By Joe Hadsall

Globe columnist

For the second reporting period in a row, Attorney General Jay Nixon has maintained a fund-raising lead in his quest to be the next governor of Missouri.

Nixon raised about $1.8 million between April and July, according to reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission. That outpaces his main Republican competitors: U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, raised about $1.5 million, and Treasurer Sarah Steelman raised about $887,000.

The bigger difference comes in the size of the candidates’ war chests. Steelman has $711,055 ready to spend, and Hulshof has $1,149,641. Nixon blows the two out of the water, with $3,754,169.52 ready to be spent sometime after the primary election.

Nixon has been raising money for this race for at least two years. What helps him is the tough race between Hulshof and Steelman, who spent nearly as much as they raised over the last three months. Steelman reported $886,901 in expenditures; Hulshof reported spending $1,047,087.

Hulshof and Steelman will file updated information a few days before the Aug. 5 primary, as required by law.

The same type of situation can be found in the race for attorney general. Sen. Mike Gibbons, considered the Republican front-runner, has $378,599 ready to spend after the primary election. He reported contributions of $273,935 and expenditures of $288,182.

His three Democratic competitors are spending all their money against each other:

n Rep. Jeff Harris raised $119,762 and spent $207,305.43. He has a war chest of $372,491.

n Sen. Chris Koster raised $329,918.84 and spent $244,938.49. He has a war chest of $863,926.

n Rep. Margaret Donnelly raised $216,118 and spent $302,318. She has a war chest of $534,546.

Among our local legislators, only one of them has election competition.

Here’s what all of them raised and spent in the last three months:

n Rep. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, raised $6,175 and spent $3,287. He has a war chest of $8,237. Emery is running against Democrat Linda Marie Crane, of Greenfield, in the general election. He received $2,175 from seven different education-related PACs financed by Rex Sinquefield, director of the school-choice favoring Show-Me Institute. Emery’s donations include $300 to U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof’s campaign and $250 to Public Administrator Rita Hunter’s campaign.