Missouri
Missouri GOP snubs state convention results in new presidential delegate selections • Missouri Independent
All of Missouri’s votes at the Republican National Convention are pledged to the nomination of former President Donald Trump, but the fight over who will cast those votes is putting new rips in the fabric of the state GOP.
On Wednesday, the executive committee of the Missouri Republican Party chose 27 at-large delegates and 26 alternates to replace the delegation elected at the May 4 state convention and discarded June 28 by the convention’s contests committee after a complaint about the selection process.
The contests committee ruled that “alarming irregularities” plagued the election at the Republican state convention in Springfield. It focused on a five-hour credentialing process that it said undermined confidence that the delegates on hand were those selected to attend the convention at county mass meetings.
The list of new delegates, obtained by The Independent, is heavily weighted toward the slate that was prepared for the convention, but never nominated, by state party Chairman Nick Myers.
Missouri presidential delegates rejected by Republican National Convention committee
The executive committee could have resubmitted the discarded list. But only five people selected at the convention – two delegates and three alternates – were selected for the replacement delegation. And two of those delegates told The Independent they didn’t agree to be included.
Carla Grewe of St. Louis, elected as an alternate at the state convention and in the new list, said she and her husband Gary Grewe – like her, elected both at the convention and on Wednesday list – never agreed to be split off from their slate.
“We think what the party has done is horribly corrupt,” Grewe said in a text to The Independent. “Nick should re-submit the ‘Truly Grassroots for Trump’ slate.”
Of the 27 newly chosen delegates, 20 were a delegate or alternate on the party leadership list. Of the 26 newly chosen alternates, 10 were on the party leadership slates.
The original delegation included two of the party’s three leading candidates for governor, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and state Sen. Bill Eigel, and they were not in the new delegation.
“I wouldn’t be a part of any slate other than the one duly elected by the GOP State Convention,” Eigel said in a text to The Independent. “Anyone participating in this new ‘Swamp Slate’ – from the GOP executive committee to the delegates themselves accepting a role in this sham – is part of the problem.”
Ashcroft declined to comment.
Recognizable names in the new delegation include former U.S. Rep. Billy Long, state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, a candidate for secretary of state, and Missouri Right to Life Executive Director Susan Klein.
The move to reject the state convention-elected delegation is causing rumblings of discontent in the GOP.
“The state party was responsible for the disorganization at the state convention and now in charge of hand-picking new delegates and alternates to attend the national convention, less than two weeks away,” read a statement from Mark Schneider, chair of the 6th Congressional District Republican Central Committee posted to several social media accounts. “Hotel rooms, flights and other arrangements have been made. This is an absolute disgrace to the process, our party and the grassroots movement that took their time to participate at the county and state level.”
Schneider said the solution is to resubmit the names elected at the convention.
“The in-fighting in our party must stop and it starts with state leadership recognizing the results of the state convention and allowing those duly elected delegates and alternates to attend the national convention,” he wrote.
While the deadline for submitting the new delegation was 4 p.m. Friday, the deadline for appealing the contests committee decision is Saturday. Coby Cullins, a member of the convention-elected delegation, is preparing the appeal, he wrote in an email to The Independent.
Cullins said he believes the contests committee was a “tainted jury” influenced by Missouri Republican National Committee member Carrie Almond.
The appeal will present evidence that the state convention result should be accepted.
“We have the facts on our side, including hours of video proof and almost 300 notarized affidavits.”
If the contests committee doesn’t reverse itself, there is a final appeal to the convention’s credentials committee.
“We hope that this completely different committee will allow us to speak and if that happens we are confident the truth will prevail,” Cullins said. “The grassroots of Missouri are tired of being told to ‘get in line.’ We are fighting back in an attempt to take our Republican Party back from the establishment swamp.”
Missouri Republican Party spokeswoman Erica Choinka did not return telephone and text messages seeking comment.
Dan O’Sullivan, one of two candidates for delegate who filed the complaint, said he doesn’t see how an appeal can succeed.
“I can’t imagine how some would appeal our decision without being able to produce a list of people that were credentialed at the convention,” O’Sullivan said.
O’Sullivan said he was told there were offers made to include more of the delegates and alternates elected at the convention but they were refused.
O’Sullivan and Derrick Good of Jefferson County, who also filed a complaint, were selected as delegates on Wednesday.
The May 4 convention was a chaotic affair, and the contests committee report states that the evidence shows many delegates arrived without their credentials, only to find a party staff using incorrect lists and distributing newly minted credentials without verifying who was receiving them.
It took five hours to get the convention seated, followed by a fight over the chairmanship that elected Sophia Shore, manager of Eigel’s campaign for governor, over Eddie Justice, the party leadership choice.
Under the convention rules, delegations were elected by slates that had to have all the slots filled. Before slates were nominated, there was a fight over what Shore’s backers considered an inconsistency in the rules.
