Jim Talent - 2006 Re-election Campaign

2006 Re-election Campaign

Talent sought re-election in the 2006 Senate election. His Democratic opponent was state Auditor Claire McCaskill. Talent held a significant fundraising advantage, in part because of support from the Bush administration; on October 11, 2005, Vice President Dick Cheney held a fundraiser for Talent. Talent accepted $5,000 from the lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Talent subsequently refunded all $5,000.

Jim Talent received a number of endorsements for his re-election including from:

• Missouri Farm Bureau
• St. Louis Police Officers' Association
• Missouri Pork Association
• National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
• Missouri Corn Growers Association
• Veterans of Foreign Wars.

In 2006, the Washington DC newspaper Roll Call reported that DC lobbying interests had pledged to raise $1 million for Talent's re-election. Talent stated that he does not give favors in exchange for donations, and that he “wouldn’t take five dollars from someone who expects something for it."

McCaskill and Talent debated each other on Meet the Press on October 8, 2006. McCaskill narrowly defeated Talent on November 7, 2006, with a 50% to 47% margin of victory.

Having lost his bid for re-election, Talent was considered a possible candidate for Governor of Missouri in 2008 after incumbent Matt Blunt decided to not seek re-election.