MOScout Daily Update: Wasinger Adds $1.5M, Poll Hints at Attack Lines - Malek Starts to Flood the Zone - School Choicers Back Nickson-Clark and more…

Wasinger Adds $1.5M

David Wasinger, one of six Republicans running for lieutenant governor, added $1,500,000 to his campaign account yesterday.  The huge self-funding infusion comes with just ten weeks until the primary election, and immediately puts Wasinger into the contention – assuming he deploys those resources with some measure of political savvy.

·       I’ve moved Wasinger up on the MOScout PowerRankings, into #2.  That’s still behind Sen. Lincoln Hough because the move brings him to parity with Hough; it’s not overwhelming force.

·       Sen. Holly Rehder drops to #3, though paradoxically her path may have widened slightly.  As the only woman in the six-person field, there’s a chance that the two million-dollar candidates focus their firepower on each other and leave her undirtied in the coming onslaught of negative ads.

We’ll see!

And

It looks like Wasinger is in the field with a poll.  Some of the questions forwarded to me by a MOScouter…

·       David Wasinger is a lifelong Missourian, a pro-Trump conservative outsider who has owned his own business for over 20 years, and wants to disrupt the political establishment in Jefferson City…

·       David Wasinger's youngest son was almost killed by a driver transporting illegal immigrants. He believes that illegal immigration is a big problem in Missouri and will stand with President Trump to stop the invasion at the southern border and deport illegal immigrants…

·       David Wasinger is a strong supporter of the pro-life movement and is the only candidate endorsed by Missouri Right to Life…

·       Lincoln Hough has consistently voted against protecting hardworking Missouri taxpayers by supporting reckless spending in our state's budgets and voted for the largest tax increase in State history…

·       Alongside liberal Democrats, Lincoln Hough voted against protecting girls' sports and voted against measures to ban DEI provisions and policies in the state, and Critical Race Theory…

·       Lincoln Hough opposes measures to ban foreign ownership of our agricultural lands, jeopardizing our national security and the livelihoods of Missouri farmers…

·       Holly Rehder voted to allow the Communist Party of China to buy up to 350,000 acres of Missouri farmland near our defense installations…

·       Holly Rehder is soft on crime. She voted to loosen mandatory minimum sentencing laws and worked with liberal Democrats to personally push legislation to legalize needle exchanges for drug users…

·       Holly Rehder and her former business, Integrity Communications, have been sued seven times for defamation, corruption, wrongful death, property damage, and failing to pay employees minimum wage and overtime…

School Choicers Back Nickson-Clark in Senate 13

In the large contributions (below) Quality Schools Coalition (see their website here) sent $10,000 to the PAC aligned with Rep. Chantelle Nickson-Clark.  She’s taking on incumbent Sen. Angela Mosley in the Senate 13 Democratic primary.

From a MOScout/Remington poll earlier this month (300 sample, MoE: +/- 5.6%).  It shows a vulnerable incumbent with lots of undecideds.  But an electorate more interested in supporting existing schools than expanding charters.

Q1: Candidates in the Democratic primary for Missouri State Senate District 13 are Angela Walton-Mosely and Chantelle Nickson-Clark. If the primary election were held today, for whom would you vote?

Angela Walton-Mosely: 34%

Chantelle Nickson-Clark: 13%

Undecided: 53%

Q3: Generally speaking, do you think it’s better to expand charter school options or keep resources focused on existing public schools?

Expand Charters: 27%

Focus on Existing: 53%

Not sure: 20%

Malek Starts “Floods the Zone” Spending

America's Promise PAC, supporting incumbent State Treasurer Vivek Malek, recently reported $2.5 million on hand – far more than any of his August 6 Republican primary challengers. And with Memorial Day and the legislative session behind us, the pro-Malek PAC is spending and flooding the zone across media.

·       One Malek-ite: A second mail piece has landed, a radio ad is up and text outreach is rolling. And there are billboards – including a big one on Interstate 70 west of I-270 in St. Louis showing Malek and President Donald Trump, with the message: "Vivek Malek stands with Trump. Tough on China. Tough on Woke."

