The 123rd Legislative District in Cass County is an open seat. It is currently held by Brian Baker (r).
State Representative – District 123
Republican
Chris Molendorp Belton MO 2/26/2008 9:46:55 AM
Democratic
Juan I. Alonzo Raymore MO 3/7/2008 12:56:14 PM
Who are these folks?:
Chris Molendorp (r) was a “Small Business for Talent”. That tells us a lot, and gives us plenty of opportunity for mischievous puns.
…Chris Moltendorp, LUTCF owns his own insurance agency and is President of the Belton chamber of commerce. In 2003, Ingram’s Monthly Business Magazine in Kansas City named him one of the 40 under 40 . He is a 1991 graduate of the University of Missouri and is also the President of the Bel-Ray Sunrise Lions Club. …
And Juan Alonzo (D) is currently Mayor of Raymore, MO:
Mayor Juan I. Alonzo
First elected to the City Council in 1999, re-elected to a second term in April of 2001.
Elected as Mayor Pro Tem by the Council. April 2002.
Became Acting Mayor upon the resignation of the Mayor.
Elected to serve a one year unexpired Term in April 2003.
Re-elected to a three year Term in April 2004.
Member Board of Directors:
Mid-American Regional Council (MARC)
Raymore Chamber of Commerce
Raymore-Peculiar Public School Foundation.
Member:
Mayor’s Advisory Board for the Little Blue Valley Sewer District.
Middle Big Creek Sewer District, Advisory Board (Chairman).
Served on Planning and Zoning Commission for three years.
Member of the Taskforce that created the Road Excise Tax program.
Lay Eucharistic Minster at Saint Sabina Catholic Church.
Club affiliations:
American Legion
Raymore Lions Club
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, Management and Human Resources, Mid American Nazarene College
Masters of Arts, Computer Resources and Information Systems Management, Webster University
Graduate of the Missouri Municipal Leadership Program, Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs, University of Missouri, Columbia
Mayor Alonzo and his family have lived in Raymore for 13 years. Arriving in the fall of 1991, when he was assigned to the Marine Corps Support Activity, in Kansas City. Retired from the Marine Corps in 1994 after 20 years of Active duty. Currently works with Waddell & Reed, in Overland Park, as a Systems Development Team Manager. He and his wife of 30 years, the former Bessie Quesada of Uvalde, Texas, have three sons, one granddaughter and a second grandchild on the way. Bessie serves the community as a member of the Mayor’s Economic Host Team and is on the Raymore Family Week Program committee.
That’s quite an impressive resume.
Let’s take a look at previous elections, starting with 2006:
State of Missouri General Election – November 2006 – General Election
Tuesday, November 07, 2006State Representative – District 123 – Summary
Precincts Reporting 18 of 18Baker, Brian L. REP 11,342 100.0%
Total Votes 11,342
Okay, he ran unopposed.
State of Missouri General Election
Tuesday, November 02, 2004State Representative – District 123 – Summary
Precincts Reporting 18 of 18Gregory, Lyle DEM 6,693 37.3%
Baker, Brian L. REP 11,269 62.7%
Total Votes 17,962
Okay, he didn’t run unopposed in 2004. Did you notice that he only managed to increase his total vote by 73 votes in 2006? I suspect there were quite a few Democratic Party voters who sat on their hands. Hmmm. Will 2008 be a presidential election year? Why yes. Will turnout increase? Yes. Does it look like it could be a Democratic wave? We’ll have to see.
State of Missouri General Election – 11/5/2002
Tuesday, November 05, 2002State Representative – District 123 – Summary
Hensley, Teresa DEM 5,528 47.9%
Baker, Brian L. REP 6,013 52.1%
Total Votes 11,541
My, oh my. This is what happens when you have a very good candidate, a smart campaign, and you raise the cash. 2002 was not a particularly great year for Democratic Party candidates and this one was decided by less that 500 votes (Teresa Hensley is now the Cass County prosecutor).
Brian Baker is not term limited yet:
Rep. Brian Baker
94th General AssemblyRep. Brian Baker, a Republican, represents part of Cass County (District 123) in the Missouri House of Representatives. He was elected to the House in November 2002 …
Aha. He’s running for North Commissioner in Cass County, apparently unopposed.
State of Missouri General Election
Tuesday, November 07, 2000State Representative – District 123 – Summary
Hartzler, Ed REP 13,378 100.0%
Total Votes 13,378
[That’s no relation to Vicki.]
Very interesting. The election after the incumbent leaves (as in 2002) could be a close one.
Especially with a competitive candidate.
Especially with a lousy political environment for republicans.
