In his bid to be the GOP nominee to face Democrat incumbent Senator from Missouri Claire McCaskill, Austin Petersen has picked up the endorsement of the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) which is known as “the conscience of the party.”
The RLC is the first national organization to endorse Petersen and did so after a unanimous vote of its board. “Austin brings some much-needed common sense and has both the knowledge and skills needed to effectively articulate the Liberty message,” said Matt Nye, the RLC Chair said in a press release. “We don’t need another career politician in D.C. we need bold reform and leaders unashamed of consistently fighting for the principles of limited government, free markets, and individual liberty. Austin is that leader and we’re proud to stand behind his candidacy.”
The endorsement is quite the coup for Petersen who faces the state’s attorney general in the primaries, a favorite of both the establishment in Missouri and supported by controversial and, aside from President Trump, politically win-less operative Steve Bannon. Bannon’s most recent mark on the Senate was helping guide controversial Judge Roy Moore to a loss against Democrat Doug Jones in Alabama, a state which hadn’t elected a Democrat Senator in more than 20 years.
With this endorsement, Petersen has the opportunity to set himself apart from the increasingly disliked old-school establishment Republicans as well as the fringe elements led by the likes of Bannon and other controversial figures.
Of the endorsement by the RLC, Petersen campaign manager Jeffery Carson said, “It is an honor to receive the support of a Republican organization with such an unrelenting dedication to the principles of limited government and free markets.”
There is little doubt that this key endorsement coming so early in the primaries will lead to more endorsements and create momentum for the Petersen campaign going into the spring and summer.