Thursday, September 20, 2012

New House Candidate Fundraising


 It's interesting that the top new democrat candidates have out raised the top new republican candidates. It has been a long time since any group of democrats have out raised a group of republicans. If they can work together as a team it will be a good sign for the democrats in 2014/16, but team and politics are a big "if". Looking at the top fundraisers in the incoming class is a very good way to identify future leaders. It seems that the skills necessary to raise money many times lead to success in caucus politics.




Top Democrat New Candidates
                                                                       Total Raised           
  1. John      Wright                   D         $167,434.20
  2. Will         Talbert                 D          $83,938.17
  3. Ken        Jacob                  D          $82,315.86- former senator
  4. Jeff        Roorda                 D          $75,725.36- former rep.
  5. Deb        Lavender             D          $50,463.56
  6. Keith     English                  D          $39,858.19
  7. Jeremy LaFaver                 D          $35,847.65
  8. Tom       Todd                   D          $33,372.63 –former rep.
  9. Rebecca McClanahan       D          $33,064.00 –former rep.
  10. Holmes   Osborne             D          $31,294.02
  11. Vicki       Englund             D           $29,315.94- former rep.
  12. Michael  Frame                D           $28,142.12- former rep.
                TOTAL                                  $607,317

Top Republican New Candidates
                                                                       Total Raised
  1. Kevin     Engler                  R         $140,562.50-former senator           
  2. Rocky    Miller                   R          $77,798.51              
  3. Holly      Rehder                 R          $58,032.59              
  4. Delus     Johnson                R          $44,995.00             
  5. Derrick  Good                    R          $40,187.50 –former rep.   
  6. Lynn      Morris                  R          $37,766.00              
  7. Donna   Pfautsch                R          $33,631.60             
  8. Ken        Wilson                 R          $32,047.89              
  9. Glen      Kolkmeyer            R          $29,984.34             
  10. Elijah     Haahr                   R          $28,157.00              
  11. Elaine    Gannon                 R          $25,765.60              
TOTAL                                      $591,006    

Friday, September 7, 2012

TOP HOUSE FUNDRAISERS


 
 
Here is a look at some of the top fundraisers in the Missouri House. Most expected the key committee chairs and top leadership to be on these lists, but there are some other names emerging that may surprise a few political observers.

Monday we will post the top non-incumbent candidates.  This is a very surprising list and we will point out a few interesting facts that could affect the future makeup of the Missouri House.  



Top 10 House Fundraisers

                                                                      Total Raised

1.       Tim         Jones                    R           $704,295.91

2.       John      Diehl Jr                R              $341,782.42

3.       Mike      Colona                  D             $233,194.96

4.      
 
5.       Caleb     Jones                    R             $187,391.12

6.       John      Wright                  D             $167,434.20

7.       Jeanie   Riddle                   R             $160,304.64

8.       Todd      Richardson          R             $152,745.00

9.       Kevin     Engler                   R             $140,562.50-former senator

10.   Tom       Flanigan               R             $88,710.00

 

Top 10 Republicans

                                                                       Total Raised

1.       Tim         Jones                    R           $704,295.91

2.       John      Diehl Jr                R              $341,782.42

3.       Caleb     Jones                    R             $187,391.12

4.       Jeanie   Riddle                   R             $160,304.64

5.       Todd      Richardson          R             $152,745.00

6.       Kevin     Engler                   R             $140,562.50 –former senator

7.       Tom       Flanigan               R                $88,710.00

8.       Rocky    Miller                   R               $77,798.51

9.       Lincoln  Hough                   R                 $77,493.00

10.   Noel      Torpey                  R                $75,453.93

 

Top 10 Democrats

                                                                         Total Raised         

1.       Mike      Colona                 D            $233,194.96

2.      

