ST. LOUIS — An overwhelming majority of registered voters don’t know who they’ll support in the Missouri gubernatorial race to succeed Governor Mike Parson. The statewide poll is released a little more than six weeks ahead of the August 6th Missouri primary.
The new Emerson College Polling/The Hill/Missouri Nexstar poll shows a tight, two-person race for the Republican nomination for Missouri governor, plus much more, from the presidential race to the issues of sports betting and abortion access.
The Missouri Governor’s Race
The first thing that jumps out of the poll is the Republican Missouri Governor primary race. No candidate tops 25% among likely Republican voters. 46% are undecided, double the top two candidates combined.
A poll finds 23% of voters support Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, 20% support Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe, and 6% support State Senator Bill Eigel.
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Emerson College Polling’s Senior Director, Matt Taglia, says it looks like a two-person race to the finish between Ashcroft and Kehoe.
“Ashcroft is leading among younger voters. Kehoe is leading with older voters. If I’m a Republican primary candidate, that’s something I absolutely want to see. These are high-likelihood, high-propensity voters, so that’s a very good sign for Kehoe’s campaign,” Taglia told Fox 2 News.
The full breakdown of support for candidates on the Republican ballot is as follows:
Undecided – 45.8%
John (Jay) R. Ashcroft – 22.5%
Mike Kehoe – 19.6%
Bill Eigel – 5.9%
Robert J. Olson – 1.7%
Chris Wright – 1.4%
Amber Thomsen – 1.3%
Darrell L. McClanahan III – 1.3%
Jeremy Gundel – 0.4%
Darren L. Grant – 0.1%
Biden vs. Trump
Ahead of next Thursday’s debate between President Biden and former President Trump, the poll points to a third straight election victory for Mr. Trump in Missouri. Mr. Biden’s statewide approval rating is just 32%.
Trump leads Biden by about 13% in a head-to-head matchup. The lead expands to more than 15% in a five-candidate race with Robert Kennedy, Cornell West, and Jill Stein. 36% say Mr. Trump’s recent felony convictions in New York will have no impact on their vote and 33% say they are less likely to vote for him now.
“As things stand right now, this is not a competitive state for President Biden,” Taglia said.
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Missouri Senate Race
He called Missouri’s U.S. Senate race between likely nominees, Republican incumbent Josh Hawley and Democrat Lucas Kunce, “Hawley’s race to lose”. Hawley has a 9% lead.
The economy is the top issue for Missouri voters, with 34% abortion access is second, at 12%. The 12% is significant and may impact the U.S. Senate race, according to Taglia.
“Seeing abortion in second place, I think, says something. There is the potential that it influences races further up the ballot,” he said.
Sports issues
The poll also looks at big sports issues. Voters polled are slightly in favor of legalized sports betting (38%–35%), which is also within the margin of error. Plus, 26% are undecided.
“I think that there’s some messaging work to do here if you’re on the side of passing sports betting in Missouri. I don’t think folks necessarily know what all it entails but a lot of them are, in principle, supportive of the idea,” Taglia said.
Finally, amid talk of the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals moving across the state line and into Kansas after voters shot down stadium measures in April, 46% say it’s “very important” and nearly 17% say it’s “somewhat important” (63% total) to keep the Chiefs in Missouri.
When it comes to the Royals, 38% say “very important”, 20% ‘say’somewhat’ (58% total).
Emerson College Polling, The Hill, and Nexstar Missouri conducted this poll. Review our methodology and data here. The surveys were conducted on June 17–19, 2024. The sample consisted of n = 1000 registered voters, with a credibility interval of +/-3%. The sample of likely Republican primary voters consists of a sample of 489, with a credibility interval of +/-4.4%.
Damon Wilson II is reportedly set to transfer again after a nine-sack season at Missouri. Ed Zurga / Getty Images
Damon Wilson II, the player at the center of a lawsuit showdown with Georgia over his transfer to Missouri last year, is planning to re-enter the portal, a source briefed on the decision said.
Wilson figures to be a premium target for teams that need an edge rusher: He led Missouri with nine sacks this season, which was tied for third in the SEC. The news of his plans was reported by On3 on Tuesday afternoon. But his decision to enter is more intriguing given his ongoing legal dispute with Georgia over his exit from that program last year.
Wilson spent his first two seasons in Athens. He transferred to Missouri last January. In October, Georgia sued him, seeking $390,000 in damages from Wilson for leaving the team after the program said he signed an agreement to return for the 2025 season. Georgia filed to compel Wilson to arbitration.
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Wilson answered on Dec. 23 by filing a lawsuit against Georgia in Boone County, Mo. Wilson’s attorneys alleged a civil conspiracy by Georgia’s athletic department and collective to “penalize Wilson for his decision to transfer.” The lawsuit also alleged the agreement Wilson signed with Georgia in December 2024 was not a contract.
This was believed to be the first time a player and a school took each other to court over a transfer decision and figures to be closely watched. Wilson leaving Missouri would not end the court proceedings.
Wilson’s legal representatives did not offer immediate comment on Tuesday afternoon.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 5, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 5 drawing
04-18-24-51-56, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 5 drawing
Midday: 2-4-6
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Midday Wild: 4
Evening: 2-4-5
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 5 drawing
Midday: 6-0-7-3
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Midday Wild: 1
Evening: 8-9-9-5
Evening Wild: 4
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash4Life numbers from Jan. 5 drawing
01-15-50-55-57, Cash Ball: 02
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Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from Jan. 5 drawing
Early Bird: 06
Morning: 02
Matinee: 11
Prime Time: 15
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Night Owl: 03
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Jan. 5 drawing
01-02-22-27-33
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Jan. 5 drawing
15-22-39-41-62, Powerball: 09
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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
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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.
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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.
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.
Cryptocurrency is a form of digital currency that uses cryptography for security and operates independently of central banks.
The Ankeny Police Department is asking anyone from Ankeny and across the Des Moines metro to come forward if they think they may be a victim of a Missouri man who is accused of running a cryptocurrency investment scam.
Charles Spencer Burri of Columbia, Missouri, was arrested and charged with financial exploitation of an elder and stealing $750 or more. The Columbia Police Department alleged Burri — owner and operator of Burri Asset Management LLC — has solicited thousands of dollars for cryptocurrency investments but stopped responding to victims after he received their money.
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Columbia police reported to Ankeny they had uncovered evidence Burri possibly met with people in Ankeny and the Des Moines metro in July 2025, according to a news release Friday, Jan. 2.
Ankeny police believe there may be additional victims in the area who have not been identified, according to the release. Sgt. Trevor McGraw in Ankeny said Monday that no victims had come forward over the weekend.
Anyone who Burri or Burri Asset Management LLC may have contacted, or who has experienced financial loss through a cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme, is encouraged to contact the Ankeny Police Department through its non-emergency line at 515-286-3333, extension 5, and file a report.
Phillip Sitter covers the suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at PSitter@usatodayco.com.Find out more about him onlinein the Register’s staff directory.
