MOScout Daily Update: Lots of New Ads - More on PCM's Non-Endorsements - Fitz and Gregory Trade Barbs and more...
CFG PAC Hits KC Airwaves
Pro-Rick Brattin ads sponsored by the School Freedom Foundation – a PAC aligned with the Club for Growth – have begun airing in the Kansas City market on broadcast and cable TV. The buy is nearly $1 million and outweighs any other candidate or PAC investment in a market responsible for 40% of primary voters in the 4th district.
See them here…
· The positive ad (see it here): “President Trump is still battling for this country and Rick Brattin is ready to join the fight.” Tagline: Rick Bratton. For Trump. For Congress.
· The negative ad (see it here) goes after Mark Alford, making it clear that’s who they see as Brattin’s main competitor in this 7-way primary. They hit Alford on being from Kansas City and being from the “liberal TV world.”
Looking Around the Corner… If Brattin wins, that’s one less member of the Conservative Caucus in January….
Meanwhile
Club for Growth has also been running ads in CD-7. One source puts that buy around $700K. CFG has endorsed Sen. Eric Burlison in that race, and they’ve been hitting Jay Wasson as a “Mitt Romney Republican.”
The assault has led to Wasson putting out an ad defending himself. See it here. “What the heck? The choice was Romney or Obama for president.
New: Bruce Ad in CD-4
Kalena Bruce’s new ad also plays up the Trump angle… “President Trump handpicked Kalena to help write his historic tax cuts…”
The ad also touts Governor Mike Parson’s endorsement of her as well as her Farm Bureau endorsement.
Fitz Gregory Trade Barbs
Post-Dispatch reports on Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick and Rep. David Gregory trading barbs over Gregory’s ad in which he says he’s an auditor. See it here.
Basically, Fitz is like, “Dude’s a trial attorney.” And Gregory says, “Look my boss says I did auditing work that makes me an auditor.”
· The main issue facing both candidates in this race right now is well articulated with one tweet: Listen, other then @DavidGregoryMO, @FitzpatrickMO, their spouses and maybe (big maybe) their children nobody cares about this race…
And
Fitzpatrick has a new commercial out highlighting his record as House Budget Chair. See it here. “As auditor, I’ll show up, fight back, and win for you.”
Behind Pro-Choice MO’s Non-Endorsements
I wrote yesterday about Dems grumbling that they were denied an endorsement from Pro-Choice Missouri despite their solid pro-choice voting records.
It appears that the non-endorsements (see their endorsement list here) were part of a deliberate decision by Pro-Choice Missouri to broaden the standards to which they hold officeholders accountable.
They have decided that in order for their endorsements to align with the values of their organization they need to weigh how politicians have reacted to accusations of sexual assault.
Several cases of non-endorsements this cycle stem from legislators who were co-hosts for a fundraiser for Sen. Steve Roberts.
Second Greitens SuperPAC Enters Fray
Team Greitens says yesterday that Missouri First Action PAC was purchasing $900K of airtime to support his candidacy. Here’s the ad they’re running. It features two “average Missourians” saying that the elites are attacking Greitens, so he’s got their vote.
RightPath July Quarter
RightPath PAC filed its July quarter. It showed $1.8 million cash on-hand. Of course, that filing runs through the end of last month – about two weeks ago. But it still will confirm fears that the PAC is not on-track to use its full war-chest.
Lobbyists Registrations
Patrice Minear added Eli Lilly & Company.
$5K+ Contributions
Let's Go Brandon PAC - $75,000 from Herzog Contracting Corporation.
Missouri Freedom Foundation PAC - $25,000 from Herbert Bauman.
JB PAC (pro-Justin Brown) - $7,600 from Conservative Leadership for Southeast Missouri (pro-Jason Bean).
Southwest Missouri Patriot PAC (pro-Bill White) - $7,500 from Lincoln PAC (pro-Lincoln Hough).
Page PAC (pro-Sam Page) - $10,000 from Holland Law Firm LLC.
Friends For Mike Elam (running for re-election St. Charles County Council) - $6,000 from Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council Missouri-Kansas PAC.
Committee To Elect Steve Ehlmann - $25,000 from Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council Missouri-Kansas PAC.
Missouri Senior PAC - $25,000 from Protection Plus LLC.
MO Energy Dev Association Gateway Political Action Committee - $20,000 from Ameren Missouri.
MO Energy Dev Association State Line Political Committee - $20,000 from Ameren Missouri.
Missouri Energy Development Association Political Action Committee - $20,000 from Ameren Missouri.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to David Winton.