FOSTER OUT-FINANCING PRIMARY FOE, BUT DEEP-POCKETED HOWARD LOOMS

State Rep. Bill Foster was far ahead of opponent Les Enderle in fund-raising and spending in their Republican primary contest for state Senate, according to the latest campaign finance disclosures.

However, incumbent Democrat Sen. Jerry T. Howard of Dexter, Mo., who will get a bye in the Aug. 8 primary before facing the GOP victor in November, surpassed both Republican hopefuls in terms of available campaign cash.

The campaign finance figures come from reports filed July 15 with the Missouri Ethics Commission. The reports reflect activity from April 1 through June 30.

The three are running in the 25th Senatorial District, which covers Butler, Dunklin, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Stoddard and Wayne counties.

Foster, who is leaving the Missouri House of Representatives after serving from Poplar Bluff, Mo., for seven years, had $21,062.93 in the bank at the beginning of the reporting period. He raised another $27,351 while spending $22,506.38 to leave him with $25,907.55 in cash on hand. Foster's campaign also reports $2,500 in outstanding debt.

Enderle, of Poplar Bluff and a former Missouri highway patrolman, started the period with $1,210.65. He added $3,635 to his campaign coffers, most of which came from $3,000 in personal loans, and spent $3,448.53 to leave him with $1,387.12 cash on hand. Enderle's campaign was carrying $5,000 in debt.

Howard, who has held the seat since 1990, had $26,930.51 in the bank as of March 31, and added $36,593.70 in contributions during the second quarter of the year while spending $21,604.36. Howard had $41,919.85 cash on hand and no debt.

For the election as a whole, Howard had raised $148,982.50 while spending $99,041.51. Howard's total receipts were nearly three times greater than Foster's while Howard's spending was almost quadruple that of his likely GOP opponent. Foster had taken in a total of $51,396 while spending $25,488.45.

Both men's finances dwarfed those of Enderle, who had received only $6,120 while spending just $4,732.

During the latest reporting period, the bulk of Howard's receipts -- about 80 percent -- came from individual donors giving more than $100 each.

Six donors gave Howard the maximum of $550 for a Senate race. Those donors were four different units of St. Louis brewer Anheuser-Busch (all made through the company's Jefferson City-based lobbyist), the American Family Political Action Committee of St. Joseph, Mo., and the campaign of Senate Floor Leader Ronnie DePasco of Kansas City, Mo., a Democratic colleague of Howard's.

The 25th Senatorial District Democratic Committee also gave Howard $10,501.79. During the time covered by the reports, federal courts had blocked enforcement of limits on contributions from political parties to candidates. Those limits have since been reinstated, but candidates may keep prior contributions that were over the cap.

Howard raised at least $7,910 from 20 donors outside of the 25th District.

In contrast to the higher dollar Howard supporters, most of Foster's money -- $22,486 -- came from unnamed donors giving $100 or less at fund-raising events.

Foster's report showed only five individual contributions and none for the maximum. His single biggest donor was Michael Scott Lady of Poplar Bluff, who contributed $500.

Enderle listed only one donation, $125 from the Missouri State Troopers Association. He also took in $500 from unnamed persons giving $100 or less.

mppowers@socket.net