By Joe Hadsall

jhadsall@joplinglobe.com

Missouri’s two Republican front-runners in the governor’s race visited Joplin to campaign for the Aug. 5 primary election, but instead of highlighting differences, they spoke about issues on which they share beliefs.

State Treasurer Sarah Steelman called for Gov. Matt Blunt to call a special session of the Legislature to address Rep. Bob Onder’s bill dealing with abortion. She spoke Monday morning at the anti-abortion LifeChoices Medical Clinic and Resource Center in Joplin.

That afternoon, U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof spoke at the Joplin Public Library and called for Missouri to start a statewide cord-blood bank.

Both candidates said they are against abortion and embryonic stem-cell research. They both supported Onder’s bill, which would make coercing an abortion a crime and would add additional requirements for providers of abortions.

Michael Yates, professor of political science at Missouri Southern State University, said he thought the two candidates picked an issue on which they couldn’t separate themselves.

“Abortion is a wedge issue, but not between these two candidates,” Yates said. “That would seem to be an issue that would play much better in the general election than in the primary.”

But John Putnam, chairman of the Jasper County Republican Central Committee, said the issue is important to discuss, even if there isn’t much difference in the candidates’ views.

“That is a critical, hard-driving issue in this part of the state,” Putnam said. “If someone isn’t pro-life, that’s a deal-breaker for many.”

The biggest difference between the two candidates was the size of the crowds at their news conferences.

Steelman’s conference was attended by a handful of LifeChoices employees and members of the media. Hulshof drew a crowd of more than 30, including many area representatives and supporters.

State Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, introduced Hulshof and gave him her endorsement. Area Reps. Bryan Stevenson, Kevin Wilson, Ed Emery and Ron Richard were in attendance at Hulshof’s event but did not attend Steelman’s.

“He’s an independent, clear thinker with Southwest Missouri principles,” Richard said. “He didn’t fit in the Washington, D.C., bureaucracy from the start.”

Southwest Missouri is a critical area for Republicans. Blunt in 2004 won the gubernatorial election over Claire McCaskill, now a U.S. senator, by about 81,000 votes. Yates said 80,000 of Blunt’s votes came from Jasper, Greene, Newton, McDonald and other Southwest Missouri counties.