Missouri ballot measure campaigns dominate fundraising, ad spending for primary

By Rudi Keller, Missouri Independent

Ballot measure fights are consuming the big money in Missouri elections this summer, with more than $27 million raised for proposals on the Aug. 4 ballot, according to reports filed this week with state and federal authorities.

There’s no hotly contested statewide candidate race on the primary election ballot, but there are four constitutional amendments, with two drawing by far the most attention and money.

There are three competitive congressional primaries and contests in 12 of the state’s 17 state Senate districts, but the combined fundraising in those races does not equal the amounts being raised and spent for the major ballot measures, Amendment 4 and Amendment 5.

Ballot measures

Amendment 4 would change how majorities are calculated for constitutional amendments being proposed by initiative petitions. It would mean all such initiatives would have to pass in all of the state’s congressional districts instead of with a majority of all votes statewide.

Amendment 5  would require lawmakers to set revenue triggers for lowering the income tax and allow an expanded or increased sales tax. 

In reports to the Missouri ethics commission, the committees fighting over Amendments 4 and 5  reported  $12.9 million in contributions from April 1 to June 30 and new large donations reported this month have brought in $14.6 million more.

The cash campaign is very lopsided toward opponents on Amendment 4. The leading fundraiser, Missouri Realtors-backed Missourians for Fair Governance, has taken in almost $6 million. Protect Majority Rule Missouri, which is working with the Realtors group, has raised $5.3 million.

Missourians for Fair Governance has spent $1.6 million on a statewide ad campaign that began in June, tracking by The Independent shows. Protect Majority Rule Missouri has spent $257,000 on ads that began this week.

Protect Election Integrity, the campaign committee promoting Amendment 4, has raised $51,000.

On Amendment 5 fundraising is skewed heavily toward supporters.

Missouri Promise, which is funded almost entirely by not-for-profits that do not disclose their sources of money, has raised $12.7 million to promote Amendment 5. Missouri Promise has spent $4.8 million so far on its broadcast ad campaign.

Opposition fundraising is split among four committees, with the Missouri Realtors-backed Missourians for Fair Taxation raising $1.9 million and a second committee, No Everything Tax, raising $327,000 more. The two other committees, Parents for Missouri Public Schools and Protect Freedom and Democracy, have raised $13,000 and $153,000, respectively.

Only Missourians for Fair Taxation is running broadcast ads, spending $838,000 so far.

The November ballot issue campaigns promise to be as expensive, if not more so, than the August campaigns.

Amendment 3, which would ban abortions except in limited circumstances for rape or incest, will be an expensive election. The groups that supported the 2024 ballot measure that made abortion legal in the state raised $39 million for that campaign and have raised just under $5 million for this year’s vote under the name Stop the Ban.

Backers of Amendment 3, using the campaign committee name Her Health, Her Future, have raised just under $1 million.

Missouri could also see a referendum on the congressional map forced through the Legislature in 2025 by Republicans. People Not Politicians raised almost $1 million during the second quarter of the year as it fought court battles over its petition. 

A decision on the referendum is due from Secretary of State Denny Hoskins on the day of the primary. 

Opponents of the referendum, Put Missouri First, raised $13,788 in the second quarter and have raised $3.1 million overall.

Congressional primaries

In the three hotly contested Congressional primaries, Democratic voters will choose whether to oust a one-term incumbent in the 1st District, while Republicans will nominate candidates to challenge an incumbent and run for an open seat in the 5th and 6th districts.

In the 1st District, where former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush is seeking to regain her seat from U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell, the man who took it from her in 2024, Bell holds the fundraising edge. He raised $1.4 million in the second quarter of the year and has raised $3.3 million overall. 

Bush raised $310,000 in the quarter and has brought in $816,000 total.

Bell has benefited from outside spending by two groups, the United Democracy Project, aligned with the American Israel Political Action Committee, and New Democrat Majority. They have spent almost $2.5 million on his behalf.

The 5th District, where incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver is in danger of losing his seat due to gerrymandering, six Republicans are vying for the nomination. They have combined to raise $1.8 million, with $1.2 million from personal loans.

That is almost as much as the reported spending by outside groups who have chosen sides between the two candidates seen as the frontrunners in the race. More than $2.2 million — four times what the candidates themselves have reported — has been spent by super PACs, most of it on broadcast ads and direct mail.

Taylor Burks of Boone County loaned his campaign $900,000 early on and has raised almost $250,000 more. Three friendly outside groups, Show Me Valor, Patriotic Fund Inc. and Conservatives for American Excellence, have spent almost $1.4 million. State Sen. Rick Brattin has raised $312,000, about one-fourth of the $1.2 million that Win It Back PAC has reported spending on his behalf.

Of the other candidates — Brett Hueffmeier of Kansas City, Brad Patty of Fayette, Berton Knox of North Kansas City and Micah Beebe of Lee’s Summit — only Hueffmeier has substantial funding. He loaned his campaign $275,000 but has raised only $50,000 otherwise.

In the contest for the Republican nomination in Missouri’s 6th District — the only seat open among the eight districts — the two candidates seen as the most likely nominees are almost even in fundraising.

Radio host Chris Stigall, who has the endorsement of incumbent U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, has raised $546,000 and Kansas City Councilman Nathan Willett has raised $509,000. Outside spending has favored Stigall, with Come and Take It PAC spending $974,000 on his behalf while Conservative Future Fund, backing Willett, has spent $235,000.

Among the other three candidates — Jim Ingram of Kansas City, Cody Oshel of Maryville and Nathanael Schultz of Bowling Green — only Ingram has substantial resources. He loaned his own campaign $137,000 and has raised an additional $31,000.

State Senate

In the 17 state Senate districts on this year’s ballot, candidates and the PACs supporting them raised $4.6 million in the second quarter of the year and $13.9 million since the start of 2025.
The six incumbents seeking a new term have combined to raise $1.26 million, with PACs supporting their campaigns raising another $1.8 million.

The 14 current House members running for a seat in the Senate have raised $3.3 million and their PACs have raised $3.2 million.

The 41 other Senate candidates have collected $3.4 million, including $1.3 million in personal funds.

Republican Jake Vogel raised the most in the quarter, $373,000, partially on the  strength of a $300,000 loan to his campaign, for the 6th District Senate seat.

The 417 PAC aligned with state Sen. Curtis Trent in the 20th District raised $297,000 and Missouri Alliance PAC, set up to support House Speaker Jon Patterson in his bid for the 8th District state Senate seat, was the third-largest fundraiser for the quarter, taking in $266,000.

Missouri Alliance PAC has raised $1.4 million since the start of 2025, making it the top fundraiser for this election cycle. 417 PAC is second, with $645,000 and Vogel is third, raising $629,000 total.