MOScout Daily Update: Kehoe Extends $$$ Lead - Freedom Caucus Kick-off - Readers' Poll Results and THANK YOU
Kehoe Extends $$$ Lead
With a few days left in the quarter, here are the total of large contributions we’ve seen come into the Republican gubernatorial candidates’ PACs…
· Jay Ashcroft (Committee for Liberty) - $72,500
· Bill Eigel (BILL PAC) - $189,675
· Mike Kehoe (American Dream PAC) - $1,310,496
Kehoe’s PAC had $3.5 million cash on-hand at the end of last quarter, more than Ashcroft’s ($1.6M) and Eigel’s ($900K) combined. The same dynamic was true of his candidate committee with $1.4M on-hand, compared to Ashcroft and Eigel’s combined $1.2M.
The PACs are where the most money is raised because they’re not subject to the candidate committee contribution limits ($2,825 per contributor, per election cycle).
Freedom Caucus Preps Kick-off
The Freedom Caucus will hold their kick-off event one week from today in St. Charles.
· Note that former Sen. Bob Onder, who’s running for lieutenant governor, is an “emeritus” member. Together with Sens. Bill Eigel, Denny Hoskins, and Andrew Koenig, he creates a “Freedom Caucus” statewide slate.
· And… expect for more members to be added by the kick-ff next week. The founding members are voting to invite similar like-minded legislators. Possible names mentioned: Sen. Mike Moon, and Reps. Darin Chappell, Doug Richey, and Adam Schnelting.
MOScout Readers Poll: Part II
Q1 Best Hotel
Baymont (not the best, but the best value) - 4.46%
Courtyard (good kitchen, but no steak on the menu) - 61.78%
Doubletree (warm cookies, but tight parking spaces) - 21.66%
Holiday Inn (nicest rooms, but not downtown) - 12.10%
Other answers: Quality Inn and Suites - clean, friendly, inexpensive, accessible; Capitol Plaza - chipped bathroom fixtures, no heat, musty carpets, sure. But only 60 bucks!
Q2 Best Kitchen
Domenico’s - 26.00%
Grand Café - 60.00%
O’Donoghues - 14.00%
Other answers: 232, Sweet Smoke BBQ, Paddy Malone’s, Madison’s, Duke’s, and Ecco Lounge.
Q3 Biggest clichéd excuse
“Dysfunctional Senate.” - 46.67%
“We got it referred to committee this year. That’s progress.” - 11.52%
“We ran out of time.” - 41.82%
Other answers: Got Mooned, “…just some clean up language…” with 72 hours left in Session.
Q4 Best Gadfly - 2023
Ron Calzone - 37.24%
Arnie C. AC Dienoff - 44.83%
Leonard J. Steinman II (passed August 5th) - 17.93%
Other answers: Jess Piper, Dawn Chapman.
Q5 If Your Lost Cause Is Going to Have Any Chance, Hire...
Catalyst Group - 18.12%
Gamble and Schlemeier - 50.72%
GibbonsWorkman - 15.94%
Nexus Group - 15.22%
Other answers: Mike Grote, Husch Blackwell, Strategic Capitol Consulting, Trent Watson, Flotron & McIntosh, Kurt Schaefer, Jones Advocacy Group, Nexus Group, Arnold & Associates, and Olympus Capitol Strategies.
Q6 If you absolutely, positively, have to kill something, hire...
Axiom / Clout - 22.54%
Bardgett & Associates - 38.03%
Husch Blackwell Strategies - 16.20%
Strategic Capitol Consulting - 23.24%
Other answers: Brent Hemphill, Jones Advocacy Group, Nexus Group, Kerry Messer, Giddens Group, Jeremy LaFaver, MATA, Arnold & Associates, and Burton & Liese.
Q7 Best Dressed
Steve Carroll - 19.84%
Matt Michelson - 5.56%
Susan Henderson Moore - 19.05%
Sammy Panettiere - 28.57%
Tina Shannon - 26.98%
Other answers: Sam Licklider, Brian Grace, Thomas Robbins, Rodney Hubbard, Sam Wiles, Jim Foley, Tricia Workman, Mike Harris, Ellie Harmon, and Jackie Bardgett.
End of Year Gratitude
I’m closing the books on this year and just want to say thank you for reading. I’m incredibly lucky to get to do something I enjoy for a living. And I appreciate everyone who spends money to make it work for me.
And thanks for the constant feedback – especially those wonderful tips and whispers. I can’t count the number of times this year someone given me a tip and started by saying, “I’m sure you already heard…” and I hadn’t!
I get a thrill from writing each morning. And I’m usually so excited to share that I hit send without giving it a quick re-reading to check for typos.
That’s my New Year’s resolution. Get up five minutes earlier so I can proof-read before sending. (I’m not doing that this morning, by the way. Resolutions don’t kick in for another 60 hours…)
· Call me, text me, email me anytime in 2024… My cell: 314-255-5210
Lobbyist Registrations
Duncan Alcorn, Emily Boyer, Ryan Highfill, Thomas Holmes, Sarah Love, and Dai’montre Yancy added Associated Students of the University of Missouri.
Richard McIntosh and David McCracken added Powerhouse Community Development Corporation.
Richard McIntosh added Fusion Health, LLC.
$5K+ Contributions
Gladius PAC (pro-Christofanelli) - $10,000 from Quality Schools Coalition.
Gladius PAC - $10,000 from Rex Sinquefield.
Old Drum Conservative PAC (pro-Hoskins) - $10,000 from J&J Ventures Gaming of Missouri LLC (Effingham, IL).
Tony PAC (pro-Luetkemeyer) - $10,000 from Caesars Enterprise Services LLC (Las Vegas, NV).
NEMO Leadership PAC (pro-O’Laughlin) - $10,000 from Caesars Enterprise Services LLC (Las Vegas, NV).
Association of MO Electric Cooperatives (AMEC PAC) - $20,000 from Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays (Saturday) to Rep. Tony Lovasco, Irl Scissors, Phil Wright, Jared Brown, and Martin Casas.
Sunday: Senator Josh Hawley, Sen. Mike Moon, Ted Wedel, Carol Kemna, Chris Krehmeyer, and Kate Meiners.
Monday: Clint Tracy, Bill Otto, and Pat Contreras.
MOScout Schedule
I’ll off again, through New Year’s Day (Monday). Back in your in-box on Tuesday!