— Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster ended the third quarter with nearly $1.2 million on hand – more than any of the other lawmakers currently considering 2016 bids.
Koster, a Democrat who is vocally considering a campaign for governor in 2016, raised more than half a million dollars between July 1 and September 30.
Nearly two-thirds of Koster’s campaign cash came from 20 large donors, including two separate $50,000 checks from Red-Card Systems, a cloud-based medical document service, and Simmons Browder Gianaris Angelides & Barnerd, a national asbestos litigation firm based in St. Louis. Another $100,000 came from four large law firms, and the other nearly $143,000 in large contributions came from various labor groups, businesses, and even included a $10,000 nod from GOP donor August Busch.
Koster’s large war chest – some of which he’s pledged to donate to Democrats hoping to take back seats in the General Assembly – is about double the size of State Sen. Kurt Schaefer’s, R-Columbia, who announced his intention to seek Koster’s seat in 2016. Schaefer’s campaign coffers received a significant boost when his family trust fund contributed $500,000 ahead of his announcement.
Schaefer is joined by House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, and state Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-St. Louis, in considering 2016 campaigns – possibly all for attorney general. Jones raised nearly $236,000 in the third quarter, ending with some $742,000 on hand. Schmitt, meanwhile, raised just over $171,000, ending with $764,000 on hand – $22,000 more than Jones.
State Auditor Tom Schweich, a Republican up for reelection next year, has made no secret of his interest in running statewide in 2016 if he is successful in 2014. His campaign account – topping $500,000 this quarter – dwarfed his Democratic rival’s, leading one Republican to remark bluntly on Tuesday, “he’s raising money for a governor’s race.”
Gov. Jay Nixon and State Treasurer Clint Zwiefel, both Democrats termed out in 2016, continued to raise significant campaign cash in the third quarter. Nixon raised $149,000 and ended up with almost $500,000 on hand, while Zweifel raised $177,500 and ended with $231,000.
Oren Shur, Nixon’s campaign manager, did not reveal much about Nixon’s intentions in a statement earlier this month: “The Governor is focused on doing what it takes to strengthen our schools and keep our economy growing, and these resources will be used to advance that agenda in various ways.”
Like Nixon, Zweifel’s intentions with his own campaign fund are equally unclear. The funds could not be used for a 2016 race against Sen. Roy Blunt, R., as Zweifel is said to be considering. However, the money could be used to back ballot initiatives (in which Nixon has expressed interest) or to support other Democratic candidates (as Zweifel has suggested).
Aside from them, Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Louis, and Senate Leader Ron Richard each pulled in significant campaign funds in the third quarter. They were joined by House Majority Floor Leader John Diehl, who is next in line for Speaker of the House when Jones is termed out in 2014.