Schoeller, Kander spend big in secretary of state race

Nevada Daily Mail

State Rep. Shane Schoeller of Willard had a long, hard slog to win the Republican nomination for secretary of state; so the Bolivar native began his Nov. 6 general election campaign with less money than his Democratic rival, Rep. Jason Kander of Kansas City.

Schoeller, 41, told the Missouri Ethics Commission Sept. 14 that he had raised $976,150, spent $664,738 beating Sens. Scott Rupp of Wentzville and Bill Stouffer of Napton and began his fall race with $284,749.

August 7 primary voters gave Schoeller 35.3 percent of their support to Rupp's 34.5 and Stouffer's 30.2. Willard is 90 miles southeast of Nevada near Springfield.

Kander, 31, reported raising $1,086,203, spending $246,991 and having $956,036 on hand after besting M.D. Rabbi Alam of Kansas City by 87 to 13 percent.

The seat was opened when 51-year-old Demo-cratic Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, who has served since 2005, declined to seek a new four-year term. Duties of the office include administering elections, registering businesses and maintaining the state archives, according to its Web site.

Schoeller's top contributions were $420,000 from Rex Sinquefield of West-phalia; $17,500, SRC Holdings, Springfield; $15,505, Citizens for Timothy Jones, Eureka; $15,250, Citizens for Diehl, St. Louis; $13,000, Jeffer-son City Marketing; $11,036, The Whitlock Co., Springfield; $10,361, Jerry Sumners, Aurora; $10,000 each, Gerald Cook, Ozark; and Missouri Soybean Association; $6,683, Mark Gardner, Springfield; $6,000, Marilyn Nolan, Springfield; $4,900, Tom Stark, Bolivar; $4,020, Wayne Yocum, Eureka; $3,500, Sam Coryell, Springfield; $3,250, Patti Penny, Springfield; and $3,075, Mavis Busiek, Springfield.

Schoeller got $3,000 from the Coalition for a Better Tomorrow in Spring-field; $2,750 each, Joplin attorney William White; and Evergreen Investments, Lebanon; $2,500 each, Friends for Jason Smith, Salem; Missouri Pork Political Action Committee; Dempsey for Senate, St. Charles; Tom Goss, Springfield; and William Canfield, Kirkwood; $2,000 each, Ray Vinson, St. Louis; Friends of Todd Richardson, Poplar Bluff; Express Scripts, St. Louis; and Janet Ashcroft, Willard; $1,800, William Darr, Springfield; $1,750 each, Thomas Fowler, Springfield; and Springfield attorney Frank Evans; $1,550, Darrell Proctor, Willard; and $1,500 each, Midwest Longterm Care Services, Chesterfield; Missouri Energy Develop-ment Association; and Worldwide Technology President David Steward, Town and Country.

Schoeller received $1,250 each from Citizens for Hinson in St. Clair; Missouri for Charlie Davis, Webb City; Enterprise Holdings, St. Louis; and Gordon Elliott, Springfield; $1,230, Dr. John Lilly, Willard; $1,150, James Bureman, Springfield; $1,125, CNS Corp., Kansas City; and $1,000 each, Citizens to Elect Susan Allen, Chesterfield; Robert Nichols, Lake St. Louis; Drury Development, St. Louis; Midwest Clinical Research, St. Louis; Citizens for Jay Wasson, Nixa; Major Brands PAC; Miller County Republican Central Committee; Schaaf for Senate, St. Joseph; Patrons for Lyle Rowland, Cedar Creek; Houston, Texas, attorney Terry Giles; Kenneth Miller, Spring-field; and Cunningham Campaign Committee, Chesterfield.

The majority of Schoeller's expenditures were to Victory Enterprises of Davenport, Iowa, which arranged his advertising.

He also engaged John Hancock & Associates of Chesterfield for fundraising, catering and printing, he told the ethics commission.

Kander's contributions included $42,900 from the Simmons, Browder, Gian-aris law firm of Alton, Ill.; $20,000, Gori, Julian & Associates law firm, Edwardsville, Ill.; $18,765, Barnes Law Firm, Kansas City; $15,000, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 655, Ballwin; $12,500, Eastern Missouri Laborers' Education & Benevolent Fund, Bridge-ton; $11,000, David Steward; $9,808, Bruce Grench, Olivette; $8,500, St. Louis Realtor Michael Staenberg; $8,100, Dean Pitchford, Los Angeles; $7,001, Holman, Schiavone, Kansas City; $5,500 each, Overland Park attorney Cecelia Baty; and McCormack, Baron & Salazar, St. Louis; and $5,001, Hoisting Engineers Local 513, Bridgeton.

Kander accepted $5,000 each from Robert Cimasi of Frontenac; Thompson, Coburn, St. Louis; Strong, Garner & Bauer, Springfield; St. Louis attorney Thomas Green; Schlichter, Bogard & Denton, St. Louis; and AFSCME Missouri People Public Employees; $4,500, Susie Evans, Kansas City; $4,000, Simon Law Firm, St. Louis; $3,250, Robert Clark, Kansas City; $3,000 each, Bruce Levinson, Bourbon; Joseph Pereles, St. Louis; and Harry Campbell, Overland Park; $2,635, Thomas Gunn, St. Louis; $2,500 each, United Transportation Union, Jefferson City; Scott Smith, Kansas City; Robert Fox, St. Louis; Kansas City attorney Kirk Holman; Taxpayers in Support of Public Education; Educa-tors in Support of Public Education; Selden Trimble, Rolla; Citizens for Stephen Webber, Columbia; and Jack Bader, Frontenac; $2,150, Kansas City attorney Don Dagenais; $1,750, Kansas City attorney Karl Zobrist; and $1,500 each, Swearingen for Missouri, Kansas City; and Kansas City attorney Lon Walters.

Kander garnered $1,250 from Mark Jorgenson of Kansas City; $1,050 each, Springfield attorney Robert Palmer; and St. Louis attorney Mark Moreland; and $1,000 each, Albert Mauro, Kansas City; Brandon Middleton, Sierra Vista, Ariz.; Sheet Metal Workers Local 36, St. Louis; Chris Varvares, Olivette; Mark Bass, Weldon Spring; Lee's Summit attorney Brianne Niemann; Springfield attorney Lloyd Carmichael; Kenner & Schmitt, Kansas City; International Brother-hood of Electrical Workers Local 53, Kansas City; Linn County Democrat Club; Kenneth Kranzberg, St. Louis; John Wandless, Kansas City; Stroman Productions, New York, N.Y.; Clayton attorney David Capes; SEMO Democrat Rally Committee, Dexter; Asbestos Workers, Independence; West Plains attorneys Henry & Williams; Stuart Zimmer-man, St. Louis; Thomas Shrout, St. Louis; Kansas City attorney Adam Rehm; Joyce Aboussie, St. Louis; and St. Louis attorney Robert Endicott.

Most of Kander's expenses were for services by Tightline Strategies of St. Louis, Nesbitt Research of Washington, D.C., and Midland Printing of Sedalia, he said.