MOScout Daily Update: Pereles Adds $50K - GOP Hits “Kemp the Wimp” - Corches Named CEO of MOChamber - Latest Spends by HRCC and HDCC and more…
Senate 15: Pereles Adds $50K
Democrat Joe Pereles added a late $50,000 to his campaign committee. He’s apparently been convinced that a final little push will be the difference in this coin-toss race with Republican David Gregory.
· Gregory had put in $100,000 of his own money in the final weeks of his primary – and it paid off handsomely. We’ll see if he does it again here in the closing days of the general.
House 34: GOP Hit “Kemp the Wimp”
When I did the rundown of the House Republican Campaign Committee’s top direct expenditures on Monday, their #1 spend was directed at House 34 where Democratic Rep. Kemp Strickler is facing a rematch from Republican JC Crossley. Strickler prevailed by just 45 votes in 2020.
Republicans are using his “present” votes against him. Here’s their ad attacking him on it…
24 Hour Expenditure Reports
HRCC (House GOP)
House 12 (Pick-up Attempt – Mike Jones) -$591
House 16 (Defense – Chris Brown) - $2,869
House 17 (Defense – Bill Allen) - $50
House 20 (Defense – McMullin open) - $1,283
House 21 (Pick-up attempt – Sauls open) - $1,056
House 29 (Pick-up attempt – Aaron Crossley) - $2,439
House 30 (Defense – JP) - $67
House 31 Defense – Stacy open) - $1,819
House 34 (Pick-up attempt – Kemp Strickler) - $38
House 35 (Pick-up attempt – Keri Ingle) - $1,461
House 47 (Pick-up attempt – Adrian Plank) - $1,475
House 92 (Pick-up attempt – Michael Burton) - $3,246
House 96 (Defense – Brad Christ) - $43
House 94 (Defense – Jim Murphy) - $1,732
House 100 (Defense – Philip Oehlerking - $49
House 101 (Defense – Ben Keathley - $77
House 105 (Defense – Schwadron open) - $36
House 106 (Defense – Travis Wilson) - $25,481
House 132 (Pick-up attempt Quade open) - $1,669
House 133 (Defense – Melanie Stinnett) - $19
House 135 (Pick-up attempt – Betsy Fogle) -$1,802
House 136 (Pick-up attempt – Stephanie Hein) - $35
HDCC (House Dems)
House 12 – (Defense – Jamie Johnson) $14,536
House 16 (Pick-up attempt – Chris Brown) - $5,311
House 17 (Pick-up attempt – Bill Allen) - $9,786
House 21 – (Defense – Sauls open) - $8,244
House 29 – (Defense – Aaron Crossley) - $5,480
House 30 – (Pick-up attempt - JP) - $4,477
House 34 (Defense – Kemp Strickler) - $10,442
House 47 – (Defense – Adrian Plank - $14,255
House 96 (Pick-up attempt – Brad Christ) - $10,586
House 98 – (Defense Lavender open) - $5,793
House 100 – (Pick-up attempt – Philip Oehlerking) - $5,557
House 101 – (Pick-up attempt – Ben Keathley) - $8,488
House 104 – (Pick-up attempt – Christofanelli open) - $12,760
House 136 – (Defense - Stephanie Hein) - $7,623
Governor - Crystal Quade - $11,200
LG - Richard Brown - $11,200
SOS - Barbara Phifer- $11,200
Treasurer - Mark Osmack- $11,200
AG - Elad Gross - $11,200
MSCC (GOP Senate)
Senate 11 (Nicola – Sauls) - $14,887
Majority Forward (Senate Dems)
Senate 11 (Sauls – Nicola) - $45,000
Corches Takes MOChamber Reins
Press release: Kara Corches has been named President and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the state’s largest and most powerful business association. The Missouri Chamber Board of Directors Executive Committee made the announcement on Oct. 29 after a three-month national search. Corches currently is the Interim President and CEO and Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs. She has led the organization’s successful advocacy efforts, like championing the passage of Fast Track and the Credential Training Program to enhance Missouri’s workforce. Corches spearheaded efforts to protect Missouri’s free enterprise system against governmental mandates. She has also led the business community’s robust political efforts via the Missouri Chamber Political Institute, which conducts polling and voter education in support of pro-business candidates. Corches will be the Missouri Chamber’s first female president in the organization’s 101 years.
