JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Cole County judge will decide whether the Missouri Republican Party can block a candidate with alleged ties to the Ku Klux Klan from running for governor as a Republican.

Circuit Court Judge Cotton Walker held a one-day trial in Jefferson City on Thursday over a lawsuit from the state party seeking to remove the candidate, Darrell Leon McClanahan III, from the August ballot.

McClanahan, who resides in Milo, a small village in southwestern Vernon County, filed to run for governor as a Republican and paid his $500 filing fee in February. The state party has since disavowed McClanahan after a photo resurfaced online of him saluting in front of a burning cross next to a person who was wearing what appeared to be a hooded Ku Klux Klan robe.

The lawsuit names as defendants both McClanahan and Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who is also running for governor. Walker did not immediately rule on the lawsuit on Thursday.

“The only reason…the party seeks to have him not on the ballot is his avowed membership and endorsement of Ku Klux Klan principles,” Lowell Pearson, an attorney for the party, said on Thursday.

The Missouri GOP argues in its lawsuit it has chosen to disassociate with McClanahan due to his “racism and antisemitism.” That decision, the party argues, is protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Pearson also argued, relying on testimony from Miles Ross, the party’s executive director, that it would be “factually impossible” for the party to vet every single candidate before it accepts their filing fee.

David Roland, an attorney for McClanahan, on Thursday criticized the lawsuit as “political theater.” He argued that the party had opportunities to reject McClanahan’s filing fee but chose not to do so.

“They’ve chosen twice to associate with Mr. McClanahan. And the issue here today is No. 1, they regret that decision. And No. 2, they wish to make a political statement,” Roland said. “This is simply an effort to wave the flag and say, ‘we don’t want to be associated with people that we believe are anti-semites or racists.’”

Thursday’s trial comes just weeks before the final certification date for the August election on May 28. Unless Walker intervenes, McClanahan’s name would appear at the top of the ballot in the Republican primary for governor, according to the unofficial candidate filing list on the Missouri Secretary of State Office’s website.

The lawsuit from the state party includes examples of McClanahan’s racist past, including the photo of him saluting next to the burning cross, a social media post that includes a racial slur, social media posts “using Nazi imagery” and social media post that uses the phrase “White Power.”

But while the lawsuit argues the party did not know about McClanahan’s past, this is not the first time McClanahan has run for elected office as a Republican in Missouri.

The Anti-Defamation League in 2022 wrote about the photo of McClanahan in front of the burning cross after he ran an unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate.

McClanahan, in response last year, filed a more than $5 million defamation suit against the organization demanding that the article be removed. In court filings, McClanahan described himself as a “Pro-White man” who is “dedicated to traditional Christian values.”

He said in the lawsuit that he has never been a member of the KKK, but was instead provided an “Honorary 1-year membership” by a Missouri coordinator. McClanahan told The Star in a text message in March that he received an honorary 1-year membership to the League of the South — which the ADL condemns as a white supremacist group.

A federal magistrate judge tossed the lawsuit last year, finding that McClanahan did not sufficiently allege a claim against the organization.

“The Complaint itself reflects that Plaintiff holds the views ascribed to him by the ADL article, that is the characterization of his social media presence and views as antisemitic, white supremacist, anti-government, and bigoted,” the judge wrote in the order.

The push to remove McClanahan from the ballot comes as Missouri Republicans look to hold onto control of the governor’s office after Gov. Mike Parson terms out of office. The major Republican candidates include Ashcroft, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, and Sen. Bill Eigel from Weldon Spring.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade and businessman Mike Hamra are the two major Democratic candidates for governor.

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?Among the allocations is $500,000 for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s Lansdale 5th Street Grade Crossing Improvements Project.

A,momng the largest grant awards are $3.8 million for the La Mott Community Center Restoration Rehabilitation Project in Cheltenham Township and $1.28 million for Montgomery County Housing Authority  Affordable Housing Preservation Initiative Project.

Dean noted the eight-figure sum obtained through community project funding as part of the fiscal year 2024 spending bills aims to address a myriad of issues, including affordable housing, community centers, infrastructure upgrades, and PFAS mitigation.

“Our budget reflects our values — so it is especially meaningful when we can secure federal investments that directly improve our communities and the resources we can offer,” Dean said in a March 13 statement. “I’m always inspired by the organizations in our district who are on the ground, meeting the needs of our neighbors with innovation and compassion. They are deeply deserving of this federal funding, and I look forward to our continued partnerships.”