3.       John      Wright                 D            $167,434.20

4.       Will         Talbert                 D            $83,938.17

5.       Ken        Jacob                    D            $82,315.86 –former senator

6.       Steve    Hodges                D            $78,883.50

7.       Jeff        Roorda                D            $75,725.36- former rep.

8.       Chris      Kelly                     D            $73,417.99

9.       Penny   Hubbard              D            $70,412.41

10.   Jill           Schupp                D            $59,167.44

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

MISSOURI PRIMARY CONSULTANT SCORECARD



Here is a quick look at how the different consultants did on primary night. We need to do more research on reports to get an exact picture of who ran which campaigns, but from the available information we were able to put this together. You will see that some consultants had very good night while others were taken to the woodshed.

Keep in mind some of these companies only handled mail or phones or media and were not the general consultant running the show. It is funny how when they are involved in a losing race they explain how they really didn't have anything to do with the loss. But on those that they are involved in that win, they explain how helpful they were to the campaign and want the credit for the victory.

As the old quote goes, “Victory has a thousand fathers while defeat is an orphan!”

If we missed a race or have soemthing wrong please email us and let us know.  Once the new finance reports come out we will be able to improve this list.


 

Sunday, August 5, 2012

TEST YOUR POLITICAL SKILLS ON 12 MISSOURI PRIMARIES

 HOW GOOD ARE YOUR POLITICAL SKILLS???

Check out our contest on Facebook. Take a few minutes to pick the winners in 12 very competitive races across Missouri. We have some nice prizes and bragging rights for the winner.

Go to this link and pick the winners in each of the highlighted races. We have republican and democrat primaries in Federal, Statewide, State Senate and State House races in the mix. It will take a keen mind to win it.



http://www.facebook.com/#!/missouripoliticalbug

72nd HOUSE RACE TURNS NASTY

Nichols, McGeoghegan and Berry Fight It Out


72nd HOUSE RACE TURNS NASTY

Wow the 72nd race between Nichols, McGeoghegan and Berry is heating up.  While most thought it would come down to the two incumbents with Berry trailing in third it had taken an odd twist. 

McGeoghegan has about 45% of her old district in the new 72nd while Nichols has out raised her opponents.  She brought in over $42k to McGeoghegan's $17k while Berry has spent about $3k.  

Nichols recently launched a negative attack on Berry claiming he lost his bail bondsman license and was not living at his home.  Berry sent out the following hard hitting video denying the claims and calling Nichols a lie.  

The big question is why would anyone need to attack Berry?  He has no no money and with only a 16% minority population it's hard to understand how he was a threat.  

Berry must be doing better then he shows on paper.  We won't get into the charges and counter charges here but you can watch the video and see for yourself.






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blWD48FlYwU&feature=youtube_gdata_player
  

Friday, August 3, 2012

I'm up working on candidate backgrounds tonight and came across Terry L. Wilson's bio while consuming energy drinks and thought others might need a pick me up in the morning.  I have to say it is the "best" bio I have seen.  BTW- He is running in HD 66 but we did not project him as the winner.  This may not seem as funny to you as it is to me after a all nighter.

A few lines I thought were hilarious:

"Since his inception" -I have never seen a birth described this way in a bio.

"While matriculating through various acts of service" - I'm a country boy.  Is this like making coffee?? 

"ultimately decided to give more of himself to children, families and communities"- I was going to try out for the cardinals at age 21, but I too decided I would give more of myself to children and families so I got married, had two kids and joined the Marine Corps.

"has a 6 month old son Terry L Wilson Jr" -I'm surprised a servant like this would name a child after himself,but after reading more who else would be better to be named after?

"His work ethic, drive, dedication, tenacity, unswerving loyalty and determination are awe-inspiring"- This bio inspired me to pick his opponent as the winner.

"a man on the move and poised to do major and impactful things for years to come"- Look at all he has done already at only 29, the future is bright, I'm getting my shades.


Notice his favorite quote-  "Believe in who you are, there is nothing you can't do, you can touch the sun by believing in you" Clearly he believes. 

