Given the importance of passing the plate in politics, let鈥檚 look at the latest campaign finance numbers of the Democrats vying to challenge GOP U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley in the November 2024 election:
狐狸视频 County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell has raised about $162,000 since announcing his candidacy last month for the U.S. Senate.
In a Federal Election Commission report filed Monday, Bell shows that his Washington, D.C.-aimed effort has raised $162,472 since he announced June 8 that he would join the August 2024 Democratic primary race.
The best-known candidate statewide in the race is Lucas Kunce, who ran unsuccessfully against Trudy Busch Valentine for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in 2022.
Missouri state Sen. Karla May is the other major candidate in the primary race. Because she waited until last week to announce her bid, she is not required to file a report until Oct. 15.
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Also running is Columbia activist December Harmon, who did not file a report.
Some of the individual contributors to Bell鈥檚 campaign include several well-known political players and local lawyers in the 狐狸视频 area.
Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop, has ponied up $2,500 to Bell鈥檚 campaign; and another $2,500 came from her husband, Robert Fox. The Clark-Fox duo has been active contributors to several local progressive candidates.
Political consultant Jeff Rainford, a former television reporter who served as chief of staff to 狐狸视频 Mayor Francis Slay, donated $500 on June 30 to Bell鈥檚 run.
Richard K. Weil and Josephine Weil each contributed $3,300 to Bell鈥檚 camp. Richard Weil is the former executive editor of the 狐狸视频 and a founder of The Beacon, an online news service that merged with 狐狸视频 Public Radio.
In total, Bell received $3,300 donations 鈥 by federal law, the largest amount allowed from an individual for a single election 鈥 from 17 separate contributors.
Richard Finneran of the Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner law firm and John Beuerlein, former general partner of Edward Jones, both kicked in a total of $6,600 to Bell.
Federal law allows a donor to make the maximum donation for both the primary and general election, which is in November 2024.
From the barrister and solicitor section of contributions, noted defense lawyers Jermaine Wooten ($3,300), Scott Rosenblum ($3,000), Travis Noble ($2,500) and Joel Schwartz ($500) appear on Bell鈥檚 contributions list, as does former St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar ($500).
Even one of Bell鈥檚 top prosecutor employees got into the act: Tim Swope, operations director for Bell鈥檚 office, kicked in $3,000 for his boss鈥 Senate bid.
Bell鈥檚 FEC report shows that his campaign has spent just slightly more than $27,000 so far, but the information available Monday did not contain any specific expenditures.
Kunce鈥檚 latest campaign report shows that he raised about $1.2 million in this year鈥檚 second quarter 鈥 the period covered by this latest report, April through June. That haul brings Kunce鈥檚 2023 total raised to $2.3 million.
In the important 鈥渃ash on hand鈥 department, the Kunce campaign lists that it has slightly less than $1.2 million in its coffers, while Bell鈥檚 campaign has slightly more than $135,000.
As expected, both Kunce and Bell are pleased with the size of their war chests at this point.
The Kunce camp noted that its candidate 鈥渃ontinues to set fundraising records and has the most cash on hand for any Missouri Senate candidate challenging an incumbent in the last two decades.鈥
鈥淎nd he鈥檚 done it without taking a cent from corporate PACs,鈥 Kunce鈥檚 campaign said.
Not to be outdone in terms of satisfaction, the Bell campaign said in a statement that it is 鈥渆xcited about the momentum of our campaign.
鈥淲esley is already in a competitive position to win this primary,鈥 a statement said.
BELL RINGERS: In related Bell campaign news, the prosecutor鈥檚 U.S. Senate campaign garnered endorsements last week from a handful of elected officials, including two 狐狸视频 aldermen, Shameem Clark Hubbard and Pam Boyd, and Wellston Mayor Nate Griffin.
He also picked up endorsement from several 狐狸视频 County police and fire chiefs, including John Buchanan of the North County Police Cooperative, Aaron Jimenez of St. Ann police and Quinten Randolph of the Northeast Ambulance and Fire District.
Editor鈥檚 note: An earlier version of this column did not indicate that John Beuerlein is the former chairman of Edward Jones.