Missouri Senator Josh Hawley is treating his house state of Missouri like a flyover state, in keeping with a brand new report that exhibits simply how not often the hawkish Republican lawmaker returns there.
Data of Hawley’s taxpayer-funded travels reviewed by St. Louis Magazine revealed that the Missouri Republican has traveled between Washington, D.C., and the Present-Me State solely 33 occasions between March 2019 and January 2024—a median of six occasions per 12 months.
Lots of Hawley’s journeys had been quick: Eight of them concerned Hawley hightailing out of Missouri after lower than 48 hours. Greater than half the time, Hawley was touring house across the holidays, which tended to be longer stays. Hawley’s longest journey house was between April 1, 2020, and Might 1, 2020, across the begin of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Whereas taxpayer-funded journeys present an incomplete image of Hawley’s journey, it’s a related knowledge level when contemplating his journey plans. It’s widespread for senators to expense journey between Washington and their house state, in keeping with Democratic strategist Jacob Lengthy, who spoke with St. Louis Journal.
Lucas Kunce, a Democrat operating to unseat Hawley, responded to the report Thursday in a post on X. Kunce wrote that Hawley “isn’t operating for reelection to maintain serving us—he’s operating to maintain up his luxurious life-style on the coast.”
Hawley has beforehand attacked “coastal elites” and “liberal elites” as a part of his political campaigns.
The senator and his household beforehand bought a home in Virginia, which is now valued at $1.7 million. He beforehand listed his sister’s residence in Ozark, Missouri, as his voting tackle, however now has two properties related along with his identify in Christian County, lower than a mile aside, according to the Kansas Metropolis Star. The one he technically owns was solely purchased in 2023.
October has been a tough month for the self-described Christian nationalist. Earlier this month, the St. Louis Submit-Dispatch’s editorial board endorsed Kunce, calling Hawley the “worst sitting senator in America proper now,” and criticized him for pumping his fist in assist of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Hawley additionally got here beneath hearth over his use of a personal jet to marketing campaign round Missouri, which was first reported by the Missouri Impartial. Hawley had beforehand attacked his 2018 opponent, Democrat Claire McCaskill, for utilizing a personal jet, however apparently spent greater than $132,000 on chartered flights between mid-December and June.
“Missouri’s flyover nation for this man,” stated Kunce on the time, stating that he had been campaigning in a minivan along with his spouse and 16-month-old son.
