Rep. Billy Long to hold Mar-a-Lago fundraiser

On Apr 18, 2021

Springfield’s congressman is about to get a little more clarity on what he’ll be doing next year.

Rep. Billy Long, a Republican, threw his name in the ring as one of several potential replacements for retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt last month, but he’s yet to make any big moves.

Now, though, his campaign is getting ready for an April 28 fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s club in Palm Beach, Florida, where tickets are starting at $2,900 per person.

In remarks at Taney County Lincoln Day Saturday, Long said he’s making the appearance at the GOP icon’s request. He also made sure to emphasize that he supported Trump long before many others in the party.

U.S. Rep. Billy Long, R-Springfield, is introduced to speak at the Taney County Lincoln Day event on Saturday, April 17, 2021 at the Chateau on the Lake in Branson.

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As evidence of his loyalty, he told the audience he once traveled to Nevada for an event in 2016 when Republicans in that state were refusing to be seen with Trump.

“Trump knows me, I know Trump, and he knows I was with him from Day 1,” Long said.

If such loyalty ultimately draws a coveted endorsement, it could reshape a GOP primary currently dominated by former Gov. Eric Greitens and state Attorney General Eric Schmitt.

Trump carried Missouri by more than 15 percentage points last year, and recent polling suggests that more GOP primary voters embrace the “Trump Republican” label than any other descriptor.

Long was careful to manage expectations, telling the crowd that his support for the president “doesn’t mean anything will come out” of the fundraiser.

“But,” Long said, “at least I’ll have a few minutes to remind him of all the times we worked together over the years and all the times on Air Force One and all the times I helped him and … supported him every step of the way.”

Long isn’t the only one making the pilgrimage to Palm Beach this month.

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, a Republican representing southeast Missouri, has a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser set for April 30 and a similar record of loyalty.

Commentators have pointed out that Smith was one of very few to show up and spin for Trump at a presidential debate in 2016 after news broke that Trump had once said he could grab women by the genitals because he was famous.

(Long, for his part, condemned Trump’s comments about women but praised his performance at the debate and continued to support him even as heavyweights like House Speaker Paul Ryan disavowed the candidate.)

The invitation to Smith’s event says he’ll be joined by an expansive host committee with Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and a slew of notable Trump allies, including South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado.

In addition to Smith and Long, other prospective candidates include U.S. Reps. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, and Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville.

St. Louis businessman John Brunner, who finished second to Greitens in the 2016 GOP primary for governor, has also teased a run on social media, and Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz has said he’s interested, too.

Three Democrats have also declared for the seat: former state Sen. Scott Sifton of Affton; Lucas Kunce, a Marine veteran from Independence, and Tim Shepard, an LGBTQ rights activist from Kansas City.