Missouri
At Lincoln Days, Missouri Republicans are optimistic they can withstand a midterm slump
Missouri Republicans experienced something this past weekend that has been missing from prior Lincoln Days events: Calm.
After years of bruising primary battles and infighting within the Missouri General Assembly, Republican activists and elected officials used the party’s largest gathering of the year to bask in their electoral good fortune. Republicans hold every statewide office and commanding majorities in the General Assembly.
And some of Gov. Mike Kehoe’s big agenda items are moving quickly through a legislature that’s getting along better than in recent years. That includes crime legislation that would bring back a gubernatorial board overseeing the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
“If you want us to be able to keep getting this agenda done, if you want us to do all the things we’ve talked about tonight, we absolutely have to hold it,” Kehoe said Saturday at the event in Maryland Heights. “The only way we can hold it is if this party and all of the counties that you represent stick together.”
There’s only one statewide race on the ballot next year: State auditor. And Democrats would need to field a candidate who can raise millions of dollars and turn around years of decline in rural and suburban counties to have a chance to unseat incumbent Scott Fitzpatrick.
Instead, Missouri Republican Party Chairman Peter Kinder said the party’s focus will be defending several open state Senate seats — including two in the Kansas City metropolitan area and one that encompasses Springfield.
“I think the left-wingers have targeted Missouri in a multi-stage, multi-year effort to turn us in their direction — to defeat Republican majorities in the House and Senate, and to take us back to a left-wing, Democrat-dominated state,” Kinder said. “And we are just not going to let that happen.”
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Trump fatigue?
One of the big reasons Missouri Republicans may have to be on guard against complacency is historical precedent. Typically, the president’s political party does worse in midterm elections.
“We’ve got to make sure that people are not falling asleep and that they are staying involved,” said St. Louis County Councilman Mark Harder. “They’re staying engaged on the issues, understand the candidates, the few that will be running, and get behind these people.”
While it’s still early in Trump’s second term, his initial actions — particularly cutting federal workers and implementing tariffs — are facing some backlash. U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, R-Cass County, recently faced an angry town hall meeting.
And U.S. Rep. Bob Onder, R-St. Charles County, said that there will be some missteps along the way, especially when Trump and billionaire Elon Musk are trying to drastically reshape the size and scope of government.
“I think Musk and DOGE would be the first to admit that in some cases, something might get caught or someone might get laid off that, in retrospect, was a mistake,” said Onder, referring to the Department of Government Efficiency that Musk has championed since Trump took office. “But I think what would be worse is if we didn’t make the attempt to cut out waste and fraud and abuse.”
Others at Lincoln Days pointed out some of the potentially attractive things that occurred since Trump returned to the White House.
U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, cited how illegal border crossings plummeted since Trump took office.
“As I said a year ago, you just needed a new president,” Schmitt said.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Eye on Amendment 3 redo
While Missouri Republicans had a solid 2024 election cycle from a candidate perspective, they did experience one major electoral failure: The passage of a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights.
That measure, known as Amendment 3, paved the way for a Jackson County judge striking down scores of abortion restrictions — including the near total ban on the procedure, licensing requirements, and a 72-hour waiting period. Abortions resumed in Kansas City and Columbia, though Planned Parenthood’s St. Louis clinic is awaiting approval of a complication plan before offering medication abortions at its Central West End Clinic.
Missouri Republicans have vowed to put something on the ballot, likely in 2026, that would repeal and replace Amendment 3. A Senate committee recently approved a constitutional amendment that would ban abortions except in the case of rape, incest and if a mother’s life is in danger.
Fitzpatrick said while Missouri Republicans are united in their desire to get something on the ballot to undo Amendment 3, they’re still working through the details of their replacement plan.
“At the end of the day, the voters are going to decide this issue. It’s in the Constitution,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’m sure the Democrats are going to say: ‘Well, you know, the people have spoken. You have to let the will of the will of the people stand.’ The people can vote on this every two years, forever, if we want them to. And it’s still going to be the will of the people.”
