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Filing take aways: Races get costly, Greitens exit soars over a million

Missourians seeking an elected office in the Show-Me State submitted their 2018 second quarter campaign filings on Monday. Committee’s advocating for specific measures were also required to submit their reports.

Here are some interesting take aways from the July 2018 campaign filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission. From competitive Senate races to initiative petitions the 2018 election is not an inexpensive one in Missouri.

Greitens’ campaign committee spends big

In the last three months, Greitens for Missouri spend nearly $1.4 million, the majority of which was spent on legal fees and media. The campaign still has $1.1 million cash on hand as of July 1.

The campaign paid roughly $650,000 to three communication-related companies — Something Else Strategies, Bask Digital Media and Target Enterprises. Jimmy Soni, former member of the administration who wrote speeches for Greitens, was paid $58,000 for communications services.

More than $550,000 was paid to Husch Blackwell, the law firm of Catherine Hanaway, a former Missouri House speaker who was hired to defend Greitens’ campaign operation amid multiple investigations.

$47,000 was paid to Chalmers Burch & Adams, LLC., the law firm that is the home of Michael Adams — the president and treasurer of A New Missouri.

The Dowd Bennett, the law firm handling Greitens’ criminal defense against charges of felony computer tampering and invasion of privacy, was paid nearly $20,000. Metro One Investigation, a St. Louis private investigator, was also paid roughly $20,000.

Graves Garrett LLC, a Kansas City-based law firm, was paid a little more than $12,000. One of the firms attorneys, Edward Greim, was hired by the governor’s office to help handle possible impeachment proceedings.

Over the three month period, Scott Turk, who until February had been director of boards and commissions in the governor’s office, was paid more than $15,000.

Schupp puts up big

Sen. Jill Schupp has been putting up some big funding raising numbers this entire election cycle and has the most cash on hand out of any candidate for the General Assembly. Neither the Republican or Libertarian candidates have reached $500 in contributions.

Schupp has $669,847.21 cash on hand — the most of any candidate — and brought in $81,467.00 in donations in April, May, and June — the second most of any candidate.

In SD 24, none of the three candidates have a primary challenger. So Republican Gregory Powers and Libertarian Jim Higgins will face off against Schupp in November.

Money flowing into SD 34

The race to replace Sen. Rob Schaaf is getting expense with three candidates raising $186,188.60 in three months. In total, the candidates have $555,472.6 cash on hand.

As the two Republican candidates prepare to face off on August 7, large sums of money are being donated and spent.

Harry Roberts raised $85,910.41 in the last three months and now has $146,692.66 cash on hand. Tony Luetkemeyer raised $53,091.43 and has $348,680.58 cash on hand.

Between April, May, and June, Roberts spent $84,398.45 on the campaign and Luetkemeyer spent $82,370.09.

Martin Rucker II, the lone Democratic candidate, is lagging behind the Republican candidates in funds raised during the election cycle and only has $60,099.36 but he put up a good fundraising effort for the second quarter, racking in $47,186.76 in three months.

Right-to-work

In the right-to-work battleground of Missouri, individuals and organizations are not being shy about donating thousands of dollars to promote their cause. The committee campaigning against the measure is on pace bring in more $13 million this cycle. The three committees for the measure have raised nearly $3 million.

We Are Missouri, an anti-RTW group, has $3,717,653.40  cash on hand, having raised $5,450,539.29 between April, May, and June bringing the total raised to $12,373,260.70.

There are three pro-RTW committees — Freedom to Work, Missourians for Freedom to Work, and Missourians for Worker Freedom. Between the three committees, they have $985,118.69  cash on hand, having raised $1,160,191.86 this period bringing their total fund raised amount to $2,930,191.86.

Galloway takes fundraising lead

In the race for state auditor, Nicole Galloway, who currently holds the position, has taken a lead in fundraising. She has no primary opponents and will face off against whomever wins the Republican primary on August 7.

According to filings, Galloway has $1,084,778.35 cash on hand. She raised $201,657.82 in the past three months and spent $92,930.71.

Of the four Republican candidates — Kevin Roach, David Wasinger, Rep. Paul Curtman, and Saundra McDowell — Wasinger has taken the fundraising lead.

Bringing in $39,617.81 this period, Wasinger has $760,968.85 cash on hand. Curtman brought in $9,399.20 in the past three months and has $20,939.91 cash on hand. Roach raised $5,870.00 and has $2,877.97 cash on hand. McDowell brought in $3,501.36 and has $1,522.31 cash on hand.

Wasinger and Curtman were close in the amount they spent in the last three months — $33,442.35 and $28,685.12 respectively.