It was a very good year for the coffers of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Lucas Kunce, who collected more money than his main opponent, GOP incumbent Josh Hawley.
In 2023, Kunce’s campaign raised about $5.4 million, compared to $4.9 million by Hawley, according to campaign reports filed earlier this week with the Federal Election Commission.
Kunce also closed out 2023 in strong fashion, out-collecting Hawley in the last three months of 2023, $1.54 million to $1.31 million.
That said, Hawley’s campaign still has more than twice the amount of cash on hand than does Kunce’s group — $4.9 million, compared to $2.2 million.
This is Kunce’s second attempt to gain a U.S. Senate seat in Missouri. In 2022, he lost the Democratic primary to Trudy Busch Valentine, who then was defeated in the general election by Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt.
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Kunce has just two opponents in this year’s August primary, now that Ƶ County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell withdrew from the race to oppose U.S. Rep. Cori Bush in the Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District seat.
State Sen. Karla May, D-Ƶ, reported that her campaign raised slightly less than $28,000, and still has $15,753 cash on hand.
Columbia activist December Harmon reported to the FEC that in 2023, she raised $14,383 and has $3,763 cash on hand.
Jared Young — a Joplin-area businessman who is guaranteed a spot in the November general election by virtue of filing as an independent — has raised slightly more than $300,000, which includes $205,000 of his own money.
Aside from the Bush-Bell race for Congress, the other U.S. House seat predominantly in the Ƶ area is held by GOP incumbent Ann Wagner of Town and Country, who was first elected in 2012.
In the latest federal filings, Wagner’s campaign reports that it raised $2.1 million in 2023 and has $2.6 million cash on hand.
Wagner has a Democratic challenger already signed up for the race: John Kiehne of Eureka just announced his candidacy in January and has yet to file an FEC report.
Wagner’s district, which leans Republican, covers portions of west and south Ƶ County, St. Charles and Warren counties, and all of Franklin County.
The 3rd Congressional District, which takes in parts of Jefferson and St. Charles counties, also has an open seat coming in Congress with the impending retirement of U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth.
Two GOP candidates for the seat — state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold and former state Sen. Bob Onder of Lake St Louis — just recently threw their hats in the ring and have not yet filed any federal finance reports.
In what promises to be a heated GOP primary race in the Metro East area, U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, has a substantial funding lead over fellow Republican challenger Darren Bailey.
At year’s end, Bost had $1.4 million in cash-on-hand, while Bailey held less than $118,000.
The two men are vying for the seat from Illinois’ 12th Congressional District, which includes parts of St. Clair and Monroe counties.