MOScout Daily Update: Long Pays Kellyanne $15K/Month - Greitens Candidate Committee Empty - Alford Leads CD-4 $$$ - House Calls Short Week - Inside GOP Senate Caucus and more...

House Calls Short Week

Ryan Nonnemaker, chief of staff to Floor Leader Dean Plocher, posted a revised schedule for the House in light of the incoming winter storm.  See it here.

·         The House will be in session today, but is cancelling the rest of the week.

And no word yet on the Senate’s schedule, though the Republican majority caucus did meet for close to three hours yesterday as they tried to suss out a path forward on congressional redistricting…

Some thought a compromise map would come from the extended conversation. Instead it proved to be largely a continuation of the airing of grievances between the “Regular Republicans” and the Conservative Caucus.

In regards to the map, Floor Leader Caleb Rowden offered everyone one more week (a decision perhaps motivated at least in part by the incoming storm) to find a compromise, with the additional agreement that there would be a “cease fire” online while some Republicans work together to find an elusive compromise.

But there’s a pessimism looming: the view of most seems to be that a deal isn’t going to happen, and the House map will eventually pass as-is.  Still, Senate leadership is providing a little space for rank-and-file caucus members to have these conversations and come to their own conclusion.

US Senate Money Race

Here’s a rundown of the US Senate candidates latest fundraising quarter…

Greitens Out of Cash + Huge Cash Stash

It’s the best of times and worst of times for Eric Greitens’ fundraising.  His candidate committee has essentially no money available.  He raised $246K, and had another $216K transferred int from a joint fundraising committee, The G Team.  But he spent $381K and finished the quarter with just $290K on-hand and $154K debt.  His problem is that he’s accepted over $250K in contributions beyond the primary election limit.  It’s earmarked for the general election and can’t be used unless he wins in August.  That means his real cash on-hand (taking out debt and the general election money) is below zero.

However, he has several Super PACs funded by large donors.  They have plenty of money. 

·         Missouri First Action, a PAC funded mostly by Home Depot executive Bernie Marcus, reported ending 2021 with just over $1 million on-hand.

·         Team PAC, a PAC funded entirely by U-Line executive Dick Uihlein, reported a $2.5 million contribution from the Uihlein family and had just under that amount ($2,448,797) on-hand.

Team Schmitt Sees Him as Only Rival To Greitens

Attorney General Eric Schmitt raised $457K, spent $384K, and has $1,271,674 on-hand with $39K in debt.  But he has a lot of general election money in his account as well, somewhere in the neighborhood of $675K.  That brings his usable candidate cash down to $560K.

·         But like Greitens he has a Super PAC that will be important down the stretch. Schmitt’s PAC, Save Missouri Values, has $2.4 million on-hand.  It benefited from a new $250K contribution from Rex Sinquefield, as well as nearly $500K from Julia Kauffman.

Hartzler Candidate Committee Leads Cash On-Hand

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler raised nearly as much as Schmitt, $426K.  After spending $299K, she had $1,779,337 on-hand with $15K in debt.  But she too has a lot of general election money in that stash, which I estimate brings her usable cash down to about $1.3 million – the most of any candidate.  However, I’m unaware of any Super PAC.

Long Has to Ante Up

Congressman Billy Long raised $219K, spent $433K, and has $577K on-hand.  That includes a new loan to himself of $250K.  Largest expenses: $15,000 month to rent his RV, the “Billy Bus,” and $15,000/month to KA Consulting (that’s Kellyanne Conway who is theoretically a gateway to a Trump endorsement).

Schatz: Long on Money, Short on Name ID

Sen. Dave Schatz raised $168K, and loaned himself $1 million.  He finished with the $1.1 million on-hand propelling into the top tier of COH for the field.  But MOScout polling has shown him with negligible name ID.  It’s not clear that $1 million is anywhere enough to solve that problem.

McCloskey Smallest Quarter

Mark McCloskey raised the least amount of the major candidates.  He raised $86K, spent $79K and finished with $99K on-hand and $47K in debt.  Given his place in the polls, there’s just not enough gas for him to continue without an infusion of personal cash.

Dems

Meanwhile on the Dem side, Scott Sifton treaded water.  He raised $163K and spent $164K, finishing with $155K on-hand.  Meanwhile Lucas Kunce continues to raise huge amounts online.  He raised $705K – more than anyone else in the race last quarter (except Schatz who put in $1M of his own money).  Kunce spent $562K and ended with $809K on-hand.

CD-4

Mark Alford led the field with $202K raised, finishing with $185K on-hand.  He’s officially the front runner now with the poll lead and the money lead.

Sen. Rick Brattin was second with $107K raised.  He finished with $101K on-hand.

Kalena Bruce only raised $16K.  It looks like she repay her previous loan of $80K to herself and then loaned herself $70K. So she finished with $131K on-hand and that $70K in debt.

Sara Walsh raised $51K, and has $60K on-hand (including a $10K loan).

Taylor Burks hadn’t filed his year-end report as of this morning.

CD-7

This appears to be a two-person race as we head into filling.  Former Sen. Jay Wasson, as already reported, has $803K on-hand. 

The only other candidate with six-figures on hand is Sen. Eric Burlison – and he has only half of Wasson’s war chest.  Burlison raised $216K, spent $52K and has $307K on-hand, with $15K in debt.

The other two candidates didn’t raise much at all…

Dr. Sam Alexander raised $17K and spent $31K.  He has $106K on-hand including $99K on debt.  His days as a candidate may be numbered.

Sen. Mike Moon raised $16K, spent $81K and only has $40K on-hand.

Kauerauf Draws Protest

A crowd came to the capitol to protest the appointment of Director of the Department of Health and Senior Services Donald Kauerauf.  Missouri Independent has the story; see it here.

Kauerauf faced tough questioning from Sen. Mike Moon in the Gubernatorial Appointments Committee. 

I don’t think Kauerauf will have any trouble getting out of that committee – based on its membership and the remarks of those at the hearing.  However, he could face resistance on the Senate floor.  Sen. Bob Onder tweeted skepticism about his pro-life position. And both Sens. Denny Hoskins and Rick Brattin were at the rally – an indicator that they too have concerns.

Governor Mike Parson sought to tamp down opposition.  We’ll see if it has any impact.

Lobbyists Registrations

Gamble & Schlemeier added Mortgage Research Center, LLC.

Jake Silverman added Missouri Smoke Free.

$5K+ Contributions

HealthPAC - $6,100 from MidAmerica Division Office/HCA Midwest.

Legal Missouri 2022 - $10,000 from Nature's Health and Wellness LLC.

Association of MO Electric Cooperatives (AMEC PAC) - $10,000 from NW Electric Power Cooperative Inc.

Legal Missouri 2022 - $11,250 from OG Yields.