Respect MO Voters: The Big Money Machine Behind Missouri’s “Grassroots” Image
Respect MO Voters claims to be a simple “grassroots, cross partisan” effort to keep politicians from overturning the “will” of the people. Its website (RespectMOVoters.org) declares that lawmakers should be “banned from attacking voters,” promising to protect democracy itself. But behind the soft language and heart warming slogans lies a sophisticated, well funded operation designed to lock in progressive policies on abortion and Leftist gender ideology so deeply into Missouri’s constitution that future conservative legislatures cannot touch them.
The 80 Percent Trap
According to the Associated Press, the group’s amendment would keep statewide simple majority passage for citizen initiatives, forbid lawmakers from tightening petition rules, and require an 80 percent supermajority of legislators to change any voter passed law.
In practice, once a progressive initiative wins even by a slim margin, Jefferson City could never revise it without near unanimous consent. The proposal surfaced only after the legislature repealed a paid sick leave law and passed HJR 73 in attempt to undo the disastrous abortion-on-demand Constitutional amendment (Amendment 3), both victories for the Far Left gained through dishonest ad campaigns.
Built by and for the Progressive Network
Reporting from the Missouri Independent shows the campaign sprang up in direct reaction to those repeals, what one strategist called “kicking a hornet’s nest.” Respect MO Voters presents itself as a citizens’ uprising, but its leadership and infrastructure come straight out of Missouri’s progressive establishment.
It is housed inside Show Me Integrity, the St. Louis based reform nonprofit that championed Clean Missouri, ranked choice voting, and other radically Left ballot measures.
It belongs to the Respect Voters Coalition, a national network coordinating similar fights in multiple states.
While many campaigns of this type use ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s national fundraising platform, Respect MO Voters currently collects contributions through Qgiv, another platform widely used by Leftist advocacy groups. Their live donor portal can be found here: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/respectmissourivotersp2p
These connections show that Respect MO Voters is not a local civics club. It is Missouri’s franchise of a national progressive campaign that rebrands itself as “nonpartisan reform.”
The Money Machine Behind “Voter Led” Initiatives
Respect MO Voters already boasts roughly $350,000 raised before petitions even hit the street (Missouri Independent). Former U.S. Sen. John Danforth, long estranged from conservatives, contributed $10,000, giving the operation a veneer of bipartisanship. The rest comes largely from national donors funneled through ActBlue and allied “pro democracy” funds.
This mirrors a broader pattern. In state after state, “voter led” measures pass not because average citizens suddenly write six figure checks, but because massive national funding apparatuses pour in cash to hire professional signature gatherers, produce slick television spots, and carpet bomb social media with poll tested, neutral sounding ads that hide the real policy consequences. The Fairness Project, Sixteen Thirty Fund, Planned Parenthood, and other national players have perfected this model, spending tens of millions to sway public opinion under the guise of local activism. Respect MO Voters follows that blueprint to the letter: out of state money, professional messaging, and a friendly press corps echoing its slogans about “respecting voters.”
The Radical Coalition Behind Respect MO Voters
If you want to know what Respect MO Voters really stands for, just look at who is standing with them. Their so-called “coalition” is a who’s who of progressive activism in Missouri. These groups that have spent years pushing abortion on demand, the trans agenda, racial division through DEI programs, and government control of every aspect of life.
Look at who is backing them (KRMS News coverage)
Missouri NOW is the state arm of the National Organization for Women, one of the nation’s loudest pro-abortion and gender-ideology groups. Their platform proudly champions abortion at every stage of pregnancy and the normalization of transgender policies in schools and public life.
Missouri NAACP has abandoned its historic mission of equal rights and now spends most of its political capital promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion mandates that divide communities and silence conservatives.
Metropolitan Congregations United is part of the radical Gamaliel Network, a nationwide web of “faith-based” organizations that twist religious language to justify left-wing social activism. Their focus is not on the gospel or the family but on open borders, climate alarmism, and state-driven “equity” programs.
SLACO, the St. Louis Association of Community Organizations, is another activist machine operating under the guise of neighborhood empowerment. Its efforts routinely center on big-government solutions like forced wage hikes, rent controls, and housing schemes that harm small businesses and local taxpayers.
Veterans for All Voters and Show Me Integrity pretend to be “bipartisan reformers,” but both are financed by wealthy “good government” donors from the Left, including the Unite America network. Their so-called reforms are thinly disguised attempts to weaken conservative majorities through ranked-choice voting, open primaries, and election rule changes that favor liberal outcomes.
Missing from the list are any conservative, pro life, or parental rights groups. The so called “cross partisan” coalition is entirely made up of organizations that advance Far Left, progressive social policies and their donor lists prove it.
The Sales Pitch Versus the Substance
Respect MO Voters tells the public it merely wants to “protect the will of the people.” But the fine print creates a constitutional moat around progressive ballot victories. Their rhetoric of “majority rule” disguises the fact that the amendment empowers a 20 percent legislative minority to veto any future corrections or clarifications, cementing today’s left wing wins for decades.
Their ads, which have already begun appearing online, never mention abortion or the transgender issue. Instead, they show smiling Missourians signing petitions and warning vaguely about “politicians who do not listen.” It is the same psychological formula used in other states: keep the branding patriotic, keep the details vague, and let the money do the heavy lifting. By the time voters realize what is inside the amendment, the commercials have done their work.
What Is Really at Stake
If this amendment passes in 2026, the legislature would be effectively powerless to adjust any future initiative, no matter how radical or poorly written, without an 80 percent vote and another statewide election. That means abortion on demand, taxpayer funded sex-change operations for children, or abortion-on-demand could be locked into the constitution permanently. It is government by campaign consultants and Hollywood style ad firms, not by accountable representatives.
The Path Forward
MO Protects believes Missourians deserve honesty and transparency. “Voter led” should mean citizens writing and debating honest laws, not national operatives hiding behind nonpartisan logos. As this campaign unfolds, we will continue exposing the funding sources, national coordination, and misleading media tactics driving Respect MO Voters. Missouri’s constitution must never become a shield for the same radical agenda that other states are now fighting to undo.
To stay informed or to help counter their narrative, sign up, volunteer in your county, and support our outreach efforts. Together we can protect Missouri’s families, faith, and future from the Left’s latest attempt to buy our state one slick advertisement at a time.
Key References
Respect MO Voters official site: respectmovoters.org
Associated Press overview of proposed amendment (Oct 2025): link
Missouri Independent “Welcome to Missouri …” (May 26 2025): link
KRMS News coverage of coalition launch (Sept 2025): link
Show Me Integrity projects page: link
Respect Voters Coalition national site: respectvoters.org