Republican candidates for Sixth Senate District raise more than $1 million for August election
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Republican candidates seeking their party's nomination for Missouri's Sixth Senate District have raised more than $1 million combined for their campaigns, according to reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
State Rep. Rudy Veit, who represents rural Cole County, has taken in the most money so far, raising more than $324,000 for the election effort. He still had more than $294,000 on hand.
Veit took in donations from two political action committees during the reporting period -- $600 from the Missouri Optometric Association and $1,000 from the Energy Freedom PAC.
The April quarterly reports cover the first quarter of the year and were due Wednesday.
Jake Vogel, an executive with the Jefferson City Coca-Cola Bottling Company, has raised the second-highest total, bringing in $257,000 for the election. His campaign had about $93,000 on hand at the end of March.
Pulse PAC and Scope PAC each donated $1,000 to Vogel's campaign during the quarter.
Derrick Spicer, who was on the Jefferson City Council from 2021-2025, is third in fundraising, nearly $100,000 behind Veit. Spicer had about $192,000 on hand at the end of March and has brought in more than $237,000 during his campaign.
Spicer accepted multiple corporate donations during the first quarter, including money from Reset Health and Fitness in California, Missouri, EDM Capital in Kansas City, Epic Real Estate Management in Kansas City and All Clear Pumping and Sewer in Centertown.
Dr. Lisa Thomas, a former House member from Lake Ozark, has only reported a $250,000 donation to herself made in February. She had not filed an April quarterly report by the close of business on Wednesday.
Amber Buckles of Macks Creek has raised $525 in her campaign. Camden County Presiding Commissioner Todd "Ike" Skelton has not registered a campaign committee with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
Only one Democrat is running for that party's nomination -- J. Don Salcedo of Jefferson City.
The Sixth District seat will be open because current Sen. Mike Bernskoetter is term-limited. Bernskoetter is running for Cole County presiding commissioner. The Sixth District covers Cole and Moniteau counties and stretches to the Lake of the Ozarks area.
