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With statewide aspirations, Schaefer family check elevates campaign committee

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — On the day most lawmakers were set to roll out their second quarter campaign finance reports, state Sen. Kurt Schaefer — term limited in the Senate — signaled his hopes for a political future are far from over.

Schaefer’s campaign committee reported a $500,000 check from his family’s trust fund in St. Louis — adding to more than $80,000 his committee reported on hand at the end of June.

Schaefer, a Columbia Republican, is one of a handful of state lawmakers already mulling statewide aspirations in 2016. Schaefer has indicated his interest in running in the 2016 Republican primary for attorney general, and he is not alone. House Speaker Tim Jones and state Sen. Eric Schmitt are also said to be considering seeking the party’s nomination for the office.

Jones, with more than $628,193 on hand, is the fundraising favorite this far away from August 2016, but sources close to Schaefer’s campaign said Monday’s contribution is the “just first step” in a long process as Schaefer considers how he can “continue to serve.”

While the check elevates Schaefer’s campaign committee’s competitiveness to that of his potential rivals, the political posturing for the post began months ago. Schaefer, Jones, and Schmitt, in their various leadership posts within the General Assembly, used the Department of Revenue document scanning controversy to elevate their names in the statewide conversation.

Jones as House Speaker and Schaefer as Senate Appropriations Committee chairman used their positions to travel the state and present themselves as conservatives fighting perceived government overreach to voters in all parts of the state, but with a specific focus on southwest Missouri — pivotal battleground in GOP primaries.

Schmitt, a St. Louis area Republican, has more than $602,000 on hand, according to his April filing. In addition to a 2016 run for attorney general, he is said to be considering a run for St. Louis county executive. Excluding Monday’s contribution, Schmitt pulled in $55,000 between April 1 and June 30.

Jones raised $71,000 (excluding some $100,000 he is expected to report in the third quarter from his golf tournament fundraiser). In the same time period, Schaefer raised nearly $67,000.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article miss attributed Schmitt’s contribution history to the second quarter, not the first.