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Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley takes many unique positions in the GOP: supporting raising the minimum wage, questioning the rise of artificial intelligence, and extending expired Obamacare subsidies.
It turns out his positions are very popular in a conservative state like Missouri, according to The ballot was shared with Semafor.
Chart showing OnMessage poll results of Missouri voters
A healthy majority of 55% of likely voters in Missouri support extending the tax credits for the expired Affordable Care Act, while 63% support raising the minimum wage.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents said AI would likely cost jobs in the United States and support banning chatbots for children, as well as Hawley’s proposal to cut taxes on health care expenses.
69% of participants support faster union contracts.
“These are working-class positions, so they just reflect a slice of their lives. My job is to give a voice to that,” Hawley told Semaphore.
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The conclusion from the poll is clear: Hawley’s position may anger his colleagues in the Republican Party, but they will not harm him at home. He has just been re-elected in 2024, and the poll shows that his approval rate reached 51%, compared to 41% who disapprove.
There’s a similar logic behind the continued popularity of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.: You can be out of step with your national party if you’re in line with your state.
Hawley argues that Congress must begin to implement more of its shared agenda with President Donald Trump, even if that requires an unusual bipartisan alliance. He says he’s not trying to be provocative, just going for what his voters want.
“I’m just representing my state. People here say, ‘Why do you support this?’ Well: I’m reversing my case, I hope. “That’s a good window. Is it a conservative country? Yes, largely. But it’s a working-class country, and that’s why I think you see people taking the positions they do.”