, and toughen the laws that protect victims of sexual assault. On the Budget Committee I took a leadership role in battling Gov. Blunt's Medicaid cuts and his lack of support for public education. As a board member of two government agencies, a school board, and a public transit system, I have overseen budgets and staff exceeding those of the Attorney General's office.
Answer from Chris Koster:
Two years Assistant Attorney General
10 year elected s Cass County Prosecutor
Four years member of Senate Judiciary Committee
Approximately 20 homicide convictions
Two Supreme Court victories
Thousands of felony convictions in Missouri criminal court
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2. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit)
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Answer from Jeff Harris:
I will continue to protect consumers from sub-prime mortgages and predatory lending. I plan to put in place stronger environmental regulations and standards to protect against pollution. I will establish a prevailing wage counsel to ensure that all businesses play by the same rules.
Answer from Chris Koster:
I had more prevailing wage convictions than any prosecutor. I will take that work ethic to the Attorney General's office. I wrote the Medicaid fraud bill. Aggressive use of this statute will return tens of millions of dollars into the Medicaid system. Ten years of first-hand experience trying cases makes me the most qualified candidate.
Answer from Margaret Donnelly:
Convene a task force to evaluate how to close loopholes in the laws to protect women and children; establish a Fugitive Unit to track predators that are violating parole or failing to register.
Seek stiffer penalties for scam artists who target the elderly and disabled.
Establish the Senior Citizen Consumer Fraud Hotline, as an easy way to report and get information about consumer and financial fraud; offer RSS feeds, email, and text alerts for consumer recalls and consumer frauds, continue to push for a children's product safety bill.
Support local law enforcement in anti-drug efforts.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Word limits apply for each question. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.
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League of Women Voters of St Louis Information Service