“I think that is probably going to be the other big thing that’s going to be that everybody in the state is going to be looking at and voting on,” he added.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Can the GOP finally break through in St. Louis County?
This year’s Lincoln Days took place in St. Louis County, one of the few areas of the state Republicans lost ground in during the Trump era.
Thanks to Trump’s perennially weak position among some suburban voters, parts of St. Louis County that were previously fairly Republican-leaning — such as Kirkwood and western areas — became reliably blue. And after nearly capturing the county executive’s office in 2014, St. Louis County Republicans have continuously fallen short in elections for that job.
Republicans are hoping for a different outcome next year, when St. Louis County Executive Sam Page will be up for another term.
Councilman Dennis Hancock, R-Fenton, told St. Louis Public Radio on Saturday he plans to forgo another term on the County Council and run for county executive instead.
“We have serious problems in St. Louis County, where we’re not attracting new businesses, we’re losing population, and we’ve seen our crime rates not getting better,” Hancock said. “And so, we just need to have a different voice and a different perspective in the county executive’s office. And I think it’s time for people to take a fresh look at what a conservative Republican might have to offer.”
Eric Lee
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Hancock spent 12 years as the mayor of Fenton. He won a county council seat that includes municipalities such as Kirkwood, Town & Country and Des Peres in 2022. He pointed out that even when Democrats won up and down the ballot in St. Louis County that year, Page had a relatively weak showing against Republican Mark Mantovani.
Still, Hancock will likely face some criticism of his own during the campaign. He dealt with a nepotism controversy over an attempt to hire his stepdaughter as his assistant. He admitted he made a mistake, but noted that St. Louis County Prosecutor Melissa Price Smith dropped the legal proceedings against him.
Councilwoman Shalonda Webb and state Sen. Brian Williams are both mulling primary challenges against Page. Though some GOP attendees at Lincoln Days said Page may survive a primary if multiple candidates run against him.
Still, Hancock said he will be an attractive alternative if Page isn’t his opponent next year.
“What I have that they don’t have is 12 years as a chief executive of a city,” he said.
WHEATLAND, Mo. — It was all Kerry Madsen on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway as the 54-year-old native of Australia, who’s now based in Knoxville, Iowa, picked up his first Interstate Batteries High Limit Sprint racing victory.
Madsen led all 30 laps to earn the $12,000 prize. He outdistanced runner-up Sue Lynch by 2.79 seconds with Tanner Holmes finishing third.
“The car’s been super quick every time we’ve hit the track,” Madsen said, noting several competitive runs in the early portion of the High Limit schedule. “The car’s been quick every night, which gives you a lot of confidence.
“We haven’t drawn well in dashes and had some little stuff going on. We drew a good one (tonight) and the car was good and we got the job done. I’m pretty happy.”
That changed this time as Madsen beat Holmes in the dash, to claim the pole position for the feature.
Madsen said his young crew chief Ty Wolfgang has “done a great job” getting in sync with him. Communication has been a big key.
“I know it sounds weird, but just hanging out together,” Madsen said of the driver-crew chief chemistry. “Dinner and a beer and just talk about racing. You do that and it might be a Wednesday night, but something clicks. He’s been real receptive with that stuff and that’s great.”
Madsen, a former Knoxville Nationals 360 winner, paced the early going after starting from the pole, with Holmes in close pursuit. Action slowed on lap six with Chase Randall and Danny Samms III tangling in turn two for the first and only yellow of the event.
Lynch moved into second on the restart as Madsen opened a 1.5-second lead by lap nine as Holmes dropped to third. Madsen’s margin swelled to nearly two seconds by lap 11 – but Lynch tracked down the leader and cut the deficit to a half-second at the halfway mark on lap 15.
As the race continued until green-flag conditions, Madsen settled into a one-second advantage as Lynch and Holmes tried to keep pace. Madsen poured it on in the late stages, cruising to the checkers by nearly three seconds over Lynch.
“Hopefully we can keep rolling like this all year. Obviously, you can’t win every night, but being quick and running well is going to be awesome,” Madsen said.
