MO-6: Barnes Running

Former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes (D-Missouri) has officially entered the race against Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri) for the sixth district of the Show Me State. The district, which includes most of Northwestern Missouri including part of Kansas City, the KC suburbs of Liberty, Blue Springs and Gladstone, as well as St. Joseph and Maryville.

Barnes is the Democrats' favorite candidate. They believe if she can win the Kansas City portion of the district at least, she will be able to overtake Graves district wide. Barnes was Kansas City's Mayor from 1999-2007, leaving office at the beginning of this month.

The sixth district leans slightly Republican. Bush won it 57%-43% in 2004, but Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri) narrowly carried the district last year. Democrat Pat Danner represented a nearly identical district from 1993-2001.

Democrats did not target ANY seats in Missouri last year. In a presidential year, the traditionally bellwether Missouri may be a battleground in the Presidential race, and this district is a battleground whenever Missouri is.