The following projects were named as recipients of federal grants:

• $3,828,500 for Cheltenham Township’s La Mott Community Center Restoration Rehabilitation Project

• $1,287,779 for the Montgomery County Housing Authority’s Affordable Housing Preservation Initiative Project

• $1 million for Habitat for Humanity MDC – Pottstown Dairy Redevelopment

• $1 million for Ursinus College for the 400 Block of Main Street Revitalization Project

• $959,752 for Borough of Ambler’s Wells 2, 6, 7 PFAS Treatment Project

• $850,000 for Upper Moreland Township’s Willow Grove Interchange Improvement Project

• $850,000 for Mission Kids – State-of-the-Art Child Advocacy Center of Montgomery County and Regional Training Center Project

• $500,000 for Share Food Program’s Montgomery County Warehouse Construction Project

• $500,000 for Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s Lansdale 5th Street Grade Crossing Improvements Project

• $500,000 for YWCA Tri-County Area’s Multipurpose Community Center at the Pottstown Integrated Wellness Complex Project

• $344,561 for East Greenville Borough’s Waterworks Dam Dredging Project

• $147,488 for North Hills Community Association’s Limekiln Pike and Mount Carmel Avenue Lighting Renewal

• $93,000 for Abington Township Police Department’s Technology Improvement Plan Project

• $75,000 for Crestmont Community Outreach and First Baptist Church of Crestmont to raze a blighted building

Biden was dressed casually in a sweater and was in high spirits as he rallied an audience of Democratic stalwarts.

The first couple was introduced by small business owner Chichi Ilonzo Momah, owner of Springfield Pharmacy.

“I am passionate for advocating for the best care for the patients of Delaware County. We are Delco strong,” she said. “I was inspired by the American dream.”

Momah said heath care advocates have an ally in Joe Biden.

After Momah introduced the first lady, both she and the president came out to wild applause.

Jill Biden advocated for her husband before tearing into former president and presumed Republican nominee Donald Trump.

She criticized Trump for his belittling of the late U.S. Sen. John McCain and other veterans in the past.

President Biden then spoke, reviewing many of the points from Thursday’s State of the Union.

“Folks, your freedoms are really on the ballot this November. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans are trying to take away our freedoms. That is not an exaggeration,” Biden said. “But guess what, we will not let him.”

Biden blamed Trump for the recent controversies involving in vitro fertilization and the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“He bragged about it repeatedly … He got his wish and states are passing bans, criminalizing doctors, forcing rape and incest victims to leave the state to get care,” said Biden.

Biden touted his efforts on heath care, including Medicare lowering the cost of insulin.

Supporters cheered “Four more years,” as Biden spoke and called for capping the cost of insulin for all Americans.

Biden said he was again running for president for three reasons: To restore the soul of America, to rebuild the middle class and to unite the country.

“They are still my goals. They are still my goals,” Biden said.

Faithful wait for the prez

Folks began lining up for the event about 1:30 p.m. as they made their way through credential and security lines.

Jason Kutz of Bethel said he was coming no matter what.

“(After) Last night, I’m kind of ready to run through a brick wall for President Biden,” Kutz said. “I’m really excited to hear what he has to say.”

Also in attendance was Michelle Slaven of Wallingford, a teacher at Ardmore Avenue Elementary School in Lansdowne, who said she was able to get a ticket through her union.

“I thought the State of the Union was great, really builds up our energy and we’re moving forward from here,” she said.

Asked what could help Biden in the polls, Slaven said the president needs to keep the energy up and focus on the issues.

“I think it would be good to go places where people are a little undecided and invite people who are on the fence,” she said. “He’s got my vote. He may not have other so focus on them.”

One group that didn’t support Biden was along Providence Road in front of the middle school protesting the war in Gaza.

“Genocide Joe has got to go,” they chanted along with other calls in support of the Palestinians.

A truck drove up the road with a Trump 2024 flag flying while another flag could be seen in the front drive of this liberal community.

Dem politicos there, too

Flying in with Biden on Air Force One was Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon.

“We are excited to welcome President Biden back to Delco after the success of last night’s State of the Union speech,” Scanlon said. “The Biden Administration’s historic investments in our community are fixing roads and bridges, creating record numbers of good American jobs, and lowering costs for all Pennsylvanians. Delco elects presidents, and we’re looking forward to working together to send President Biden back to the White House in November.”

State Sen. John Kane said the visit is a win for Delaware County.

“It’s nice to go from DC to Delco, I love it,” Kane said.

Asked why many blue collar voters don’t support the president personally, despite the heavy union support, he referred to Biden’s State of the Union speech.

“He mentioned Wall Street didn’t build this country, blue collar people did and Delco is a blue collar county,” he said. “He’s not going to get all the endorsements but he will get most, I can assure you that.”

One group that would have liked to be inside but didn’t get tickets were four Strath Haven High School seniors who were talking to police officers.

Andrew Deppen, Samuel Fritz, Zane Malarkey and William Hall were waiting to see the president go by.

“I was disappointed they couldn’t get more students in there,” said Fritz.

“It’s really super cool. I can’t believe that there are all these Secret Service and trucks here, so it’s pretty crazy,” Malarkey added.

Nether Providence police and officers from across the county had their hands full dealing with traffic and all the excitement.

Nether Prov Police Chief David Splain was working with the Secret Service as they monitored protesters.

Asked how things are going he said, ”You have to talk to the Secret Service.”

