ST. LOUIS – FOX 2’s Hancock and Kelley political team offered “pre” and “post” debate analysis as part of our in-depth coverage of Debate Night in Missouri, the Race for U.S. Senate.

Republican consultant, John Hancock, on the right, and Democrat consultant, Michael Kelley, on the left, thought the exclusive, the campaign’s only televised, one-on-one debate, carried exclusively statewide by Nexstar Media, got off to a “testy” start for incumbent Republican Senator, Josh Hawley, and Democrat challenger, Lucas Kunce.

Hancock thought Hawley scored on economic issues and Kunce’s refusal to say he supports his party’s nominee for President, Kamala Harris.

Kelley thought Kunce was effective flipping Hawley’s attack on a gun range incident last week where a news reporter suffered a minor graze wound to his arm as Kunce fired a rifle at a target. Kunce turned the tables by focusing on Hawley actions before and during the deadly January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Hancock and Kelley agreed that voters were well-served by a substantive debate on key issues and also that neither candidate had a game-changing moment in the race that will be decided just five days from the debate, Election Day, November 5, 2024.