Twenty years of Republican control of the legislature has failed Missouri, giving it the most extreme abortion restrictions in the country and a child care system in crisis, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Crystal Quade said in a debate Friday.

Hawley and Kunce went back and forth on issues spanning from abortion rights to energy policy, each accusing the other of lying about their record.

The state Supreme Court last week issued an order keeping the proposed state constitutional amendment – called Amendment 3 – on the Nov. 5 ballot. The judges’ decision came hours before a deadline to finalize the ballot and they didn’t explain their reasoning at the time.

Abortion rights remained on Missouri’s Nov. 5 ballot by the slimmest of margins, according to opinions released Friday by the Missouri Supreme Court.

There are no incumbents in the race to become Missouri's 58th governor. Gov. Mike Parson, who served in the role since June 2018, is not running again. There are four candidates in the race: Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican; state Rep. Crystal Quade, a Democrat; Bill Slantz, a Libertarian; and Paul Lehmann, of the Green Party.

In addition to the presidential election, Missouri voters will pick a governor and vote on several high-interest ballot measures.

After weeks of tussling between the two campaigns, Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley and Democrat Lucas Kunce are finally set to square off in a televised debate less than a week before voters head to the polls.

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley traded jabs with Democratic challenger Lucas Kunce Friday afternoon in a debate hosted by the Missouri Press Association at the organization's annual convention in Springfield.

Four candidates for U.S. Senate debated Friday, Sept 20, 2024, in Springfield, Mo. From left to right: Green Party candidate Nathan Kline, Democrat Lucas Kunce, Better Party candidate Jared Young, and Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley. The debate was sponsored by the Missouri Press Association.

“Any person who knowingly performs or induces an abortion of an unborn child in violation of this subsection shall be guilty of a class B felony, as well as subject to suspension or revocation of his or her professional license,” Missouri’s abortion law reads.

Three Missouri and two Kansas members of Congress serving constituents in the greater Kansas City area forwarded a joint letter Tuesday to the U.S. Postal Service demanding action to rectify problems with missing or delayed mail and protracted periods in which no mail was delivered at all.