MOScout Daily Update: Kehoe and Bailey Start With $1M for 2028 Re-elect - Kehoe’s Curse of Too Many Friends? - Trump Pro-Dreamers and more…
Large Campaign War-chests
The “30 Day After” campaign finance reports were filed last week. What I found most interesting were the large cash balances. I expected folks to have drained their reserves, and yet some have quickly rebuilt their war-chests.
Governor-elect Mike Kehoe and Attorney General Andrew Bailey will start with huge cash leads for their 2028 re-election. Their PACs have nearly $1 million on-hand even before swearing in to start their current terms.
· American Dream (Pro-Kehoe) - $920,976
· Liberty and Justice (Pro-Bailey) - $922,632
And their candidate committees have nice stashes as well…
· Citizens To Elect Mike Kehoe - $293,867
· Bailey for Missouri - $171,323
Dems concerned about how they were outspent by the House Republican Campaign Committee face some bad news, HRCC showed $756,323 cash on-hand. That quite a head-start for 2026.
Other large COHs…
· Jon Patterson’s candidate committee - $303,433
· Tony Luetkemeyer’s PAC - $499,376
· John Rizzo’s PAC - $583,247
· Stephen Webber’s candidate committee - $461,478
· And surprisingly, the pro-Joe Pereles PAC finished with a nice pile untouched: $297,775.
And
Speaking of campaign committees, some observers think that former Speaker Rob Vescovo’s recent termination of this candidate committee is a prelude to him lobbying in Missouri.
Lobbyists aren’t allowed to have candidate committees.
We’ll see…
On Today’s Calendar
Press release: Monday, December 9, Governor Mike Parson will travel to Osage Beach to participate in Missouri Farm Bureau's annual meeting.
Everyone Knows Kehoe…
The lobbyists in the hallway of the capitol naturally feel more comfortable with a governor on the second floor who has risen through the political ranks. They’re a well-known commodity with lots of relationships. The classic contrast would be the change from Eric Greitens, who stormed into office with no prior experience, versus his successor Mike Parson who spent time as sheriff, in the House, in the Senate and the LG’s office.
Mike Kehoe, though, seems to be an exceptional case. As a Jefferson City resident with deep ties to that community, and as a personable fellow who has a talent connecting with people, there are a lot of folks who feel that they know Kehoe, and have a relationship with him.
It’s part of Kehoe’s success as a politician. However now, a month from his taking the actual the reins of governance, I wonder if we’re going to see some tension.
· As Kehoe rolls out his various cabinet positions, there will likely be various folks competing for spots who each feels they have a special relationship with the governor-elect.
· And of course once January comes, his administration will invariably have to say No to some requests, have to choose sides in matters large and small. In short, he’ll be picking winners and losers every day.
Will Kehoe retain his charming aura once the messy work of governance begins?
Trump Won’t Target Dreamers
In an interview over the weekend, Donald Trump sounded sympathetic to the “Dreamers,” illegal immigrants who were brought to the country by their parents when they were children. They’ve grown up here, playing by the rules, and still find themselves “illegal.”
“We have to do something about the Dreamers, because these are people that have been brought here at a very young age, and many of these are middle-aged people now, they don’t even speak the language of their country,” Trump said, adding: “I will work with the Democrats on a plan.” “They were brought into this country many years ago,” he continued. “Some of them are no longer young people, and in many cases they've become successful. They have great jobs. In some cases, they have small businesses. Some cases they might have large businesses, and we’re going to have to do something with them.”
· Missouri could do a lot more to make the state a place where Dreamers will grow their businesses and raise their families. One recent case in Missouri of a Dreamer not being allowed to receive her nursing license because of her status.
McGaugh Suspension
The Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline recommended that Judge Joe Don McGaugh be suspended from office without pay for six months while he undergoes mental health treatment.
eMailbag on Smith Advice for Dems
· Republican: “Smith’s piece is thoughtful and full of good advice for Missouri Dems - stuff that would not only help Dems but help the whole state function better. Thankfully for Republicans, the left won't listen – they’ll probably just fume at him for having the temerity to say it.”
· Democrat: “Man, Jeff Smith used to be so smart. What happened.”
Lobbyist Registrations
Adam Kazda added Anheuser-Busch.
Nexus Group added BRINC Drones Inc.
Maddie McMillan Green added US Strategic Metals, and Molson Coors Beverage Company USA LLC.
Jack Dobbs, Sophie Falco, Apollo Langum, Shannon Locke, Tiffany Amber McIntire, Ben Pillsbury, Evan Rainville, and Anna Caroline Shuler added Associated Students of the University of Missouri.
Ginger Steinmetz deleted the Husch Blackwell Strategies clients.
Brad Ketcher deleted Consumer Action Network, Inc.
Olivia Wilson deleted Promontory 150 LLC c/o Platform Ventures, LLC.
Alan Meizlik deleted Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Jeff Smith, Heidi Geisbuhler Sutherland, and Blake Lawrence.