The Bench | Republicans
#1 House Floor Leader Jon Patterson
The next speaker comes into the office with a head of steam from a successful session, reasserting the House in the budget process, and a good crop of recruits for House races in the fall. Of course there are headwinds of the abortion IP and Trump’s sagging numbers in the swing districts, but anything north of losing 5 seats will be seen as a big win for him.
Patterson is a tremendous fundraiser, a winner on the campaign trail in a swing district, brandished conservative and business credentials, and will have a longer list of accomplishments after the normally productive first year of a new Governor to tout.
Around 9:00 p.m. on August 6th the winner of the gubernatorial primary will be the leader of the party, around 9:01 p.m. on August 6th Dr. Jon Patterson will be the future of the party.
Total Raised this Cycle: $217,297
Cash on Hand: $488,400
Missouri Alliance
Cash on Hand: $501,715
TOTAL CASH ON HAND: $990,115
#2 Senator Tony Luetkemeyer
Senator Luetkemeyer is the best fundraiser on this list, he has a lengthy list of pro-cop legislation to tout and he has won a swing district that goes from the KC suburbs to St. Joseph…twice. He has kicked the tires on a few races, and ultimately could have been the big dog in the Secretary of State’s race, but passed. I suspect he continues to grow his war-chest, the biggest in the party, and waits for an opportunity for a run for AG or a judicial appointment, or just enjoys his life for a while. Until he comes out with something official he will be at or near the top of every list of potential candidates for every office.
Total Raised this Cycle: $1,195,456
Cash on Hand: $1,026,024
Tony PAC
Cash on Hand: $327,177
TOTAL CASH ON HAND: $1,353,201
#3 State Senator Nick Schroer
It’s almost a given that Senator Schroer will be on a statewide ballot one day. He is an immense political talent, is a good fundraiser, and can generate media attention. His most vulnerable time in office is nearly in the rearview mirror. He could have gotten pigeonholed as someone who the state’s largest donors would avoid and came damn close to it. However, he now come back next session beholden to no one and chart his own course as a senator and not a follower. I suspect he will now be seen as a trial attorney guy, but show me once where any primary voter has cared. In fact it’s become more and more accepted as a pillar of funding for Republican statewide races. In short, if he can escape the rest of the year without any unforced errors, then next year he can begin taking steps to sit at the top of this list in short order.
Total Raised this Cycle: $86,413
Cash on Hand: $83,952
1776 PAC
Cash on Hand: $108,366
TOTAL CASH ON HAND: $192,318
#4 State Senator Jason Bean
Senator Bean looks like a lot of the portraits of Governor’s on the first floor. He is a farmer, the profession of more Governors than any other, and someone who could begin to put together some of those Kehoe donors for a future statewide run.He is anchored in the now Republican primary vote-rich SEMO, and would begin any race with a claim to the support from the agriculture community. He kicked the tires on a Secretary of State run last cycle, but seems more interested in Senate leadership. Keep an eye on the senator from Dunklin.
Total Raised this Cycle: $327,035
Cash on Hand: $104,628
Conservative Leadership for Southeast Missouri
Cash on Hand: $144,515
TOTAL CASH ON HAND: $249,143
#5 Senator Ben Brown
Senator Brown went in his freshman term in year one from filibustering random motions over nothing to chair of the Economic Development Committee in year two. The guy has skills.He is brandishing a reputation as someone who can build a bridge between activism and accomplishments. If he can utilize his chairmanship to fundraise as past chairs of eco devo have then he will have quite the warchest by the time he would be considering a statewide run.
Total Raised this Cycle: $161,155
Cash on Hand: $76,385
BB Freedom Fund
Cash on Hand: $42,935
TOTAL CASH ON HAND: $119,320
#6 Representative Alex Riley
The next House Majority Leader is a big brain, and a big-time strategist, and a big-time future star in the party. He was able to navigate the choppy waters of a leadership race to as of now being uncontested, and I think those skills are going to be very important going forward.
He is from primary vote-rich Springfield and will have every opportunity to impress every donor in the state over the next four years in House leadership.
Total Raised this Cycle: $139,294
Cash on Hand: $65,988
Missouri Leadership PAC
Cash on Hand: $22,389
TOTAL CASH ON HAND: $88,377
#7 State Representative Bishop Davidson
Rep. Davidson is a lot of the intellectual force behind the House Republicans. He has all the talents a successful politician needs. He can fundraise, he is a good political strategist, he is a talented legislator. If there was one name on this list I would be the most confident that will move up from the state house it would be Rep. Davidson.
Total Raised this Cycle: $23,724
Cash on Hand: $47,246
TOTAL CASH ON HAND: $47,246
#8 State Representative Cameron Parker
The next big thing from the bootheel, Rep. Parker was a rising star and in a few short months is now a full-fledged star. She has a path to the Senate, and my #SteinOfKnowledge tells me that she will be the first woman to be elected Missouri Attorney General.
Total Raised this Cycle: $84,263
Cash on Hand: $50,502
CP4 Missouri Pac
Cash on Hand: $3,797
TOTAL CASH ON HAND: $54,299
#9 State Representative Wendy Hausman
There has been a lot of ambitious politicians from St. Charles County attempting to capitalize on the large number of primary votes in the county, Rep. Hausman could be the one who actually does. It’s a lot about her talent from fundraising to legislating to impressing people that you have to impress to move up. It’s also a lot about the fact that she could have the motivation to run for higher office if her Senate seat is filled. You will hear her name a lot more the next few years.
Total Raised this Cycle: $46,920
Cash on Hand: $9,918
Integrity PAC
Cash on Hand: $711
TOTAL CASH ON HAND: $10,629
#10 Representative Dane Diehl
The pride of rural Missourah Rep. Dane Diehl is everything you would hope for in a rural legislator. He is young, and has a long runway to meet and impress people. He has the backstory and the personality to be very successful in Missouri politics. There is a path that Mike Kehoe has forged by sheer force of his personality opening up successful Missourians to get involved in politics. Dane Diehl could follow in that path and rack up support in the same manner.
Total Raised this Cycle: $65,435
Cash on Hand: $16,370
Rural Roots Pac
Cash on Hand: $10,516
TOTAL CASH ON HAND: $26,886
Others:
Representatives Melanie Stinnett & Bill Hardwick – They could absolutely be on statewide tracks but they both seem to be eyeing Senate runs in ‘26.
Representative Jeff Myers & Brad Christ – They both have all the talent to move up but both seem to be entertaining leadership runs in the House.
State Senator Curtis Trent – He is an excellent senator, likely in leadership, after that you figure he will take on the next challenge.
Representative David Casteel – Keep an eye on him. He takes a businessman’s hustle to politics and has impressed everyone who has seen that hustle.
Representative Sherri Gallick – I honestly don’t know if she ever wants to run for anything else, but I personally just like the hell out of her.
Representative Ben Keathley – St. Louis will always have a rising star who can raise money and make connections, keep an eye on Rep. Keathley to be that guy.
Senate Floor Leader Cindy O’Laughlin – She seems to enjoy leading the Senate, but after that, I’d be surprised if she was done.
Scott Faughn is the publisher of The Missouri Times, owner of the Clayton Times in Clayton; SEMO Times in Poplar Bluff; and host of the only statewide political television show, This Week in Missouri Politics.