One portion of the rules said the slates had to have 27 delegates and 27 alternates, while another said that 16 delegates and 16 alternates were to be nominated at congressional district conventions and offered by Myers at the state convention.
Missouri can send 54 delegates and 54 alternates to the Republican National Convention scheduled to start July 15 in Milwaukee. Of that number, there are three each from the state’s eight congressional districts, 27 at-large and three slots reserved for party leaders.
Once the convention agreed to the change that removed the allowance for 16 delegates and 16 alternates offered by Myers, the Truly Grassroots for Trump slate was the only complete slate that met the nomination rules.
The fight over the rules was cited in the complaints filed by O’Sullivan and Good but the contests committee found that the credentialing process was so badly flawed that it did not need to consider that portion of the complaint.
“The committee reserves the right to reconsider any of the remaining issues, should there be an appeal,” the report stated.
O’Sullivan said he filed the complaint because the convention was so poorly run, not because he was upset he wasn’t chosen as a delegate. He said the party leadership is to blame for the poorly organized start to the convention and it was so bad the meeting shouldn’t count.
“They didn’t do the credentialing correctly,” O’Sullivan said. “There was no conspiracy to screw it up. It was incompetence. That’s embarrassing for everybody.”
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — “It’s difficult to call the Battle Line Rivalry a true rivalry when Arkansas has won just twice since Missouri joined the SEC.”
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz has made this one matter even more for the Tigers during his time in Columbia due to his Natural State roots.
The Alma native is 5-1 against his home-state with three victories coming by seven points or less.
Silverfield has watched the Razorbacks from just across the river in Memphis, and has noticed a pattern in most of the losses over the years. Turnovers have been a major issue in this series through the years.
Whether it was the Alex Collins fumble in 2014, a blown 24-7 halftime lead in 2016, a 48-45 shootout loss in 2017, allowing Missouri to drive 60 yards in 43 seconds for a walk-off field goal by Harrison Mevis in 2020, or letting Brady Cook sprint 30 yards untouched during the Snowmaggedon game in 2024, the Razorbacks have been allergic to holding onto fourth quarter leads against the Tigers.
The biggest curse of all was Arkansas’ game against Missouri was scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend, which effectively replaced the Battle of the Golden Boot against LSU. Despite not playing on an annual basis prior to joining the SEC, this game became quite the underrated rivalry not only in the SEC, but nationally with eight games coming down to the final possession from 2005-2013.
Talent Advantage: Missouri
When it comes to talent on the field, this might be Drinkwitz’s deepest team since his arrival at Missouri in 2020. The Tigers have a total of 43 former 4-star prospects and 25 who were rated as 3-stars during their recruitment, according to the Razorbacks on SI offseason Tracker.
Between Austin Simmons at quarterback, Ahmad Hardy in the backfield, Ben Norfleet at tight end and wide receiver Donovan Olugbode there is plenty of firepower to create mismatches in space. Then, Missouri’s defense is fairly deep with linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez, safety Santana Banner and defensive lineman Darris Smith.
The Tigers can bring the heat to opposing backfields, field a standout secondary and always seem to have instinctive, hard hitting linebackers. Drinkwitz’s best year came in 2023 with an 11-3 overall record but have yet to officially breakthrough in the SEC.
And with this roster, it’s either time for the Tigers to solidify its place among SEC brethren in 2026 season, or continue its slow path back to mediocrity within the league.
A talent advantage alone won’t always win teams ball games, but one that plays disciplined and understands how to control momentum throughout a game can find ways to win.
The Razorbacks have held the talent edge several times over the years, but still suffered defeat in 2016, 2017 and 2022. Since Missouri joined the SEC, their teams have played with confidence that kept them in games they had no business winning.
Former National Championship winning coach Urban Meyer once said, “Leave no doubt” when it comes to winning at the Power Conference level. Maybe it’s Arkansas’ turn to have a coach whose players are ready to run through a wall for in Silverfield this fall.
The Silverfield Mindset
There’s something to be said about a coach who can motivate his team for the biggest of challenges and overcoming talent deficiencies.
Any team can have the Jimmys and Joes but it all comes down to execution, and that’s something that Arkansas has struggled with over the past several years. Silverfield believes a lot of Arkansas’ struggles came down to a culture of losing, which is something he’ll have to cleanse it of this offseason.
“We’ve had one Power Four win at home the last three years,” Silverfield said in an appearance on McElroy And Cubelic In The Morning radio show earlier this spring. “We have to play more disciplined football. Arkansas has not done a great job with penalties, pre-snap, post-snap, dead ball. Taking care of the football, ball security. That’s been part of some of the failures here.”
Silverfield understands Arkansas’ quickest path to improvement begins with eliminating self-inflicted mistakes. After all, the program is just 17-49 in one possession games since 2012.