After World War II, the threat of the USSR expanding into a war-weakened Europe was so significant that Dwight Eisenhower spent two years trying to bolster support in Europe for the new North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Eisenhower — a Republican who later went on to be one of our greatest presidents — served as NATO’s first Supreme Allied Commander.

Later, President Ronald Reagan relied on NATO to help consign Marxism-Leninism to the ash-heap of history. When I think of the lengths to which Reagan went to dismantle the Soviet Union, the sky was the limit. No peacetime president before him increased the deficit more. Even while Reagan was slashing social programs, he was ratcheting up defense spending in a very conspicuous arms race with the sole objective of bankrupting the Soviets, and NATO was Reagan’s favorite collaborator.

George W. Bush partnered with our NATO allies when they invoked NATO’s Article 5 (which says that an attack on one member will be considered an attack on all members). NATO sent their own troops and equipment to fight alongside us in Afghanistan after the September 11th attacks.

Being a leader in NATO and taking a hard line against Russian imperialism were a cornerstone of what the GOP stood for not too long ago.

Flash forward to January 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin massed over 125,000 military personnel along the Ukrainian border. Putin — clever man that he is — said that these troops and the ships he was sending into the Black Sea were just part of an exercise.

When President Biden began publicly warning of a Russian invasion, the reaction across the political spectrum was the equivalent of raising a single eyebrow: Scare quotes were used. Biden’s grasp on world affairs was questioned. His mental acuity was scrutinized (some things never change). Political cartoons were inked. If I am being honest, even I was skeptical. How could Putin hope to pull this off? It’s 2022, not 1939. You can’t just invade another country.

Then Putin ordered his illegal invasion without even bothering to propose a flimsy premise.

Unsurprisingly, Biden did not waste any time saying, “I told you so,” instead he quietly used his energies to unite European nations in rallying to Ukraine’s aid. We probably did too little.

When I was in high school, a different authoritarian massed troops at his neighbor’s border and then rolled in. The country being invaded requested assistance from the UN, and the US led the prosecution of one of the most lopsided wars in history. Forty-three days later, Desert Storm was over, and the world’s fourth largest military was reduced to a far-flung collection of shattered fragments slowly eroding in the desert.

It is 100% clear to me that Ukraine has deserved our aid at least as much as Kuwait did. It is also clear to me that as the war drags on, our national support for it will only continue to dwindle. Putin believes we are weak, that we lack resolve, and he is counting on our fatigue. I am shocked so many Americans are willing to oblige him.

Meanwhile, we are experiencing whiplash as the heirs to Reagan’s party flipflop. First, it’s full-throated support of defending Ukraine against Reagan’s old adversary. Then it’s only supporting Ukraine if we also take drastic measures to address the US/Mexico border. Next, on the eve of achieving that, they pull the plug on a deal that they chiefly authored. Doubling back, they insisted that a bill providing aid to Ukraine be presented on the floor in a manner that gave them the right to try to add additional measures that do include US/Mexico border policies.

What a roller-coaster.

I know I am not alone on either side of the political divide in suggesting that if we believe that Russia’s illegal invasion of its neighbor is something we should address, if preserving our role as a global leader is important to not only our identity but our own preservation, then we should address the invasion in a straight-forward and decisive manner.

But former president (and third-time-but-still-no-charm candidate) Donald Trump is suggesting not only that NATO is dispensable but that Russia can take whatever countries it wants. What’s worse, Trump seems to have convinced a surprisingly large portion of GOP leaders in Washington that dereliction is somehow the better part of valor.

Will Wood is a small business owner, veteran, and half-decent runner. He lives, works, and writes in West Chester.

Winder, the first African-American woman elected to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, took a moment during Wednesday’s county commissioners’ meeting to share her experience visiting the White House.

Winder was one of nine Black elected officials invited to participate in a roundtable discussion on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., that focused on “the issues that are plaguing the Black community across this country.”

“We talked about issues of gun violence, we talked about affordable housing and (the) homeless crisis, and ways in which we as Montgomery County can optimize some of the reforms and funding that are coming out of the federal government,” Winder said. “Not just for our Black citizens, but for all residents.”

Winder also wanted to “acknowledge other first Black leaders in the county.”

Along with former Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairman Ken Lawrence Jr., who in 2017, was the first African-American person to serve as county commissioner in Montgomery County, Winder spotlighted Coroner Dr. Janine Darby and Register of Wills Tina Lawson. Both are the first Black women elected to their respective positions in Montgomery County.

“We’ve come a long way over the last 40 years since I’ve been a resident of Montgomery County, and the beauty of Montgomery County is our diversity. So let’s take this moment to acknowledge the contributions that our Black friends and neighbors have made for generations to this great county, and this great country … let’s celebrate Black history not just in February, but every month throughout the course of the year,” Winder said.

Montgomery County’s Black History Month programming has events scheduled each Wednesday in February. Visit montgomerycountypa.gov/blackhistorymonth for more information.