Callaway County Democrats have a rally scheduled Sept. 16 at the Meadow Lake Acres Country Club with U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill as the featured speaker.
The Sunday night rally will include Gov. Jay Nixon and all other Democratic candidates for state and county offices in Callaway County.
Mike Backer, chairman of the Callaway County Democratic Central Committee, said the rally is designed to pump up enthusiasm for Democratic candidates.
"We hope to have up to 350 people there to hear some good speeches and get fired up for the November general election. We have this Callaway County event every two years. The greatest interest is in presidential election years. There also are plenty of contests in the off-year elections," Backer said.
Two years ago the keynote speaker was Susan Montee, the Democratic candidate for state auditor.
Montee lost her bid for auditor to Republican Tom Schweich. After losing the election, Montee was named chairman of the Democratic Party in Missouri. She then ran for lieutenant governor in the August primary election this year and won the Democratic primary nomination.
Montee will make a return visit two years later on Sept. 16 to the Callaway County Democratic Party rally in New Bloomfield.
Backer said Montee will have an opportunity to speak at the event along with Gov. Nixon, who will introduce Sen. McCaskill.
"Two years ago," Backer said, "the Democratic Party had some tough losses. It wasn't just in Callaway County. It seemed like the voters were in a mood across the whole country to reject anyone in office, regardless of their qualifications."