The Republican primary for a local state Senate seat already is turning into a contentious race, more than a year before the 2010 election.

A St. Joseph doctor and an Iraq war veteran from Platte City are actively fundraising and campaigning for the spot.

Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, a St. Joseph Republican, vacates the 34th Senatorial District seat at the end of 2010 and he is “extremely interested” in his replacement — so much so that he has endorsed Rep. Jason Brown of Platte City.

The slight over Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf perhaps underlines the long-standing differences between the senator, Heartland Health’s chief marketing/communications officer, and the hometown politician, who has tried to reform hospital competition rules.

“This race is more than Buchanan County,” Mr. Shields said. “He is far from a single-issue candidate.”

The 34th Senatorial District covers both Buchanan and Platte counties.

Mr. Shields said he based his endorsement of the “decorated war hero” on his involvement in a wide range of issues, including public education and local government.

Mr. Brown was wounded nearly three years ago in Iraq while on his second tour of duty with the U.S. Army Reserves and became active in national politics when he chaired Veterans for McCain during the 2008 presidential election. He also leads a House local government committee.

Mr. Shields and other supporters, including Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah, are banking on Mr. Brown’s ability to win in the general election.

St. Joseph Democratic Reps. Ed Wildberger and Martin Rucker, along with Rep. Jason Grill, D-Platte City, all are mulling bids for the seat as well.

“If the Senate seat is going to be held by a Republican, I think Jason Brown can get that done,” Mr. Shields said, crediting him for his service in the military and involvement in public education and local government issues.

But Dr. Schaaf said he sees many similarities between this campaign and his successful re-election run for the House in 2008 against St. Joseph Democrat Mark Sheehan, who received heavy support from the Missouri Hospital Association and Heartland employees, including Chief Executive Officer Lowell Kruse.

“I’m assuming this will be a repeat of last year’s effort by Heartland to keep me from being elected,” Dr. Schaaf said, referring to the backlash from his role in the demise of a Republican proposal to expand state health care eligibility.

“I just hope that this campaign is simply based on the issues and it doesn’t become the effort of one special interest like last time,” Dr. Schaaf said.

The Hospital Association openly fought to unseat Dr. Schaaf last year to prevent his eventual bid for the Senate.

“If he is successful in 2008, Schaaf will be in a strong position to secure a Senate seat in 2010, a position that would provide him with even greater ability to pursue policies that are unacceptable to the hospital community,” President Marc Smith wrote in an August letter.

Dr. Schaaf chairs a House health care transformation committee, and in 2007 helped craft MO HealthNet, a Medicaid system for offering health care to low-income Missourians, the disabled and elderly. He helped stall former Gov. Matt Blunt’s Insure Missouri plan to increase eligibility because it didn’t include changes to hospital application rules, and he adamantly opposed a plan from Senate Republicans this year that partnered with the Hospital Association to decrease the number of uninsured Missourians.

Association spokesman Dave Dillon this week said the group hasn’t endorsed Mr. Brown, but “it’s almost unimaginable” that the group would support Dr. Schaaf in the primary.

Dr. Schaaf, however, pointed to a strong Heartland presence at a fundraiser Mr. Brown conducted last week at a St. Joseph residence. About 75 people attended.

Dirck Clark, Heartland’s chief of business development; Dr. Juan Dominguez, a Heartland physician; and Mr. Shields all were listed as the event’s hospitality committee members.

“It is a Heartland effort toward Schaaf,” insisted longtime Buchanan County Republican Ken Beck.

The primary already is causing a rift between area Republicans, he explained.

“It puts a strain on the Republican party in both counties, because Rep. Schaaf and Rep. Brown have followings in both counties and I think they’re both fairly decent, qualified candidates,” Mr. Beck said. “From that standpoint, it will make it difficult for Republicans to make a choice.”

Mr. Brown declined to discuss the race this week, contending that he didn’t want to “politicize the Fourth of July weekend.”

But he did offer a response to his opponent’s comments.

“Dr. Schaaf will try to frame this election about him and what everyone is conspiring against him, and that’s fine,” Mr. Brown said. “It will come down to who is the better candidate.”

He said he would discuss the race in more detail next week with the media.

As far as finances, Dr. Schaaf was faring better in April, the most recent reporting deadline for financial disclosures with the Missouri Ethics Commission, but the most recent round of campaign contributions go public in mid-July.

Dr. Schaaf on April 13 reported $20,526 in cash on hand, while Mr. Brown showed $6,309.

Alyson E. Raletz can be reached

at alysonraletz@npgco.com.