Lister Leads Field in Money Primary April 18, 2016

(AP) – Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster’s most recent fundraising has exceeded the combined total of all his Republican opponents in the race for Missouri governor, reports filed Friday with the Missouri Ethics Commission show.

Koster raised $2.2 million in cash and in-kind donations between the beginning of the year and the end of March, while his four Republican rivals raised just under $2.1 million. Koster’s $7.4 million in cash on hand is also larger than any of his GOP opponents’ campaign accounts.

Former Navy SEAL officer Eric Greitens topped the Republican field with about $1 million in donations, bringing his cash on hand to $4.1 million.

Former U.S. attorney and Missouri House speaker Catherine Hanaway reported raising about $558,000, but more than half of that came from in-kind contributions rather than cash, including $241,520 from the Missouri Club for Growth Political Action Committee. That donation was for radio ads that ran from February through the end of March, mostly on Christian and conservative talk radio programs, Hanaway spokesman Nick Maddux said.

Hanaway’s ended the quarter with more than $1.5 million on hand.

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder raised about $332,000 this period, leaving him with about $624,000 in cash on hand.

St. Louis businessman John Brunner raised about $163,000. Although he raised the least in the Republican field, he has demonstrated an ability to self-fund his campaign. He spent more than $7.5 million of his own money on an unsuccessful race for U.S. Senate in 2012, and so far he has poured more than $3.7 million into this race.

Brunner’s campaign spent about $522,000 this quarter, topping the field. Koster’s campaign spent about $510,000, while Greitens spent about $320,000.

Greitens’ has faced criticism for not returning $1 million given to him in previous quarters from a donor accused of sexual abuse. The donor, Michael L. Goguen, has denied the allegations and does not appear on this quarter’s list of contributions.

Hanaway’s campaign spending, which does not include the radio ads, exceeded $207,000. Kinder spent about $149,000.

Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon is barred from re-election because of term limits. The state’s primary elections are August 2.

Voters will also choose party nominees for new lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer and secretary of state – none of which have incumbent candidates this year.

Brunner & Greitens Argue in Private Phone Call that Goes Public November 24, 2015

St. Louis Post Dispatch political reporter Kevin McDermott is writing about a private argument between GOP candidates for Missouri governor John Brunner and Eric Greitens that has gone public:
The audio recording is a phone conversation between two political candidates trying to schedule a meeting with each other. But at times, it sounds more like a Hollywood thriller — an especially melodramatic one.

“Oh, John Brunner, oh my God, you are such a weasel! Are you going to meet tomorrow or not?” demands Eric Greitens.

He then says, in an almost ominous whisper: “I can’t wait to see you in person, John. I want to look in your eyes.”

Brunner, one of the Greitens’ opponents for the 2016 Republican nomination for Missouri governor, spends much of the conversation appealing for calm and chuckling patiently, as Greitens calls him a “weasel,” “coward,” “corrupt” and a liar.

Then Brunner fires back. “You know what men do, Eric? They don’t call people names,” he says. “They sit down and talk face to face. That’s what men do.”

And so on, for more than 10 minutes:

At issue is a campaign website by a third-party organization that is attacking Greitens as insufficiently conservative. The site is run by a former Brunner campaign employee. Brunner’s campaign claims it has nothing to do with the site — though the ex-employee, Adam McLain, was still drawing payments from the Brunner campaign as late as September.

More: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/kevin-mcdermott/oh-my-god-you-are-such-a-weasel-and-other/article_9655e089-9e12-56da-a6e6-44462ef76807.html

Nixon Says Vetting Refugees is Feds Job November 16, 2015

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon says Washington should implement the strongest possible safeguards when screening refugees entering the United States.

Nixon noted the screening process for refugees is a function of the US State Department and the federal Department of Homeland Security, not the state of Missouri.

At least three republican gubernatorial candidates, John Brunner, Peter Kinder and Catherine Hanaway called on Nixon to join other Governors in refusing to take in any refugees from Syria.
A backlash against accepting Syrian refugees accelerated Monday. One of the Paris attackers was discovered to have entered Europe posing as a Syrian refugee.

Earlier this year, Washington agreed to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees.
Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, who is also running for governor, says his office sent a letter to Nixon.
“ I urge you to refuse to accept any of Syrian refugees being located to Missouri until the federal government ensures a proper vetting procedure is in place,” Kinder wrote.

Catherine Hanaway asked Nixon to suspend accepting any Syrian refugees “until further security measure are put into place to understand who and where these refugees are coming from,”.

Another St. Louisan, John Brunner said “I call on Governor Nixon to reject President Obama’s plan to relocate Syrian refugees to Missouri”.

Earlier this year the international Institute of St. Louis indicated it would accept refugees from Syria.

It is unlikely any refugees are sent to Kansas City.

Hillary Cohen Singer of the refugee service of the Jewish Vocational Services group says refugees are usually sent to an area where a community is already established.

Cohen Singer says there are few Syrians in the Kansas City metro.

Bruner &amp Greitens Form Exploratory Committees April 3, 2015

(AP) – Suburban St. Louis businessman John Brunner (BRUH’-ner) is gearing up for another potential run at a top Missouri office.

Brunner filed paperwork Thursday creating an exploratory committee for a Republican campaign for governor in 2016.

Brunner ran for U.S. Senate in 2012 but lost in the Republican primary to former Congressman Todd Akin.

Missouri’s gubernatorial field has been in flux since the Feb. 26 suicide of Auditor Tom Schweich (shwyk), who was running for governor.

Former U.S. Attorney and Missouri House Speaker Catherine Hanaway and former state Rep. Randy Asbury already are running.

Former Navy SEAL and author Eric Greitens (GRY-tens) also has created an exploratory committee, and others have said they are considering the race..

Brunner Thinking About 2016 Governor’s Race February 15, 2014

AP) — Former U.S. Senate candidate John Brunner said Friday that he is considering running for Missouri governor in 2016, which could lead to a multi-candidate Republican primary for what will be an open office.

Brunner told The Associated Press that he has received encouragement to run, but wants to wait to evaluate the gubernatorial race until after this year’s elections.

“I’m not saying no to the opportunity is the best way of putting it,” Brunner said.

“If there’s opportunities where people across Missouri can continue to speak their mind and have their be voice heard and they want to look for somebody with more experiences to solve the problems that we have here in Missouri than maybe the other two candidates, I’d be willing to be considered” for governor, he added.

Brunner’s comments came a few days after former U.S. attorney and Missouri House Speaker Catherine Hanaway announced her Republican candidacy for governor. Republican Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich also may run for governor in 2016, but he first must face re-election this year.

Republicans are under pressure to organize a gubernatorial campaign because Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster has been preparing to run for governor for nearly a year.

The top executive office will be open because Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon is prohibited by term limits from seeking re-election.