February 02, 2008 05:44 pm
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By Joe Hadsall
jhadsall@joplinglobe.com
Believe it or not, there are other statewide races going on.
Since Gov. Matt Blunt’s surprise announcement on Jan. 22 that he would not seek re-election, the governor’s race has taken up all the speculation and attention. Who is going to run against Attorney General Jay Nixon?
In the meantime, the area’s state senators and representatives have been busy building their war chests. Collectively, the five representatives and two senators have $444,665.37 in their war chests for the upcoming election.
As reports from the Missouri Ethics Commission show, they are not shy about donating to each other, but that’s a column for another time. For now, here’s a look at what each has ready to spend, according to the most recent quarterly fund-raising reports.
n Dist. 29 Sen. Jack Goodman, R-Mount Vernon, has $29,467.86 on hand. He has received $61,303.53 in donations and spent $54,612 in this election. Goodman raised $13,500 in the last reporting period, including $650 in donations from Empire District Electric, the Missouri Dental PAC, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri, Emerson’s Missouri Responsible Government Fund and Partners for Leadership.
n Dist. 32 Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, has $116,226.64 on hand. He has received $104,002.70 in donations and spent $46,918.42 in this election.
Nodler raised $49,296.70 in the last reporting period, including $5,700 from six different political action committees of the Missouri Health Care Association, $2,500 from five different PACs of the Missouri Dental Association and $1,275 donations from the Missouri Hospital Association and Missouri Optometric political action committee.
n Dist. 126 Rep. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, has $5,991.95 on hand. He has received $7,228.20 in donations and spent $6,498.97 in this election.
Emery raised $5,535 in the last reporting period, including $325 donations from Empire District Electric, the Missouri Public Utility Alliance, the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives and the Missouri Independent Bankers Association.
n Dist. 127 Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, has terminated his fund-raising committee. He will term-limit out of the House this year.
n Dist. 128 Rep. Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City, has $20,625.33 on hand. He has received $49,480.52 in donations and spent $34,099.93 in this election.
Stevenson raised $13,020 in the last reporting period, including $1,950 from six different political action committees of the Missouri Health Care Association.
n Dist. 129 Rep. and Speaker-elect Ron Richard, R-Joplin, has $151,256.04 on hand. He has received $295,917.40 in donations and spent $34,402.04 in this election.
Richard raised $48,450 in the last reporting period, including $325 donations from Boeing, BNSF Railway, Union Pacific Railroad, Cash America and the Missouri Society of Pathologists.
n Dist. 130 Rep. Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho, has $35,447.04 on hand. He has received $14,850 in donations and spent $3,235.37 in this election.
Wilson raised $4,300 in the last reporting period, including $325 donations from Leggett & Platt Inc., AT&T Missouri, the St. Louis Homebuilders Association and Union Pacific Railroad.
n Dist. 131 Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, has $85,650.51 on hand. She has received $188,929.68 in donations and spent $84,148.21 in this election.
Ruestman raised $26,525 in the last reporting period, including $3,250 from the 127th District Legislative Committee, $2,900 from the 126th District Republican Legislative Committee and six donations of $1,600 each from St. Louis-area district legislative committees.
Assuming that each of the Republican representatives get re-elected, it will be their fourth, and final, terms in the House.
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