Less than a week away from Election Day, Missouri Secretary of State and candidate for U.S. Senate Jason Kander is still campaigning hard.
"When this campaign first started, my son wasn't talking," Kander said. "Now my son's telling me about Halloween."
Kander came to Bek's in Fulton on Wednesday. He spoke with local supporters and encouraged them to persuade others to vote.
"There are two kinds of undecided voters," Kander said. "The first kind are the ones who haven't decided between (Sen. Roy) Blunt and I. The other kind are the folks who are already with us but are unsure if they'll participate in the process."
He pointed to the frustration people have felt over the course of the bitter election season.
"After the last debate, I felt like we as a country needed to get together, order pizza and watch Rocky movies," he quipped.
His opponent, Blunt, R-Missouri, has been praised as a cooperative, bipartisan member of Senate by Gov. Jay Nixon and others, but Kander thinks Blunt's bipartisanship is only surface-level.
"Sen. Blunt has said bipartisanship is overrated," Kander said during an interview after his speech.
He said Blunt's voting record is even further to the right of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
Kander believes his background in the armed services - he served as a captain in the Army - will serve him well in the Senate.
"In the Army, you have people from different backgrounds who put their differences aside for the mission," he said.
Kander plans to get involved in the agriculture, armed services, small business and veterans committees if he is elected.
He was critical of how his opponent has spent his time in recent years, saying Blunt joined the committee whose main duties are managing the Senate cafeteria and assigning desks.
"It's about making sure you put in the time and put Missouri first," Kander said.
Kander has been critical of Blunt's ties to lobbying groups.
"My criticism is what happens after the lobbying - he does whatever they want him to do," Kander said.
A recent article in the Capitol Hill newspaper "Roll Call" revealed one of Kander's fundraisers was hosted by the Podesta Group, a wealth lobbying group. However, Kander said it's more important the vast majority of his donors are individuals making small donations.
"Ninety-four percent of folks giving to my campaign have been giving $100 or less," Kander said, citing a Federal Election Commission report.
The event attendees were primarily decided voters, though a couple came with questions.
Judy McKinnon, of Fulton, wanted to know Kander's stance on conservation-related issues. "I believe we need to take care of the earth God gave us," she said. "We need natural areas to preserve genetic diversity, and we need farmlands set aside to grow food for people."
Ed Lockwood, Democratic candidate for District 43 for the Missouri House of Representatives, was also present.
"He's kind of a fresh face, new ideas," Lockwood said.
He believes the Senate race is the most important in Missouri because it contributes to the Democratic party's goal of flipping the Senate majority.