Sen. Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.) on Monday spoke about all the work she has to do – and the necessity of not making mistakes – to win reelection in a state that overwhelmingly supported President Donald Trump in 2016, saying it's "going to be a very close election."
McCaskill appeared on St. Louis Public Radio's podcast "Politically Speaking" where she discussed her reelection campaign and the uphill campaign battle against her Republican opponent, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley.
"When you're in a state where every single Democrat on the statewide ticket was defeated in 2016, when you're in a state that voted for the Republican candidate for president by almost 20 points, you gotta do everything right as a Democrat," McCaskill said. "You can't just worry about motivating your base, although you gotta worry about that. You can't just worry about making sure you're accessible and available and listening to people who disagree with you, although you've gotta do that."
She continued by saying someone in her shoes also can't just focus on talking to independent voters who supported former presidential candidate Mitt Romney and President Donald Trump, even though "you also have to do that."
"In order for me to win this campaign, honestly – this is as candid as I can possibly be – I've gotta do all of it perfectly," McCaskill said. "I've gotta do every single thing-- I can't make mistakes. I gotta do it all perfectly. I gotta be everywhere. I've gotta be working harder than I've ever worked in my life because that's the only way this is going to work. This is going to be a very close election."
The Missouri Democrat has faced scrutiny during her reelection campaign for using a private plane during a RV "hitting the road" tour throughout the state. Her family's personal finances have also been castigated following a report detailing how businesses tied to her husband received $131 million in federal subsidies since she took office in 2007.