As the end of the campaign season draws closer, challengers and incumbents alike are making a final push to win their races.
Dave Spence, the Republican challenger to Gov. Jay Nixon’s incumbency, gave $1 million of his own money to his campaign Monday.
Since the start of his run for governor, Spence has given his campaign more than $6 million out of pocket. Spence has spent more than $8.4 million on his campaign in total, according to the Missouri Ethics Commission. He has received about $3.7 million in outside contributions.
In comparison, Nixon’s total expenditures for his campaign are $13.6 million after receiving $15.3 million in contributions.
As of Oct. 31, Nixon had more than $1.5 million on hand to spend on the rest of his campaign and Spence had $285,816.
All candidates running for public office must report their contributions and expenditures to the Missouri Ethics Commission as well as any money they could still spend.
As of August 2008, Missouri placed no limits on campaign finance contributions, though any amount over $5,000 must be reported within 48 hours of the donation, according to the commission website.
Republican incumbent Peter Kinder and Democratic Susan Montee are running for the office of lieutenant governor. Kinder reported contribution totals of $4.5 million and expenditures of $2.7 million. Of Montee’s reported contribution total of about $1.3 million, she has spent roughly $750,000.
In the attorney general race, Democratic incumbent Chris Koster is outspending his opponent, Ed Martin, by almost $2.5 million. Koster has received more than $5 million in contributions and spent a little less than $3.9 million, with more than $1.3 million on hand before the election. Martin, the Republican challenger, has spent a little more than $1.4 million on less than $1.5 million in contributions.
In the race to become Missouri’s next secretary of state, Jason Kander and Shane Schoeller reported a combined total of $2.1 million in contributions and $1.4 million in expenditures. Kander, a Democrat, tripled the Republican Schoeller in contributions received, $1.5 million to $542,245, and has doubled him in spending, nearly $1 million to $502,003.09. Robin Carnahan, the current secretary of state, is not seeking another term.
