MO Republican Hawley outraises Democratic opponents as he aims to stay in Senate in 2024

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley raised more money and has more cash on hand than his potential Democratic opponents headed into the 2024 campaign for U.S. Senate in Missouri.

Hawley, who is seeking his second term, raised $1.5 million in the second quarter of the year — from April to June. Around $338,200 of the money came from his joint fundraising committee, a mechanism for the campaign to raise larger amounts from big donors.

Hawley’s joint fundraising committee brought in $641,925.92, most of which was transferred to Hawley’s campaign account, Hawley’s political action committee, called Fighting for Missouri, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

The super PAC supporting Hawley, called Show Me Strong, raised $1.1 million. By law it is not allowed to be directly affiliated with the campaign.

Hawley’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He has $4.5 million in his campaign account and spent 71% of the money he raised between April and June.

Hawley, who has come to be seen as a political villain for many Democrats, has already two serious challengers — St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell and retired Marine Lucas Kunce.

Bell entered the race in June and raised just $162,472 in the first weeks of his campaign. He was easily outraised by Kunce, who brought in $1.2 million between April and June.

Bell’s campaign said it had seen momentum since its launch.

“Since launching our campaign just a few weeks ago, we’ve announced key endorsements, and we continue to deepen relationships and take our message across the state,” said Anjan Mukherjee, a spokesman for the campaign.

Kunce has effectively been running since 2021, when he launched his first campaign for U.S. Senate in Missouri. He lost the 2022 Democratic primary to Anheuser-Busch heiress Trudy Busch Valentine, who spent millions of her own money and lost to Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt by 13 percentage points.

Kunce has more than $1.1 million in his campaign account, after spending around 60% of the money he brought in between April and June.

Whoever wins the Democratic nomination will face an uphill battle in a general election in a state that has increasingly voted for conservative candidates. While once considered a bellwether state, Republicans control every statewide elected office in Jefferson City, and only two of Missouri’s ten members of Congress are Democrats.

Kunce has focused heavily on the working class voters who have gravitated more toward the Republican Party in recent years, while tapping into the vast national Democratic fundraising network eager for a candidate to take out Hawley.

His campaign has pointed to his fundraising to show that he’s in a better place financially than some other competitive Democrats were at this stage in the campaign.

“Lucas Kunce continues to set fundraising records and has the most cash on hand for any Missouri Senate candidate challenging an incumbent in the last two decades,” said Connor Lounsbury, a senior adviser to Kunce. “And he’s done it without taking a cent from corporate PACs.”

Missouri state Sen. Karla May entered the race in July and won’t have to report her fundraising until October. Activist December Harmon raised $4,322, most of which came from her own pocket.

Kansas 3rd

Republicans have once again targeted Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District, currently held by Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids, in their effort to hold control of the U.S. House.

After coasting to a 12 percentage point victory in 2022, Davids brought in $600,279 between April and June.

Karen Crnkovich, a Republican and former president of the Kansas City Junior League, raised $57,461 in the second quarter. Jonathan Westbrook, a former Trump administration official, has not raised or spent more than $5,000.

Former Lab Corp vice president Prasanth Reddy entered the campaign last week, after the June fundraising deadline and his totals are not yet available.