MOScout Daily Update: Danner for LG? - Late Start Dems - MTIA To Shutter? - MO GOP Splits on Syria and more...

Dems Late Start = Less $$$

We’re a few weeks away from the start of November.  That’ll mark one year until the 2020 general election. Democrats are still filling out their statewide ballot.  And the result is a money disadvantage up and down the entire Democratic ticket.

·         There’s no declared Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor.  It’s said that Shavonne Danner, an anesthesiologist from Kansas City, is a possible prospect.  However, she hasn’t pulled the trigger.  In the meantime, the appointed LG incumbent Mike Kehoe now has $334,729 on-hand.  And his PAC, American Dream, continues to add checks (two more in the $5K+ today, see below). 

·         Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has $264,928 on-hand.  Democrat Yinka Faleti just started his campaign committee this month.

·         Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick has $241,744 on-hand.  Democrat Vicki Englund also started her committee this month, and has her first big fundraiser planned for the 30th.

·         Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s $560K cash on-hand dwarfs Democrat Elad Gross who has criss-crossed Missouri running a grassroots campaign.  If you include Schmitt’s PAC, he is nearing a literal 100-1 money advantage.  His combined stash is about $2.4 million to Gross’ $26K on-hand.

·         There’s been talk that St. Louis Rich Finneran would enter the AG’s race for Democrats with more fundraising capacity.  But the pattern holds, he’d be starting late, with a big money gap.

·         Even Democrat Nicole Galloway faces a money deficit despite her candidate committee outraising incumbent Mike Parson’s committee two quarters in a row.  He started raising money a year ago, so his cash on-hand is more than double her $540K warchest.  And that doesn’t include the $4 million in his allied PAC.

MTIA to Close Shop

Word is that with the impending retirement of its executive director, the Missouri Telecommunications Industry Association is dissolving.  Ric Telhorst, who has led the organization for the past two decades, is retiring at the end of the year.

According to its website (see it there) the nonprofit trade association was “founded as the Missouri Telephone Association in 1913… [as] a forum for discussion and cooperation among all companies on issues affecting Missouri’s telecommunications industry...”

It could be that building denizen speculated that various segments in the industry now (big incumbents, start-up wireless providers, rural niche players etc) “see the regulatory world differently.”  With less common ground, “MTIA simply ran its course.”  And Telhorst’s retirement was a catalyst to rethink how important the association was to the future.

Senate 5 Moves

Rep. Steve Roberts will hold another high dollar campaign fundraising event this week.  This one’s at the CWE manse of aircraft parts manufacturer owner Rick Zimmerman.  As of the October quarter Roberts has the most in the bank in this Democratic primary.  He had $91K to Michelle Sherod’s $53K and Megan Green’s $18K.

But

One unaffiliated MOScouter who keeps an eye on city politics wonders if there may not be a plot twist ahead, imagining that termed Sen. Jamilah Nasheed might take a job at some point in next several months and resign early.  That could throw this into a special election, and into the hands of city committeemembers to pick the Democratic nominee.

Stickin

In Congress’ vote to rebuke President Donald Trump’s retreat from Syria, some of Missouri’s Republican delegation voted with the majority and others stuck with the president.  See it here.

Voting to oppose the retreat: Sam Graves, Vicky Hartzler and Ann Wagner.

Stickin with Trump: Billy Long, Blaine Luetkemeyer and Jason Smith.

Schmitt Sues Dog Breeder

Post-Dispatch’s Jack Suntrup reports that the “Missouri attorney general’s office has sued an Oregon County dog breeder after state inspectors docked the kennel repeatedly over the last two years for filthy conditions and thin dogs.  Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Republican, said in a news release issued Thursday that Cedar Ridge Australians had continually violated the Animal Care Facilities Act and has been operating without a license since February… The lawsuit seeks a preliminary and permanent injunction closing the facility until further notice. It also seeks civil penalties that could total several thousand dollars…  In Schmitt’s press release, his office included quotes from two groups that are often at odds: the Missouri Pet Breeders Association and the Humane Society of Missouri… The attorney general’s office said it now has four active cases against Missouri kennels: three against breeders and one against an animal shelter…”

Lobbyist Registrations

Jeffrey “Jeff” Andrew Millar added Americans for Equal Shared Parenting.

Thomas “Tom” Rackers added Missouri Task Force 1, and Greenview Consulting Services LLC.

Kit Crancer deleted Center For Diagnostic Imaging.

$5K+ Contributions

Vote 2020 - $11,010 from New Venture Fund.

Justice for All PAC - $5,001 from CL PAC.

American Dream PAC - $10,000 from Supporters of Health Research & Treatments.

American Dream PAC - $10,000 from Health PAC.

Missourians for Healthcare - $19,064 from Missouri Health Care for All.

Missouri Corn Growers Association State Political Action Committee - $18,964 from Missouri Cattlemen’s Association.

Missouri State Assessors Association PAC - $5,830 from Missouri State Assessor's Association.

Page PAC - $10,000 from Anesthesia Associates of Kansas City, P.C.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, Commissioner Scott Rupp, Ray Hefner, and Sara Baker.

Congratulations

To Katie and Alex Eaton on the birth of Theodore Thomas Eaton.