Here is the entire Bio for your reading pleasure. 


Terry L. Wilson is currently the Program Coordinator for Beyond Housing Pagedale Family Support Center and the Executive Vice President of ACOK Media Group, which is a subsidiary of ACOK, LLC.

Mr. Wilson also serves as Director of Jennings School Board in St. Louis County; he was elected to the Board April 2011. Since his inception December 9, 1981 Terry L. Wilson was born to serve. Birth from ...a exceptional Educator and Mother Yolanda Austin, his pedigree commanded nothing but excellence.

With the aid of his mother and a caring stepfather Harold Austin, he learned valuable lessons and values that taught him a true sense of teamwork, faith, pride, leadership and service. On his stepfather’s baseball team as a young boy, he learned honor, integrity, teamwork and leadership. From his mother’s educational influence he learned the values of studying hard, striving to put forth your best work, and doing things right the first time. He took from them love, compassion, consideration, faith and service.

Mr. Wilson is a graduate of Cleveland Junior Naval Academy High School where he excelled in baseball, football and extracurricular activities. He is a graduate of the Chief of Naval Education and Training approved Area 9 Managed Mini-Boot Camp at Great Lakes and Leadership Academy.

While matriculating through various acts of service he received his undergraduate education from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO. Terry is currently pursuing a Master Degree from Fontbonne University in Non-Profit Management. Terry played 2 years of college football for The Lincoln University Blue Tiger Football Team and ultimately decided to give more of himself to children, families and communities.

Mr. Wilson participated in an array of community service projects & school initiatives as a student and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Projects such as: Project Alpha which is a teen pregnancy prevention program, A Voteless People Is A Hopeless People® Campaign, Go To School Go To College Campaign, March of Dimes Walk-A-Thon, Jefferson City Boys & Girls Club Volunteer, Habitat For Humanity House Builder, Alpha Psi Chapter Mentor Program, Zeta Alpha Chapter Mentor Program, NAACP, Student Government Association, Campus Activity Board Committee Chair for Special Events, Alpha Psi Chapter President and a multitude of others during the school year.

He spent his summers working his way up through the ranks of the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® Program with the Jamison Memorial Human Resource & Development Agency. This program is a national literacy and cultural enrichment program that helps thousands of children nationwide and promotes social action and the love of self, family, community, country and world.

Terry Wilson served as a Junior Servant Leader in 2000, Servant Leader Intern in 2001, Assistant Site Coordinator in 2002, Project Assistant in 2003, Site Coordinator in 2005-2007, Project Director in 2008 and now National Training Team Consultant. His passion for the enrichment and justice for children, families and communities also motivated him to help his mother in the founding of the Bonita Scott Colon Cancer Fund bringing awareness of the threat of Colon Cancer to residents in North St. Louis and also a member of the Reid Scholarship Board of Directors.

Terry Wilson is married to LaChrista Wilson has a 6 month old son Terry L Wilson Jr. and resides in Jennings Mo of North St. Louis County. He is also a member of Shalom Church City of Peace Dr.Freddy James Clark Pastor, where he serves on the Scholarship Ministry there. His work ethic, drive, dedication, tenacity, unswerving loyalty and determination are awe-inspiring. He is truly a courageous individual, a man of God, a loving husband and father, a man of integrity, a man on the move and poised to do major and impactful things for years to come.


Favorite Quotations
"Believe in who you are there is nothing you can't do you can touch the sun by believing in you"

He sounds like a good guy who is helping people and I shouldn't be making fun of his bio, but I'm tired.

Friday, May 18, 2012

MISSOURI POLITICAL BUG'S CRAZY CONGRESSINAL REDISTRICTING HYPOTHISIS



Dear Missouri Political Observers,
In January we quietly whispered to a few of our Republican and Democrat friends that we thought the Courts were going to redraw the Congressional map in order to avoid a nasty primary between Clay and Carnahan.  We were basically laughed at and told that was impossible. 

