Republicans pouring big bucks into 161st District campaign

By RUDI KELLER

Southeast Missourian

There's a big target on the 161st District Missouri House race and Republicans have made an enormous commitment to winning the contest by spending almost $150,000 to promote the GOP candidate.

That spending is more than Republican Gary Branum and Democratic nominee Steve Hodges have raised in their combined efforts. The seat is being vacated by Rep. Lanie Black, R-Charleston, who is being forced out by term limits.

Fund-raising reports filed by other area candidates continue to show a strong GOP edge in legislative contests. John Heisserer, the Democratic nominee for circuit judge in the 32nd District, remains ahead of incumbent Republican Ben Lewis in their three-county contest.

Democrats have also engaged in independent spending in the 161st District, but it came so late it was not included in disclosure reports filed this week with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Most of the spending, $130,000, comes from the House Republican Campaign Committee, an organization that raises money from Republican House members and groups with a lobbying interest in Jefferson City. The Republican State Committee has pitched in with another $16,000 to defeat Hodges.

"Is it really right to buy an election?" Hodges said Wednesday. "If I get beat because of money, then the public has done the wrong thing."

Hodges, a former grocer and former member of the East Prairie, Mo., school board, said he's running as a conservative who is pro-life and pro-gun. But he differs with Republicans over cuts in Medicaid, he supports increasing the minimum wage and wants to make college more affordable through tax credits for tuition.

Branum, a rice farmer who sits on the Missouri Farm Bureau board of directors, has promoted himself as truer to pro-life principles and more in touch with the needs of the agriculture community. He disagrees with Hodges on the minimum wage increase, said restoring Medicaid cuts will require a tax increase and agrees that tax credits could make college more affordable.

The spending has Branum feeling confident. "I appreciate them because they know how urgent it is that we get someone in the House from Southeast Missouri who is involved in agriculture."

Black was the first Republican elected in memory to win election from his region of Southeast Missouri. The 161st District covers eastern Scott County, including Scott City as well as Mississippi, New Madrid and part of Stoddard County.

Hodges has raised $55,443 for the election, including $15,820 from Oct. 1 through Oct. 26. Branum has raised $66,001, including $9,327 during October.

Fund raising in other races:

* House Speaker Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill, maintained his strong edge over Democratic opponent Michael Winder in the 156th District. Jetton has raised $114,555 for his re-election bid, compared to $26,254 for Winder. Jetton is seeking his fourth term in the district that includes Bollinger, Wayne and Madison counties.

* First-term incumbent Rep. Nathan Cooper, R-Cape Girardeau, has raised $60,337 toward his re-election in the 158th District versus $8,243 for Democratic challenger Matt Hill. The 158th District covers most of the city of Cape Girardeau.

* Democrat Boyce Wooley raised $4,925 in October, slightly more than the $4,191 gathered by incumbent Rep. Billy Pat Wright, R-Dexter, but Wooley continued to lag behind in total resources. Wooley has raised a total of $30,639 for the rematch of the 2004 contest in the 159th District. Wright has raised $57,638 for his re-election and has received $4,714 in help from the House Republican Campaign Committee. The district covers most of Stoddard County and southwest Cape Girardeau County.

* In the 160th District, Republican Ellen Brandom raised $7,234, five times the amount Democratic candidate Larry Tetley raised during October. Tetley brought in 1,375, bringing his total to $22,275 for the race compared to $83,564 for Brandom. Brandom has also been helped by the Republican House Campaign Committee with $11,980 in independent spending to win the district that covers western Scott County, including Benton and Sikeston, as well as small portions of Mississippi, New Madrid and Cape Girardeau counties.

* Heisserer brought in $14,158 in October, including a $5,000 personal loan to the campaign, in his effort to unseat Lewis, who took in $8,559 including an $1,800 loan to his campaign. Heisserer has raised $68,862 for the race, compared to $31,699 for Lewis.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126