In addition to the PAC Malek’s candidate committee, Malek for Missouri, reported $1.3 million cash on-hand in most recent reports, so there's $3.8 million available to boost Malek over the next 69 days – more all of his challengers COMBINED.

Listen to his radio ad here…

Ashcroft Fundy

One attendee: Governor Mike Huckabee and former NSA Director John Ratcliffe were quite the draw. Fairly certain I saw every GOP legislator in SWMO in the house at one point or another (from Cathy Jo Loy to Bishop Davidson to Brian Seitz) and Congressman Eric Burlison introduced Jay Ashcroft. Pretty spectacular event.

House Primaries

House 75 – Rep. Alan Gray is term limited.  He’s part of the Elbert Walton family franchise.  So, running to replace him is his niece Chanel Mosley, the daughter of Jay and Angela Mosley.  See her Facebook page here.  Mosley only has $50 in her campaign account.  But she presumably has plenty of organization heft behind her.  Mosley faces two opponents. Catina Howard (see her website here) has been involved in organized labor and will have their backing.  She has the most money in the bank, $3,896.  A.J. White is a Blackjack City Council member (see his Facebook page here).  He has $1,361 COH.

House 78 – This is the St. Louis City seat that Rasheen Aldridge vacated to run for alderman.  There are three strong, credible Democrats running.  Jami Cox Antwi might have the most impressive resume.  See her bio here. Antwi also has the most cash on-hand, $10,968, and looks like the front-runner.  Marty Murray, a committeeman with the Democratic Party, is also running.  See his website here.  He has $3,130 COH.  And Jessica Pachak (see her LinkedIn here) who had worked for charter school organization KIPP, though there’s been some controversy over her time there. She started her committee after deadline.

House 80 – Rep. Peter Merideth is term limited.  There’s a two-way primary to succeed him.  Ben Murray (see his website here) is familiar to folks in the building.  He’s been a legislative assistant for several years.  Murray originally ran for this seat against Merideth in 2016, losing 60% - 40%.  Murray knows how to run campaign, and has amassed a big fundraising lead with $27,313 COH.  He faces Lilly Fuchs (see her website here). She was previously the manager of public policy for PROMO, the LGBTQ advocacy organization. Fuchs has $6,163 cash on-hand.

House 81 – Rep. Steve Butz (see his bio here) is running for his final term. He faces two primary opponents.  The first, Bill Stephens, is a former St. Louis City alderman (see his website here).  This is a rematch from two years when Butz won 60% to 40%.  The second challenger is Cydney E. Johnson (see his Facebook here).  Butz has an overwhelming cash advantage $112,657 versus Stephen’s $2,613 and Johnson’s “Limited Activity.” Butz should coast to victory.

eMailbag on 340B

Hilarious to see the Freedom Caucus angle with 340B.  Proponents said passage would bring down drug costs and increase access.  It does neither.  It was a giveaway to the hospitals and PBMs.  No one in the House and Senate knew what they were voting on.  But many will wish they had that vote back in the coming weeks… 

eMailbag on Dueker Ethics Complaint

Team Ashcroft: “The Democrat Lobbyists for Kehoe Coalition is off to an impressive start. A bold Republican primary strategy, to say the least.”

New PACs

Missouri Conservative Principles PAC was formed.  Its to support Michael Steinmeyer who is running for House 20 as a Republican.  That’s where Rep. Aaron McMullen is vacating to run for state senate.  Steinmeyer doesn’t have a primary.  See the filing here.

$5K+ Contributions

Wasinger for Missouri - $1,500,000 from David Wasinger.

Chantelle PAC (pro-Nickson-Clark) - $10,000 from Quality Schools Coalition.

Show Me Growth PAC (pro-David Gregory) - $7,521 from Conservative Leaders of Missouri.

HealthPAC - $320,000 from MHA Management Services Corporation.

Ecumenical Leadership Council of MO Political Action Committee - $10,000 from Committee To Protect Mo Families.

Lobbyists Registrations

Ron Berry added US Term Limits, BJG Meat Co. LLC; and deleted Kill the Fill PAC

Courtney A Curtis added Clippers and Cops.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rep. Kevin Windham, Chris Dunn, Chuck Banks, and Glen Klippenstein.