MOScout Daily Update: Butz PAC Hits Mitten on Missed Votes - Chamber for Deering - A4 & A5 Drowning Out Others? and more…
Quick Friday update…
Senate 4: Butz PAC on Mitten’s Missed Votes
Butz PAC has a new ad hitting Gina Mitten for missed votes during her time as a state representative. See the ad here. This has proven a potent line of attack in other legislative races.
Gina Mitten says she'll be a fighter in the state senate. Really? Gina Mitten missed over 900 votes in the state house. And during important debates in Jeff City, she failed to show up over and over. Gina Mitten even missed 13 votes while in Honduras. So where do you think Gina Mitten will be when we need her in the state senate? Gina Mitten can't show up to vote for us. We can't show up to vote for her.
Senate 10: Chamber Goes Big for Deering
Missouri Chamber Political Institute reports spending $44,379 in support of Mike Deering in Senate 10. The filing (see it here) shows expenditures for direct mail and radio ads.
Oil Dashes Hopes of Price Relief for GOP
As President Donald Trump’s war with Iran reignites, folks will feel it at the pump. And that’s bad news for Republicans staring down the midterm elections in about three months.
A4 & A5 Crowding Out Races?
One consultant told me yesterday that there was concern that Senate race messages were being drowned out by the flood of A4 and A5 advertisements. Here are some of those campaign totals so far…
· Missouri Promise (pro-A5) - $15+ million.
· Protect Majority Rule (anti-A4) - $6.7 million.
· Missourians for Fair Taxation (anti-A5) - $2.8 million.
· No Everything Tax (anti-A5) - $1.8 million.
I do believe that voter fatigue is real.
MNEA-PAC Starting from Scratch?
From the Missouri NEA website: MNEA-PAC is a nonpartisan political action committee made up of members like you… When you give $5 per month, half of your contribution supports local school board, bond, and levy elections, while the other half helps elect MNEA members and candidates running for the state legislature who believe public funds should support public schools. After legislative red tape forced us to start from scratch, your monthly contribution will help rebuild the fund and strengthen our fight to protect Missouri’s constitutional right to free public education—fully funded and fully supported.
It’s unclear what they’re referring to. Perhaps HB 1871, which requires explicit consent for recurring political donations?
· Missouri NEA PAC reported $480,056 cash on-hand, in its July report.
Fitz on Bates Sheriff
Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick released an audit on the Bates County Sheriff. It wasn’t pretty. Read it here.
Sheriff Chad Anderson was elected Bates County Sheriff in November 2008 to a 4-year term. He was re-elected in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024, and is currently serving his fifth term which expires in 2028.
The Sheriff wasted public resources totaling at least $178,382, by maintaining a Mounted Patrol (MP) and funding a Sheriff's Posse (Posse) that had little or no apparent law enforcement purpose, funding rodeo and community events, donating to various private organizations, holding parties, and using county assets for personal use.
· Bates is represented by Sen. Rick Brattin and Reps. Sherri Gallick and Dane Diehl.
eMailbag
· What is remarkable about the STLCO numbers is they really haven't moved much since April. Brian Williams should have started earlier to solidify his lead but that time has passed, it is a bit disappointing. But Jake Zimmerman looks like he has a ceiling. I would say Brian is still a front runner with late deciders but it will be close.
· Sophie Shore doesn’t pick the most conservative candidate but she does pick ones that are able to tap into the anger of the electorate. She will win some races. But angry candidates generally don't make good legislators.
Lobbyist Registrations
Jewell Patek added Hitachi Energy USA, Inc.
Jay Reichard and Angie Schulte added Talon Concrete and Aggregates.
Sarah “Gracie” Cobb added AFSCME Council 61.
Thomas Robbins, Caleb Rowden, and Christopher Schoeman added Dogs for our Brave.
$5K+ Contributions
No Everything Tax (anti-A5) - $1,250,000 from National Education Association (Washington, DC).
No Everything Tax - $200,000 from Lynn Schuesterman (Tulsa, OK).
Protect Majority Rule Missouri (anti-A4) - $750,000 from National Education Association (Washington, DC).
Protect Majority Rule Missouri - $100,000 from We Are Missouri.
Conservative Justice for Missouri PAC (pro-Hanaway) - $10,000 from Xcaliber International Ltd LLC (Pryor, OK).
Good Hands PAC (pro-Mitten) - $40,000 from Carpenters - Regional Council.
Good Hands PAC - $10,000 from Missouri Gaming Association.
Butz STL PAC - $10,000 from MCR PAC.
Lead the Way PAC (pro-Vogel) - $50,000 from We the People Priorities PAC.
Lead the Way PAC - $22,600 from Conservative Leadership for SE MO.
Lead the Way PAC - $30,000 from MCR PAC.
Rural Missouri Values PAC (pro-Ed Lewis) - $50,000 from Rex Sinquefield.
Rural Missouri Values PAC - $50,000 from Let's Go Brandon PAC.
Let's Go Brandon PAC - $25,000 from NEMO Leadership PAC.
Beverly PAC (pro-Mike Jones) - $10,000 from Caesars Enterprise Services LLC (Las Vegas, NV).
The Missouri Way - $94,500 from J&J Ventures Gaming of Missouri, LLC.
Missouri Gaming PAC - $16,250 from IOC-Caruthersville.
Missouri Gaming PAC - $16,250 from IOC-Cape Girardeau.
Make Jefferson County Great Again PAC - $25,000 from Missouri Gaming PAC.
Make Jefferson County Great Again PAC - $10,000 from Missouri Future LLC.
WGPL Vote Yes Campaign Committee - $5,500 from Friends of the Webster Groves Public Library.
Catalyst PAC - $50,000 from Evergy Metro Inc.
Her Health, Her Future PAC - $15,000 from Conservative Solutions for Missouri PAC.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from AT&T.
MO Soybean Association State PAC (MO SoyPAC) - $5,040 from Musket Corporation (Houston, TX).
Citizens for State Parks Soil and Water - $50,000 from BPS & Cabelas Outdoor Fund.
House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc - $20,000 from AT&T.
Respect MO Voters Campaign - $50,000 from Kent Thiry (Denver, CO).
Missouri House Democrats Action Fund - $10,000 from AGC of MO PAC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Claire McCaskill, Betsy Ledgerwood, Jean Evans, Wes Rogers, Jim Lembke, Kim Tuttle, and Kevin Threlkeld.