Chris Molendorp (r) filed his first quarter 2008 campaign finance report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on April 15th:
Detailed Summary of Committee Disclosure Report
Committee[e]: FRIENDS OF CHRIS MOLENDORP1. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR THIS ELECTION PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $24,679.95
2. ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $3,480.60
9. TOTAL ALL RECEIPTS THIS ELECTION(SUM 1B + 7A – 8A) $28,160.55
15. TOTAL EXPENDITURES THIS ELECTION (SUM 10B + 14A) $4,966.09
25. MONEY ON HAND AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (INCLUDING FUNDS IN DEPOSITORY, CASH, SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AND ALL OTHER INVESTMENTS) $21,557.28
28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 – 27) $22,830.63
[emphasis added]
So, where did the money come from?:
Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received
Committee: FRIENDS OF CHRIS MOLENDORP
Report Date: 4/15/2008Heritage Companies Belton, MO 03/31/2008 $100.00
Liberty Mutual Dover, NH 03/04/2008 $325.00
Missouri Health Care Association Jefferson City, MO 03/04/2008 $325.00
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP St. Louis, MO 03/20/2008 $325.00
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company St. Louis, MO 03/24/2008 $325.00
Molendorp Appraisals, Inc Raymore, MO 03/31/2008 $325.00
Eagle Door Supply, Inc. Kansas City, MO 64130 03/31/2008 $100.00
BlueCross BlueShield of Kansas City Kansas City, MO 01/15/2008 $325.00
Belton Associates, LLC Overland Park, KS 01/20/2008 $175.00
Andrew J Black Arlington, VA External Affairs Dir, Federal Energy Regulatory Committee 01/25/2008 $100.00
James Swope Lee’s Summit, MO State Dir, Farmers Insurance Group 01/13/2008 $325.00
[emphasis added]
Hmmm. You think there’s a little corporate-like insurance contributing going on here?
Well, let’s take a look at the fourth quarter 2007 contributions:
Detailed Summary of Contributions An
d Loans Received
Committee: FRIENDS OF CHRIS MOLENDORP
Report Date: 1/14/2007William C Kirgan St. James, MO self-employed insurance agent 10/04/2007 $100.00
MO Association of Nurse Anesthetists Politcal Action Committee Jefferson City, MO 10/27/2007 $325.00
Debra Howerton Chilhowee, MO Homemaker 10/29/2007 $100.00 [any relation to Jim? Uh, yep.]
Realtors Political Action Comm-Missouri Columbia, MO 10/27/2007 $325.00
Cox Law Office, LLC Raymore, MO 12/31/2007 $175.00 [Did he run against Teresa Hensley for Cass County Prosecutor in 2006?]
Missouri Physical Therapy Association PAC Chesterfield, MO 11/07/2007 $325.00
Citizens for Bryan T. Pratt Blue Springs, MO 12/31/2007 $325.00
106th Legislative District GOP Committee Farmington, MO 11/28/2007 $500.00
David Pearce Warrensburg, MO 11/20/2007 $325.00 [Yes, the advocate of automotive deer hunting
Jeffrey L David Insurance Agency, Inc Gladstone, MO 10/06/2007 $100.00
Citizens for Dusenberg Blue Springs, MO 11/05/2007 $300.00
Friends of Vicky Hartzler Harrisonville, MO 10/09/2007 $100.00 [There’s that unintentional irony again. If Vicki Hartzler is giving him money, he ain’t no “moderate”.]
American Family Political Action Committee St. Joseph, MO 11/07/2007 $325.00
Friends of Tilley Perryville, MO 11/28/2007 $325.00
Mark One Electric Co., Inc. Kansas City, MO 12/12/2007 $325.00
Julie Buell Raymore, MO State Farm Insurance Agency, Raymore 12/04/2007 $100.00
Kenny Teague Springfield, MO self employed insurance agent 12/28/2007 $100.00
Farmers Group, Inc. Olathe, KS 12/20/2007 $325.00
Allicance For Higher Education Jefferson City, MO 12/15/2007 $325.00
[emphasis added, comments in italics]
Insurance!
Juan Alonzo (D) filed his first quarter campaign finance report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on April 15th:
Detailed Summary of Committee Disclosure Report
Committe: CITIZENS FOR ALONZO1. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR THIS ELECTION PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $4,105.00
2. ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $3,305.00
3. ALL LOANS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $0.00
9. TOTAL ALL RECEIPTS THIS ELECTION(SUM 1B + 7A – 8A) $7,650.00
15. TOTAL EXPENDITURES THIS ELECTION (SUM 10B + 14A) $1,263.11
25. MONEY ON HAND AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (INCLUDING FUNDS IN DEPOSITORY, CASH, SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AND ALL OTHER INVESTMENTS) $3,374.44
28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 – 27) $5,981.89
[emphasis added]
What has he spent the money on?:
Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made
Committee[e]: CITIZENS FOR ALONZO
Report{ }Date: 3/15/2008A. EXPENDITURES OF $100 OR LESS BY CATEGORY
Postage $123.00
Stationary $15.65( 7. TOTAL: NON-ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES THIS PERIOD: $138.65 )
B. ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES ALL OVER $100 AND ALL PAYMENTS TO CAMPAIGN WORKERS
Cass Gagette Belton, MO 02/12/2008 $603.90
( 14. TOTAL: ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES THIS PERIOD: $603.90 )
This one could be fun.
for the thorough job you did of looking into this district.
Overall analysis is ok…but remember that that 2006 was not a presidential year and 2004 was…voter turnout was much higher in 2004 so it is no suprise Baker only saw about 11,300+ votes unopposed in 2006… Alonzo is a good candidate and well liked in Raymore…but he actually said in a video interview he was ok with the Kelso decision and was ok with eminent domain for private developers. It will be interesting to watch…but I don’t think it is as close as you portray…I think the R’s have a tougher time with Nolte and Silvey in the KC area…
…all politics are local…while I enjoy your analysis…Rector lost that election because of his service, not because of being a Republican. Even Republicans voted against him…partly because he had no contact with the community and he did not take a stand against Aquila while he served as the Utilities Chairman. If you look at Scavuzzo he votes very pro-gun and pro-life and comes across as a very conservative democrat. After looking at Molendorp’s website I would say you left off some of his service credentials and might be over-estimating here…however, I do think you should look closer at the 120th and again at Nolte and Silvey. Grisamore seems to be having a cash flow problem as well…