Lynch, 28 from Cowansville, Pa., said the team found some steering issues and gave him a fast car. It just was not fast enough to stay with Madsen on Saturday night.
“We were battling steering issue in the dash and it was pretty obvious,” Lynch said. “We just didn’t have time to change it and we just tried to make it the best we could. Really the car was super good. The guys busted their butt all night. It’s a testament to the team. We’re working hard and hopefully one spot better real soon.”
Holmes, a 22-year-old from Jacksonville, Oregon, came home third with Daison Pursley fourth, Hank Davis fifth and Rico Abreu charging from 11th to sixth.
“Our best night of the year,” Holmes said. “We’ve got to race a little bit during a break with High Limit these last few weeks. Some of those nights when we got our teeth kicked in taught us a lot.”
Fast overall qualifier was Sye Lynch at 13.342 seconds out of Group A. Aaron Reutzel led Group B with a lap of 13.469 seconds. Both were well off the track record for 410 Sprints held by Rico Abreu at 12.829 seconds on June 29, 2024.
The finish:
Feature: 1. 55-Kerry Madsen[1]; 2. 42-Sye Lynch[3]; 3. 13-Tanner Holmes[2]; 4. 9-Daison Pursley[4]; 5. 17GP-Hank Davis[5]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu[11]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[12]; 8. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[6]; 9. 19-Brent Marks[9]; 10. 26-Justin Peck[10]; 11. 88-Tanner Thorson[15]; 12. 21-Brian Brown[14]; 13. 28-Jace Park[23]; 14. 87-Aaron Reutzel[7]; 15. 19JR-Joel Myers Jr[20]; 16. 45X-Rees Moran[21]; 17. 5-Brenham Crouch[19]; 18. 44-Chris Martin[8]; 19. 19H-Kaleb Johnson[22]; 20. 87X-Logan Seavey[17]; 21. 36-Jason Martin[16]; 22. 9R-Chase Randall[18]; 23. 24D-Danny Sams III[13]; 24. 2-Miles Paulus[24]
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 18, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from April 18 drawing
24-25-39-46-61, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 5
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 18 drawing
Midday: 5-8-2
Midday Wild: 3
Evening: 3-8-5
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 18 drawing
Midday: 0-1-6-1
Midday Wild: 2
Evening: 4-7-6-9
Evening Wild: 5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 18 drawing
Early Bird: 08
Morning: 01
Matinee: 05
Prime Time: 04
Night Owl: 05
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 18 drawing
07-10-21-27-33
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from April 18 drawing
02-38-45-53-63, Powerball: 21
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 17, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from April 17 drawing
38-43-44-49-62, Mega Ball: 08
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 17 drawing
Midday: 4-8-6
Midday Wild: 2
Evening: 8-8-2
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 17 drawing
Midday: 3-9-4-2
Midday Wild: 4
Evening: 7-3-7-7
Evening Wild: 7
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 17 drawing
Early Bird: 07
Morning: 06
Matinee: 08
Prime Time: 05
Night Owl: 07
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 17 drawing
04-06-25-37-39
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
-
Sports11 minutes agoRyan Ward has a solid debut, but bullpen blows it again as Dodgers lose to Rockies
-
World23 minutes agoSchools, shops shut in northern Israel to protest the Lebanon ceasefire
-
News53 minutes agoCommunities launch cleanup after severe weather and tornadoes churn across Midwest
-
Detroit, MI3 hours agoGame 21: Tigers at Red Sox, Garrett Crochet battles both Detroit and the weather
-
San Francisco, CA3 hours agoWhy do gray whales keep dying in San Francisco’s waters?
-
Dallas, TX3 hours agoDallas Mavericks Owners Might Be Making Big Mistake in Search for New GM
-
Miami, FL3 hours agoDefense dominates, Mensah flashes in Miami’s spring game – The Miami Hurricane
-
Boston, MA3 hours ago
A crowd scientist is helping the Boston Marathon manage a growing field of 30,000-plus runners
