January 2018 Quarterly Filings: What we learned

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The numbers are in for the January quarterly filing deadline, so here’s a look at some of the noteworthy takeaways from this quarter’s reports.

In the last report, we noted that Gov. Eric Greitens had spent more money in the previous three-month period than he had raised, with $2.37 million in his account. This time, the Governor now has increased that number to $2.77 million, raking in $629,668.49 in the final quarter of 2017.

Here’s a look at the rest of the statewide officials:

Race for State Auditor heats up:

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway is looking to hold onto her position in the next general election, which will be her first one at this level. Galloway first took over the role when Gov. Jay Nixon appointed her to the position in 2015.

The quarterly reports show that the Democratic candidate has raised more money than the Republican challengers in the final quarter of 2017, raising $231,696 in the final three months of the year. That puts her cash on hand value at $834,583 as of January 1.

“Over the final three months of 2017, our campaign saw a surge of contributors who want an independent watchdog serving on the side of taxpayers and not on the side of anonymous insiders corrupting state government,” an email from her campaign reads. “I’m overwhelmed by the generous support my campaign has received. Thank you again!”

St. Louis attorney David Wasinger continues to lead the Republicans in terms of fundraising, which is largely due to the $500,000 he dumped into his own campaign. He reported raising $109,000 in the final quarter, putting his Toal at $734,139.

Rep. Paul Curtman has amassed $50,145.71 in the final quarter, putting him at $56,209.88. Curtman was the last to announce for the race, having previously been considering a run for U.S. Senate and Congress.

Watching the Senate:

The four-way primary to replace the outgoing Sen. Brian Munzlinger may prove the most interesting race to watch in 2018, with Cindy O’Laughlin still showing the most money on hand, as well as the largest amount of indebtedness.

Former Reps. Eric Burlison and Lincoln Hough have been projected as the favorites to win in SD 20 and SD 30, respectively. The two have shown impressive fundraising numbers, with Burlison raking in $45,319.78 in the final quarter to tally up $343,289.91. Hough isn’t far behind with a total of $263,565.95, but it’s worth noting that only two senators raised more than Hough in this last period: Sen. Jill Schupp ($80,109.00) and Sen. Bob Onder ($88,625.00). Hough raised $73,050.00. Also noteworthy is the $116,910.00 raised by Bill White, though $100,000 of it came from White himself.

Check out the full list here: https://themissouritimes.com/47358/january-2018-quarterly-reports-state-senate/

Who’s the top dog in the House

Let’s keep this simple. Several House members and candidates had strong showings in the final quarter, raking in more than $20k, a stark contrast to the October quarterly reports. In the final three months, Rep. Shawn Rhoads pulled in $23,525.00, Rep. Rocky Miller accrued $23,250.00, Rep. Rob Vescovo finished with $35,800.00, Rep. Nick Schroer – $31,290.00, Rep. Deb Lavender – $23,784.00, Bryan Spencer – $24,845.00, Dave Griffith – $24,425.00

And, of course, no one could outdo the Speaker-elect, Rep. Elijah Haahr, who tallied up $79,900.00 in the last three months of 2017.

Check out the full list of House quarterly filings here.

https://themissouritimes.com/47384/january-2018-quarterly-reports-house/

Most cash on hand:

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Gov. Greitens leads the pack with his $2.77 million, but tallying the second-most in cash on hand is Steve Stenger. The county executive for St. Louis County finishes 2017 with a total of $2,401,293.27 in cash on hand. Attorney General Josh Hawley rounds out the top three with $1,073,940.34.

Benjamin Peters

Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.