Fred Wellman
September 13, 2026 · Newsletter
The momentum here is unprecedented
Our campaign here in Missouri has certainly been chaotic the past few weeks, but at the end of it all, we’re running ahead.
And our momentum is only gaining by the day.
There has been a near constant stream of breaking news I’ve been catching up on while sipping my morning coffee, from court rulings about which map I’m running in, to major polling news that shows how this race is shaping up. I’ve condensed all the main points here for you today so you can understand the fight that I’m currently up against as we head into the final few weeks of this election season.
In short, I’m spending every single moment making our case to voters across Missouri’s Second District that Ann Wagner’s time in office is running short. And she knows it, too.
ANN WAGNER IS FAILING TO SMEAR MY RECORD.
She just released a desperate ad accusing me of being a far-left radical — the most generic, bottom-of-the-barrel lines that every MAGA candidate has tried to paint their opponents with. It’s a clear sign to me that she has nothing against us and is throwing everything plus the kitchen sink to see what could slow our campaign down.
So far, nothing seems to be working.
That includes her attempt to gerrymander this district to give herself a major advantage. For the second time, the United States Supreme Court has thrown out Missouri’s Republicans’ brutal map which would’ve carved out this district to be R+11. They knew Republicans were playing last-minute political games to sow uncertainty into this election, going against the wishes of 300,000 Missourians who demanded a say in these maps from the start. This is their victory and a victory for the rule of law.
Ann Wagner has no choice but to defend her record and seriously make the case to voters why she should be given another chance in office.
Voters aren’t buying it.
THE EXPERTS ARE FINALLY WAKING UP
The Cook Political Report has officially changed their rating of this race in our direction. This is huge.
We’re now back to the old maps used in 2024, where Trump won this district by only 8 points. In a midterm election season where Democrats lead Republicans by 8 points on the generic ballot, this easily puts this district in play.
The latest poll shows us behind Ann Wagner by only 3 points — 44 to 41. That’s within the margin of error and when they hear my bio it switches completely to me winning 48% to 41%.
There has never been a better opportunity to flip this seat blue than there is today. So here’s what we have to do in order to seize the opportunity.
A ‘MAJOR INFUSION’ IN FUNDRAISING NEEDED TO WIN
Two things that every pollster, pundit, and commentator have to say about this race are:
Ann Wagner is a uniquely vulnerable and unpopular Republican who is facing her strongest challenger in her entire 13-year career in office.
I need a major boost in fundraising to win.
Ann Wagner has over $4 million in the bank and will be receiving a major boost from Trump’s personal MAGA Inc. super PAC. There’s no other way to put this other than that this campaign will face a serious cash disadvantage if we don’t see a surge in fundraising soon.
And we have raised a lot of money already — over $1.5 million. In any other race, we’d have enough to win. But Ann Wagner’s multimillion-dollar war chest is a challenge unique to our race, and we need to close the gap ASAP if we want to finally flip this seat.
I have faith that we can pull through and make up the difference in just the next few weeks because we have already done the unthinkable and won this primary backed by a people-powered movement.
Over the course of my primary, I didn’t take a single dollar from a corporate PAC or shake hands with a billionaire. Unlike Ann and the rest of the Republican Doormat Congress, I didn’t take any favors to usurp the will of the people I’d represent. From Washington to the state legislature, corrupt Republicans have shown they’d rather serve the needs of those at the top than those struggling to make ends meet. I’m here to break that cycle and run a 100% grassroots-funded campaign.
I promise not to make a habit of asking for money. But with how much ground we have to cover in just over 50 days, I have no choice but to reach out for help. I hope you’ll understand and contribute whatever you can, if you can, before November.
Let’s fight. Let’s win. Let’s get to work.
Thank you,
Fred Wellman
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