Arkansas was close last season to being a very good team last year, but weren’t able to do the small things needed to win games.
The Razorbacks finished last season ranked No. 125 in turnover margin (-11), No. 121 in third down defense (45%), No. 99 in sacks allowed, No. 126 in penalties (7.8 per game) and No. 112 in total penalties showed that a change in leadership was sorely needed.
And the truth is, the Razorbacks might’ve found the right man for the job going into 2026. Arkansas has been close time and time again.
With this game being played on Halloween this fall, it’s possible Arkansas can practice its Houdini act and put the struggles against Missouri behind them once and for all.
Hogs on SI Season Preview Series
North Alabama: Why Week One Matters More Than It Should
Utah: Silverfield Doesn’t Know What Razorbacks Are, Utes Will Provide Answers
Georgia: Razorbacks Might Not Beat Georgia, But Offer Test Kirby Smart Didn’t Expect
Texas A&M: Can Hogs’ Rebuilt Defense Slow Down Marcel Reed?
Tennessee: Razorbacks Must Reclaim Homefield Advantage Against Tennessee
Vanderbilt: Arkansas Might Be Catching Vanderbilt at Right Time in 2026
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One person was killed and five others were wounded in a shooting in Kansas City, Missouri, Friday night, according to police.
Officers heard gunfire just before 10:30 p.m. and responded to the area of East 19th Street between The Paseo and Vine Street, police said. They located two adult women who were “conscious and alert,” along with an adult man who was unresponsive, the Kansas City Police Department said in a statement.
The man, identified as David E. Beck III, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene. The two women were transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Three additional victims — a man and a woman in stable condition and another man in critical condition — arrived at the hospital in a private vehicle, police said.
Preliminary information indicates the victims were gathered along 19th Street when multiple people opened fire. “All of the victims appear to have been standing in this vicinity when they were struck,” police said. Detectives are processing evidence and interviewing witnesses. No suspects are in custody.
The shooting took place roughly 7 miles from Arrowhead Stadium, which is hosting World Cup matches this summer under the name Kansas City Stadium. Ecuador and Curaçao are scheduled to play there Saturday night. Kansas City is touted as the “Soccer Capital of America.”
The city already has a large law enforcement presence to assist with World Cup security, including officers from all over the Midwest, Kansas City Police Capt. Jake Becchina told NBC News.
“We have the largest police presence we have ever had in our city for an event,” Becchina said.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact their anonymous tips hotline. A reward of up to $25,000 is available for information leading to an arrest.
Here’s a clearer, tighter version suitable for a news feature or community-interest article:
Opening June 18 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, “From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage” is a major new exhibition commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The exhibition features more than 600 rare specimens and cultural objects representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories.
Drawn from the museum’s collection of more than 148 million artifacts and specimens, the 5,000-square-foot exhibition explores the people, landscapes, discoveries, traditions and stories that have shaped the nation throughout millions of years of natural and cultural history. Many of the featured items have rarely, if ever, been displayed publicly.
Missouri is represented by an American paddlefish, one of seven objects from the state included in the exhibition. The American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) is the last surviving member of an ancient fish family and one of the largest fish species found in North America’s rivers. Scientists estimate paddlefish diverged from other fish lineages more than 310 million years ago and have changed little since.
Once found throughout the Great Lakes region, the species is now limited to the Mississippi River watershed. Its distinctive paddle-shaped snout contains sensors that detect electrical signals in the water, helping the fish locate food and navigate its environment. The paddlefish serves as a living link to the distant past, illustrating how some ancient species have survived through hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary change.
The exhibition highlights natural, cultural, scientific and historical connections from across the United States, including Missouri, and is expected to be viewed by millions of visitors during its run in Washington, D.C., through December 2029.
“This exhibition brings the entire country into one gallery,” said Kirk Johnson, Sant Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. “As the country marks its 250th anniversary, ‘From These Lands’ presents an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of our landscapes, the depth of our history and the connections that link people and the natural world across borders.”
The exhibition includes fossils, minerals, scientific specimens, cultural artifacts and interactive displays designed to help visitors explore the connections between people, places and the natural world. Featured objects range from a rare blue gemstone from California and a Northern bobwhite collected by a young Theodore Roosevelt to Indigenous cultural objects and specimens tied to major scientific discoveries and conservation efforts.
Organized around themes such as biodiversity, geology, state symbols, Indigenous traditions, environmental change and ecosystem restoration, the exhibition also features animated maps and digital interactives that allow visitors to explore shared natural features and state symbols from across the nation.
“From These Lands” is part of the Smithsonian-wide initiative “Our Shared Future: 250,” which commemorates the nation’s semiquincentennial. Related programming will include lectures, family activities, hands-on events, a companion book and an online version of the exhibition.
Opened in 1910, the National Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s most visited natural history museums and offers free admission to the public.
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