The ridicule made us think that they were right and that it probably was a farfetched idea, so we dropped the thought.  The reason we began thinking that the Supreme Court might change the lines was because Russ Carnahan never stopped campaigning or fundraising.  When those lines came out we thought any normal candidate (especially with his name ID) would make the move into another race.  Then after Robin Carnahan decided not to seek re-election we were sure Russ would run for Secretary of State.  But he didn’t.  He just kept campaigning and fundraising and working the new district.
That’s when we started wondering if a birdie told him to sit tight, stay the course and things would change.  After all the Supreme Court leans slightly to the left and a few of the judges have close ties with the Carnahans.  On top of that the Republicans basically rammed through a map (with Clay’s help) that will result in 6 Republicans and 2 Democrats.  It wouldn’t be hard for a judge to feel like that was not fair. 

Then the Senate maps were thrown out, while the House maps were upheld and we thought about what our friends had said to us and decided they must have been right.  That was at the beginning of April.
Now we are in the middle of May and we are still wondering why the court challenge to the congressional maps has not been decided.  Would you like to hear our crazy theory? 

It could be that the Supremes are waiting for session to be over so that the Republican legislature cannot be called back into a special session to pass a map without the Governor.  That would mean the Court has to draw the lines.   Under that scenario they could do several things.
In both these scenarios they could easily fix Cleavers district and make it much more compact and winnable.

Option 1- They could draw Clay a nice district and give Carnahan a winnable district that would avoid a Democratic primary.  This would shift the other districts around and most likely put two Republican candidates together.  Luetkemeyer and Wagner could easily find themselves running in a heated primary with less than 60 days away.  Depending on how the lines were drawn Wagner could have more primary votes in her eastern region of the district which would be a bloodbath for republicans. 
Option 2- Clay and Carnahan get the same deal as option 1 but this time they put Luetkemeyer in with Hartzler.   This would create a wild primary between the Republicans leaving Hensley in a stronger position for the general election against the bruised and battered Republican primary winner. 

We know it sounds crazy and this probably never will happen … BUT it would keep our congressional districts more in line with the competitive nature of the state and it would avoid a costly primary for the Democrats while forcing a bloody Republican primary and drawing attention, resources and focus away from the U.S. Senate race. 
We know what you’re thinking.  Your saying, “Bug, judges are just not that partisan!”   We know you want to believe that and we want to believe that but history shows how hard it is to keep politics from creeping into the bench, and in this case it would be easy for a judge to feel like the Republicans overstepped their bounds by overriding the Governor.

Then you add, “It’s too late for a new map because the ballots are already printed.” No, the ballots have to be printed by the end of June.
So you point out, “This won’t help Russ he will have to take Jefferson County back and he lost Jefferson County to Martin in 2010.  He will still have a primary.”  We doubt he will have a primary with less than 60 days for a candidate to raise over $1M million. We think if they redraw the lines the only candidates that could run would be those who already are raising money, and attending events.   

A few experts even predict that Russ has a legitimate chance to beat Clay in a primary, which we feel only bolsters the odds that any of Clay's friends in the judiciary may be angling for a new map.  

But you ask, “Bug, for this to work Gov. Nixon has to know about it. Why did the Gov. endorse Clay if he knew this was going to happen?”   Good point.  We haven’t figured that one out yet.
Finally you state, “There is no way the judges can re-draw congressional lines without the legislature or governor at this late date.”  We know seems odd, but they really do have jurisdiction.

 Bottom line is our whole hypothesis is probably completely off base, BUT why haven’t they put this case to rest?  They threw out the Missouri House challenge.  So why haven’t they dropped this one weeks ago?  What are they waiting for? 
Keep in mind we have no inside scoop and no one has told us this might happen.  (the opposite is what we have heard) We are just reading the tea leaves and things are not adding up.   
We may be crazy for even mentioning this, but we would appreciate your thoughts on why we are wrong. 

Sincerely,
The Bug