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Mike Parson tops the lieutenant governor race with $794,384 as of June 30.
Mike Parson tops the lieutenant governor race with $794,384 as of June 30.

Businesspeople contribute to political campaigns

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Candidates Mike Parson and Roy Blunt are the top second-quarter campaign fundraisers locally, according to campaign filings reported on July 15.

With the help of the agriculture community, Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, led the way in fundraising for the Show-Me State’s lieutenant governor race with $794,384 in cash on hand as of June 30, according to campaign finance reports with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Some leading contributors were Bill Darr of American Dehydrated Foods and the namesake of the William H. Darr School of Agriculture at Missouri State University, who gave $2,500 and Peter Herschend of Herschend Family Entertainment, who gave $5,000.

Aaron Owen, general manager of the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, said he isn’t usually one to donate to political candidates, but Parson was an exception.

“We farm, and Mike’s got a strong agriculture background,” said Owen, who donated $500 to Parson’s campaign. “He has an understanding of agriculture and is a great voice from the farm community.”

As a state senator, Parson has served on Missouri’s Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee since his election in 2011, sponsoring, among others, bills that modified provisions relating to livestock trespass liability and modified provisions relating to agriculture.

“He’s got a great work history and stuff like that, but it was mostly his ties to agriculture,” said Owen.

Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College, said he supported Parson with $500 because he’s a friend and from the Springfield area.

“I’m always wanting people from southwest Missouri to be in a position of leadership,” Higdon said. “I’m bipartisan. I don’t really consider myself a Republican or a Democrat. If someone is running for office and I like them, then I’m willing to write them a check and Mike is one of the finest people I know.”

Trailing Parson was Kansas City attorney and fellow Republican Bev Randles, who reported $536,036 in cash on hand. Others in the running are Russ Carnahan, a former U.S. representative, at $341,733; Rep. Tommie Pierson, D-St. Louis, at $4,907; and Democratic candidate Winston Apple, at $1,656.

U.S. Senate and House
Incumbent Republican Sen. Roy Blunt leads the fundraising race for the junior Missouri seat. As of June 30, he had $6.8 million in cash on hand, according to a news release. Major donors to the campaign were undisclosed for the current filing. Blunt’s Democratic challenger Jason Kander reported $3.8 million.

For the seventh congressional district of Missouri in the U.S. House of Representatives, incumbent Republican Billy Long had a clear lead with $610,501 on hand.

Jared Enterprises Inc. CEO Curtis Jared donated $1,700 to Long’s campaign, saying it’s important to support the incumbent and his conservative values.

“The thing a lot of people don’t understand is that you’re not going to sit there and change the system in just one or two terms,” said Jared. “It’s going to take time to gain seniority in order to get on certain committees and get your bills and everything submitted.”

Jared also appreciated Long’s support of proposed legislation known as the Marketplace Fairness Act, which would enable state governments to collect sales and use taxes from remote retailers with no physical presence in their state. Jared believes most shoppers don’t realize online sales detract from local tax revenue for cities and school districts.
 
“[If] you’re worried about your communities tax revenue, not having enough of an increase, or even a loss,” he said, “online sales do hurt that.”

Other republicans running for the 7th District, Mary Byrne, at $1,947, and Ray Spencer, at $149, trailed Long, according to the filings.

Missouri Senate and House
Incumbent Republican David Sater, of the 29th district, is the sole southwest Missouri state senator seeking re-election this year. As of June 30, Sater had $92,859 on hand, according to the Missouri Ethics Commission. He’s running unopposed.

All 16 Springfield-area House districts are up for election this year. As of June 30, politicians in the districts reported cash on hand of:

• 128: Republicans Mike Stephens, $28,741; Rick Vance, $1,758; and Roy Harms, $228;

• 129: Incumbent Republican Sandy Crawford, $51,929;

• 130: Incumbent Republican Jeffrey Messenger, $5,957, and Democrat Ella Goeppinger, $563;

• 131: Incumbent Republican Sonya Anderson, $14,459; Democrat Nate Branscom, $402; and Libertarian Arthur Hodge, no money on hand;

• 132: Democrats Crystal Quade, $18,771, and Bob Sweere, $5,683; and Republicans Tyler Hobbs, $3,874, and Thomas Quinn, $2,610;

• 133: Republicans Curtis Trent, $76,926, who only received $1,420 of that sum this quarter; Matthew Sims, $22,204; Mike Goodart, $7,168; and David Cort, $2,482;

• 134: Incumbent Republican Elijah Haahr, $109,873; of which $21,375 came in this quarter; and Democrat Angela Pryor reported $4,550;

• 135: Democrat Randy Alberhasky, $23,399; Republican Steve Helms, $13,631; and Libertarian David Carr, no money on hand;

• 136: Incumbent Republican Kevin Austin, $53,587; and Democrat Jeff Munzinger, $26,357;

• 137: Incumbent Republican Lyndall Fraker, $15,572; and Republican Jake Myers, nothing filed;

• 138: Incumbent Republican Don Phillips, $20,719;

• 139: Incumbent Republic Jered Taylor, $831;

• 140: Incumbent Republican Lynn Morris, $75,331; and Democrat Jim Billedo, $6,460;

• 155: Incumbent Republican Lyle Rowland, $3,377; and Republican Mike Lind, no money on hand;

• 156: Incumbent Republican Jeffery Justus, $4,259; and

• 158: Incumbent Republican Scott Fitzpatrick, $44,456.

Web Producer Geoff Pickle contributed.

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