Koster leads funding in gubernatorial bid

Eric Morris: Fundraising ability of candidates is a stronger factor in primary elections.

As the calendar turns to 2016, current public officials, former civil servants and new faces are tallying campaign funds raised over the last year and preparing to up the ante.

Missouri’s current attorney general and only Democratic declared candidate for the state’s top seat led campaign funding generated in 2015. In filings received by the Missouri Ethics Commission on Jan. 15, Attorney General Chris Koster’s campaign reported $5.8 million cash on hand last year.

Koster’s competitors in the gubernatorial race from the other side of the aisle met with varying success toward generating campaign cash in 2015: declared Republican candidates John Brunner and Eric Greitens each ended the year with roughly $3.5 million in cash on hand. Catherine Hanaway, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, had $1.5 million, and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder reported $445,000. Independent candidate Lester Turilli Jr., of Stanton, reported $693, according to filings.

Missouri State University Assistant Professor of Communication Eric Morris said while it’s too early in the election cycle to predict winners and losers, campaign funding is an applicable barometer for success.

“It’s even more critical in the context of a primary than it is the general election because in a general election, a candidate is able to get a little more support from the party,” Morris said. “In a primary election, it is very much your ability to raise money that will influence your prospects. It’s not a case where the person who raises the most money necessarily wins so much as a person who can’t raise as much money probably won’t contend.”

State Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, ended the year with $1.1 million on hand, leading the donation pack in the race for lieutenant governor. Kansas City attorney and fellow Republican Beverly Randles reported nearly $657,000; Springfield personal-injury attorney and Democrat Brad Bradshaw tallied $415,000; and State Rep. Tommie Pierson, D-St. Louis, accounted for roughly $9,000. Democratic candidate Winston Apple trails with nearly $4,000, according to the MEC.

Democrat Russ Carnahan and Independent candidate William Peipers have no full-disclosure financial reports on file with the MEC.

Attorney general
As Koster plans to vacate the attorney general post, both Republicans and Democrats have two declared candidates in the running, including a current University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law professor with Springfield ties. Josh Hawley, son of Regions Bank central and southern Missouri Market President Ron Hawley, reported $802,000 on hand at the close of 2015.

In terms of donations, Hawley trails fellow Republican and term-limited State Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, who had $2.1 million. Democratic St. Louis County Assessor Jake Zimmerman reported the second-highest amount, with $1.2 million raised in 2015. Former Cass County Prosecuting Attorney and Democratic candidate Teresa Hensley reported roughly $228,000.

Secretary of state
With Democratic Secretary of State Jason Kander bowing out of a re-election campaign in favor of running for Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt’s seat, three candidates have declared to fill Kander’s position. Year-end campaign filings are due to the Federal Election Commission for federal candidates on Jan. 31.

In the front-running based on donations is Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, with nearly $668,000. Following Kraus is Republican St. Louis Attorney John “Jay” Ashcroft, son of former governor, U.S. Sen. and Attorney General John Ashcroft, with $174,000. The sole Democratic candidate, former St. Louis TV news anchor Robin Smith, reported $68,000.

“I wouldn’t say that you can predict Ashcroft is out because someone is out-fundraising him at this point,” Morris said. “Name recognition might tell you as much as you would learn from briefly browsing a campaign flier, seeing an ad on TV or reading a couple of news stories.”

Treasurer
Term-limited State Treasurer Clint Zweifel cannot seek re-election to the post in 2016.

Seeking to fill that void are two Democratic candidates who ended 2015 neck-and-neck in campaign funding. Former State Rep. Judy Baker ended the year with $86,000, slightly ahead of Kansas Citian Pat Contreras.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, the lone Republican candidate, eclipsed both Democrats in 2015 with more than $2.1 million. Schmitt is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election to the Senate.

But there’s still plenty of time for pumping up campaign funds.

“There will be a lot more fundraising going on from this point forward than from this point backward,” Morris added.

Web Producer Geoff Pickle contributed.