Beware of Blair (and Big Money in Politics!)
Big money in politics has been a scourge in electoral campaigns for decades, especially in the fallout of Citizens United vs FEC. After the 2024 election that saw both major parties burn through billions of dollars, it is not surprising local elections are also flooded with PAC money from the obscenely wealthy seeking to bypass campaign finance limits.
With that in mind, how should we view the current Columbia mayoral race in which incumbent Barbara Buffaloe faces a well-funded challenge from local businessman and MU athletics booster Blair Murphy?
His campaign platform appears to be extremely light on details, with vague gestures toward public safety and infrastructure. Meanwhile, he boasts prominent endorsements from the Columbia Police Officers Association along with MU football coach (and highest-paid state employee) Eli Drinkwitz. While I am a big Mizzou football fan, I do not remember the last time a football coach made any public local political endorsement. Is Murphy being a prominent booster of his football program supposed to be what makes that endorsement credible? And with CPOA telegraphing weeks ahead of Murphy announcing his run that they would endorse a challenger to Buffaloe, it seems fair to question if their endorsement has some level of bias.
Follow the money is a common phrase in politics because it has been a historically reliable method of answering many questions people have. While local politics often is less polarized than the federal level, partisan divides exist, and campaign funding is a domain where it rears its ugly head. That makes me wonder what Blair Murphy thinks of a local PAC bankrolled by wealthy realtors, developers, and construction companies pledging to support him with at least $25,000 in outside spending. The PAC, Citizens for a Better Columbia, last reported incoming donations to the Missouri Ethics Commission in 2016 and has had limited activity since.
Outside of brief mentions of affordable housing on his website, Murphy ignores the needs of a majority of Columbians who rent or are unhoused. Despite Murphy providing vague support for affordability, these large PAC donors have vested interests in raising commercial and housing costs as much as possible. Given this, can we really trust Murphy to stick to paper-thin promises?
His support comes from those in Columbia who already hold significant power and influence and do not need another advocate at City Hall. Meanwhile, many Columbians will struggle to feed their families, keep the lights on, and stay warm and housed this winter. Where are the political lobbies and PACs spending money to support them?
There are considerable issues folks on both sides of the aisle desperately want to address who expect more from elected officials. As someone on the political left, it is not a particularly great situation where right-wing forces have a decent chance to gain influence by bankrolling candidates in elections to undo the progress many have fought hard for.
I wish more diverse and working-class people who align with me could run and have a real chance to win via charter/election reform, including public funding options for candidates. But until we find political will on the City Council and as voters to approve that, we have to work overtime to stay diligent about who is funding whom. I hope voters take this information and think twice before letting Blair’s big donor buddies buy elections to sell out Columbia to the highest bidders.