Given the millions of dollars raised by the top two candidates for the job, being a U.S. senator from Missouri must be a pretty sweet gig.
Federal campaign reports filed this week show that the two leading candidates for the office that voters get to fill on Nov. 5 have a combined war chest of almost $9 million.
Incumbent GOP U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley holds about $5.5 million cash on hand, and Democrat Lucas Kunce is operating with about $3.3 million.
Federal campaign reports filed earlier this week show that for the second straight quarter, Kunce outraised Hawley: $2.27 million to $1.92 million.
Hawley was elected to his first term in 2018, defeating incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill.
This is Kunce’s second attempt at a U.S. Senate seat. In 2022, he lost the Democratic primary to Trudy Busch Valentine, who went on to lose to Attorney General Eric Schmitt, the Republican nominee, in the general election.
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Several other Democratic candidates engaged in enough fundraising activity to require the filing of reports.
State Sen. Karla May, of ºüÀêÊÓƵ, has raised a total of about $37,000 and has about $6,300 cash on hand. Columbia activist December Harmon has reported raising about $14,700 and has spent all but about $2,000 of it.
Democrats Mita Biswas and Samuel Rutherford and Republican Christopher Murphy will be on ballot for the primaries, which are Aug. 6.
Independent candidate Jared Young of the Joplin area reported raising almost $365,000, with about $205,000 coming from his loaning money to the campaign.
He will appear on the November ballot, as will Libertarian W.C. Young and Doris Canady of the Socialist Equality Party.