Franklin Promoted
Press release: Ken Franklin has been named Director of Business Development and Community Engagement for Missouri American Water, effective Sept. 30. In this role, Ken is supporting Business Development activities and managing key relationships with local government and community stakeholders across our service area. He reports to President Rich Svindland.
NYTimes on Peculiar Rejection of Data Center
New York Times looks at the town of Peculiar, Missouri and their rejection of a data center. Read it here.
· For years, that golden wheat had been the backdrop of this 6,000-person hamlet, best known as a pit stop on trips from Kansas City to the Ozarks. Now, it was a battleground between a tech giant’s proposed data center and the rural community around it.
· The insatiable demand for computing power has created a land grab in states like Missouri between companies like Google and Meta, which often work in anonymity through brokers like Diode to procure real estate.
· Developers are drawn to places like Peculiar because of the cheap energy and abundant acreage, but residents and state officials say the financial benefits of these projects — the Peculiar data center would be built just feet from the town’s electrical substation — come at a cost.
· “These corporate giants, they’re taking advantage of these small towns that are dying for a big fish,” said State Senator Rick Brattin, whose district includes Peculiar.
· In public, [Mayor Doug] Stark and [City Administrator Mickey] Ary, who had been in office since 2022 and 2021, lobbied hard for the project’s approval, framing it as a rare chance for economic development in a town that badly needed it.
· The farms that had long fueled Peculiar’s economy were dwindling, and the two men had watched for years as neighboring towns like Raymore and Belton became booming exurbs of Kansas City, filled with high-rise apartments and shiny new retail centers.
· But that vision for the town clashed with the wishes of longtime residents who cherished Peculiar’s unremarkable downtown for the remarkable peace it brought them…
Help Wanted
Greater St. Louis seeks Vice President, Government Relations. “As a senior member of the public policy team, the Vice President, Government Relations will serve as a principal representative of Greater St. Louis, Inc. in the Missouri and Illinois state Capitols, before administrative and regulatory agencies and bodies, and before county and municipal governments throughout the 15-county, bi-state metro area. The Vice President will be a registered lobbyist and will routinely interface with and give direction to our team of contract lobbyists…”
Lobbyist Registrations
Ron Berry added FWD.US, Inc.
William Gamble, Cynthia Gamble, and Kathryn Gamble added The University of Kansas Health System.
William Gamble, Jeffery Brooks, Cynthia Gamble, John Gamble, Kathryn Gambles, David Jackson, Jorgen Schlemeier, Sarah Schlemeier, and Nikki Strong deleted New Liberty Hospital District
Jorgen Schlemeier, David Jackson, Jeffery Brooks, Sarah Schlemeier, John Gamble, and Nikki Strong deleted New Liberty Hospital Corporation.
$5K+ Contributions
Pereles for Missouri - $50,000 from Joe Pereles.
Americans for Citizen Voting - $300,000 from Safe Streets Safe Communities (Washington, DC).
American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $10,000 from MOCS Action.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $40,000 from NEMO Leadership PAC.
House Democratic Campaign Committee - $9,000 from Missourians for a Fair Economy.
House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $10,000 from Missourians for Bishop Davidson.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $38,214 from American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, Inc.
Vote No on 3 - $10,000 from Larry Collett.
Vote No on 3 - $10,416 from Michele Slawson.
Missouri Stands With Women, Inc. - $12,500 from Mary Beth Rolwes.
Living Well PAC - $15,000 from Walgreens (Deerfield, IL).
St. Charles Realtors PAC - $10,000 from National Association of Realtors (Washington, DC).
Conservative Leadership for Southeast Missouri - $12,500 from SNK Real Property Holdings LLC.
UAW Region 4 Midwest States PAC (MO) - $5,813 from Midwest State Cap Exchange (Ottawa, IL).
Freedom Incorporated - $11,000 from House Democratic Campaign Committee.
Freedom Incorporated - $20,000 from Sports Betting Alliance (Lubbock, TX).
CWA-COPE Political Contributions Federal Committee - $8,400 from Communications Workers of America- COPE PCC (Washington, DC).
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Kyna Iman, Bruce DeGroot, Vince Schoemehl, and Mark Parkinson.