There are more than a few curious twists in the lively fight brewing to determine who will go to Washington to represent Missouri’s 7th Congressional District next year.

For starters, 11 candidates — eight Republicans, two Democrats and one Libertarian — have filed for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, whose robust campaign machine kept serious challengers at bay during earlier election cycles.

The candidates are approaching Blunt’s fundraising acumen, at least as a group, with nearly $1.4 million collected by the 11 through March 31, and new reports due July 15. The filing floodgates opened after Blunt’s announcement that he will leave the seat he’s held for 14 years to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Christopher “Kit” Bond.

If anything, the lineup looks like 1996, the last time the seat was open, though in reverse. Then there were six Democrats on the ballot and two Republicans, Roy Blunt and Gary Nodler, before the latter ran for his current state Senate seat. Nodler, now 14 years later, is back again, only this time he faces seven other Republicans on the primary ballot. In addition to Nodler, of Joplin, candidates include Jack Goodman, of Mount Vernon, a current state senator; Billy Long, a Springfield auctioneer and real estate agent; Darrell Moore, of Springfield, current Greene County prosecuting attorney; and Steve Hunter, of Joplin, a former state representative. Rounding out the Republican field are Michael Moon, of Ash Grove, a farmer and an employee of St. John’s Medical Center in Springfield; Jeff Wisdom, an economics professor at Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield; and Michael Wardell, a Nixa businessman.

Fundraising

Long leads the Republicans in fundraising with a campaign chest that neared $700,000 at the end of March. He contributed $100,000 of that out of his own pocket.

Others raising major campaign funds are Goodman with $339,135 and Nodler with $304,480 through the end of March. Goodman and Nodler both have spent some of their war chests to open Joplin campaign offices. Goodman opened his in April and Nodler opened his last week.

Moore is down the fundraising ladder, reporting collections of $35,880, while Moon posted $11,230 and Wisdom had $9,210, according to the candidates’ postings on the Federal election Commission website.

No contributions were reported through March 31 by Hunter and Wardell. The Globe was unsuccessful in attempts to reach Hunter to learn if he will open a Joplin campaign office.

Reports by the top three GOP fundraisers provide at least a glimpse of early financial supporters.

Nodler has the most in committee and PAC contributions, at $31,700, including donations from Associated Buildings and Contractors, Empire District Electric, and Leggett & Platt. He also shows individual donations from executives from a number of Joplin businesses. His report also shows contributions from GOP-linked lobbyists Tony Feather, a Sarcoxie native and  Gregg Hartley, former longtime chief of staff for Roy Blunt, from former U.S. Sen. John Danforth and from Missouri House speaker Ron Richard, of Joplin, who is running for Nodler’s senate seat. An endorsement from Richard is being used in Nodler’s campaign advertising. The report also shows a contribution of $500 to Blunt’s campaign for Senate from the Nodler committee.

Goodman reports $8,500 in PAC giving, and personal contributions from officers of TSMT Trucking, Joplin, Jack Henry and Associates, Monett and Bass Pro Shops, Springfield.

Long had $5,500 in PAC contributions — $5,000 from the National Auctioneers Association — and by far the most contributions from individuals including officers of Meek Lumber Company and Sutherland Lumber and Silver Dollar City.

 David and Ethelmae Humphreys of Tamko Building Products, in Joplin, each donated in identical amounts to Goodman, Nodler and Long.

Another turn in the road

The road to the November general election took another turn last week when Scott Eckersley, a former Republican operative, began an active campaign and announced the first money in his campaign coffers will be $100,000 from a settlement he got after suing his boss — former Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, son of Roy.

Although he was legal counsel in Matt Blunt’s GOP administration, Eckersley is running as a Democrat in the overwhelmingly red district where the former governor’s father won re-election by at least a 67 percent majority each of the last 10 years.

The other Democratic candidate, Timothy Davis, of Branson, reported donations totaling $8,915, including $5,600 from the candidate.

Eckersley is not emphasizing his party affiliation in his advertising or comments.

He said he sees himself as a “fiscal conservative” and thinks some voters in the Seventh District, traditionally a Republican stronghold, “are ready to vote for the person — if it’s the right person.

“We think we’ll see crossover votes. I’m not sure how much people care about the party when they put out the same pre-packaged candidates year after year.” he said. “Other candidates say they’ll stand up to the establishment; I’ve done it.”

The state paid Eckersley and his attorneys $500,000 last year to settle a lawsuit claiming he was wrongly fired and defamed in September 2007 after raising questions about e-mail deletions in the governor’s office. Matt Blunt contends Eckersley was fired for legitimate reasons. The settlement included no admission of wrongdoing but Eckersley pointed out he later received “letters of exoneration” from the governor’s office, Attorney General Chris Koster and the Missouri Bar Association.

Forums

GOP candidates in recent campaign events have pledged to take on the current system and administration in Washington, D.C., saying they will work to vastly limit federal government and its reach, overturn health care reform, and make spending cuts. The candidates, in a Republican-only forum hosted by the Jasper County Republican Committee and held at Taylor Auditorium on June 1, all agreed that the U.S. Department of Education, Homeland Security, and the Environmental Protection Agency were federal entities that belonged on the chopping block.

Long is citing an endorsement by former U.S. Rep. Mel Hancock, of Springfield. Goodman has endorsements by many local elected officials and state representatives from the region. His Joplin campaign office is in a building shared by state Rep. Marilyn Ruestman.

Nodler claims a lead in polling, citing a report from Wilson Research Strategies saying he is favored by 29 percent of the decided voters, followed by 26 percent for Goodman, 24 percent for Long and 11 percent for Moore.

Libertarian

Perennial candidate Kevin Craig, Powersite, is running for the Congressional seat on the Libertarian ticket. He is unopposed in the Aug. 3 primary.