(WATCH) Chelsea joined This Week in Missouri Politics on August 3, 2025 to talk redistricting.
On Air
(WATCH) Chelsea joined This Week in Missouri Politics on July 13, 2025 to talk Republican budget priorities and the Big Beautiful Bill.
Missouri Democrats Prepare for 2026
“As they make their plans, Chelsea Rodriguez, Communications Director for the Missouri Democratic Party told KSMU her party is hoping to chip away at the Republican supermajority in state government.
Rodriguez said they're currently prioritizing candidate recruitment with the goal of getting a Democrat in every race and on every ballot in the state. She said when it comes to individual races, they are focusing on districts they see as vulnerable, in particular, districts that voted in favor of recent progressive ballot items, like Prop A and Amendment 3, while also electing republicans to the Missouri General Assembly and national government.
Rodriguez said, ‘we haven’t done a very good job of making sure voters know that if you vote for proposition a, if you vote for earned sick leave, if you vote to protect abortion rights, the Republican party is going to openly plan to undermine it and not listen to it.’
Rodriguez said she hopes getting candidates on every ballot, focusing on their messaging and competing in potentially vulnerable Republican districts will also help lift Democrat candidates in other statewide and federal elections.”
Chelsea co-hosted Wake Up Missouri with Stephanie Bell and Scott Faughn and had the opportunity to ask State Sen Nick Schroer about the capital gains tax repeal.
In Print
Harrison Butker’s PAC Is Low On Cash. But So Far, None Has Gone To Candidates
“But the PAC, so far, does not appear to have benefitted candidates either directly or indirectly. The spending drew sharp criticism from the spokesperson for the Missouri Democratic Party, who called the PAC ‘the latest of many grift operations to pop up that have been plaguing politics on both sides of the aisle in recent election cycles.’ ‘These groups are unaccountable to transparency, overpromise, underdeliver, and leave working campaigns scrambling for resources,’ said spokesperson Chelsea Rodriguez. […]
For Rodriguez, with the state Democratic Party, PACs similar to Butker’s have become a trend in politics since the 2010 landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision called Citizen’s United that effectively allows unlimited political spending by corporations. ‘Butker’s PAC is no different, another vanity project using political outrage and conservative values as a branding tool to build his own profile,’ she said.”
Representative Betsy Fogle Announces She'll Run For Missouri Senate
“‘The Missouri Democratic Party is unbelievably excited to have Representative Betsy Fogle, currently Captain Springfield, as a strong, unifying candidate in the race for Senate District 30. We have watched Representative Fogle work hard to make her passion for Springfield becoming the best place to live while serving in the State House and know she will continue to do so in the State Senate,’ said Chelsea Rodriguez, communications director with the Missouri Democratic Party.
‘Senate District 30 is the first opportunity for Missouri Democrats to hold a state senate seat in Southern Missouri in a generation, and we are prepared to work endlessly to make sure voters in the 30th district understand what is at stake.’"
‘Whites-Only’ Community Seeks Missouri Expansion
“Missouri Democrats are pushing back on the effort. Chelsea Rodriguez, communications director for the state Democratic Party, called RTTL a ‘hate group’ and said it won’t be welcome.
‘Missouri families are fed up with the fringe extremism Missouri Republicans keep inviting into their communities. If this hate group tries to relocate to Springfield, they shouldn’t expect to be embraced,’ Rodriguez said in a statement.
‘Missouri Democrats have a clear message for any hate group eyeing our state: This is our home. We were raised here, and we share the same respect for the Constitution and Second Amendment as our neighbors. Your hate has no place in our home,’ she continued.”
After Scathing Report, Missouri Governor Fills Vacancies On Ethics Watchdog
“Chelsea Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the Missouri Democratic Party, said in a statement that while the party was pleased with the appointments, ‘the job isn’t done.’ ‘With hundreds of millions flowing into Missouri elections, Missourians deserve a commission that will enforce the law, not just fill a quorum,’ Rodriguez said. Representatives from the Missouri Republican Party did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”
Missouri-Based Trump Lawyer Says Guilty Verdict Could Trigger Political Warfare Across The Country
“‘We’re in just truly dangerous times for our constitutional republic, perhaps the most dangerous time that we’ve ever faced for those of us who care about the constitution, who care about the rule of law, and who care about the American experiment surviving,’ Scharf said. ‘It’s just astounding what the Left has been willing to do in this insane plot to get President Trump.’
The Missouri Democratic Party disagrees. Communications Director Chelsea Rodriguez said Democrats have faith in the justice system and trust that the jury in President Trump’s trial was fully vetted by each legal team and did not take their task lightly.”