There’s a republican primary (and no one else in the general election) in the 144th Legislative District. From the Missouri Secretary of State:

State Representative – District 144

Republican

Name Mailing Address Random Number Date Filed

Paul Fitzwater 12007 S STATE HWY 21 POTOSI MO 63664 275 2/25/2014

Ron Bohn PO BOX 239 IRONDALE MO 63648 3/24/2014

[emphasis added]

It’s a rematch from 2010.

Yesterday, at the Missouri Ethics Commission, someone dropped a lot of money on the challenger:

C141394 06/19/2014 COMMITTEE TO ELECT RON BOHN Missouri Club for Growth P.O. Box 2068 St Louis MO 63158 6/19/2014 $25,000.00

[emphasis added]

Why would the right wingnut money people have a problem with Representative Paul Fitzwater (r)?:

JOURNAL OF THE HOUSE

Second Regular Session, 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SIXTY-THIRD DAY, TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2014 [pdf]

[….]

SENATE BILLS VETOED DURING THE SECOND REGULAR SESSION

SS#3 SCS SBs 509 & 496, with motion to override the Governor’s veto, pending, relating

to income taxes, was taken up by Representative Koenig.

Representative Diehl moved the previous question.

Which motion was adopted by the following vote:

AYES: 107

Allen Anderson Austin Bahr Barnes

Bernskoetter Berry Brattin Brown Burlison

Cierpiot Conway 104 Cookson Cornejo Cox

Crawford Cross Curtman Davis Diehl

Dohrman Dugger Elmer Engler Entlicher

Fitzpatrick Fitzwater Flanigan Fraker Franklin

Frederick Funderburk Gannon Gatschenberger Gosen

Grisamore Guernsey Haahr Haefner Hampton

Hansen Higdon Hinson Hoskins Hough

Houghton Hurst Johnson Jones 50 Justus

Keeney Kelley 127 Koenig Kolkmeyer Korman

Lair Lant Lauer Leara Lichtenegger

Love Lynch Marshall McCaherty McGaugh

Messenger Miller Molendorp Moon Morris

Muntzel Neely Neth Parkinson Pfautsch

Phillips Pike Pogue Redmon Rehder

Reiboldt Remole Rhoads Richardson Riddle

Ross Rowden Rowland Scharnhorst Schatz

Schieber Shull Shumake Solon Sommer

Spencer Stream Swan Thomson Torpey

Walker White Wieland Wilson Wood

Zerr Mr. Speaker

NOES: 045

Anders Black Burns Butler Carpenter

Colona Conway 10 Dunn Ellington Englund

Frame Gardner Harris Hubbard Hummel

Kelly 45 Kirkton Kratky LaFaver Mayfield

McCann Beatty McDonald McKenna McManus McNeil

Meredith Mims Mitten Montecillo Newman

Nichols Norr Otto Pace Peters

Pierson Rizzo Roorda Runions Schieffer

Schupp Smith Swearingen Walton Gray Webber

PRESENT: 000

ABSENT WITH LEAVE: 007

Curtis English Hicks Hodges May

Morgan Wright

VACANCIES: 004

[….]

[emphasis added]

…Gee, you vote with the billionaires…

Rep. Paul Fitzwater, a Republican, represents Iron County and parts of Washington, Wayne and Reynolds Counties (District 144) in the Missouri House of Representatives. He was elected to his first two-year term in November 2010.

In addition to his legislative duties, Rep. Fitzwater is a retired school teacher and coach.

He has been honored on a number of occasions as Coach of the Year while coaching high school track and field. Rep. Fitzwater also worked as a high school and college basketball referee. He also owns and operates Fitzwater and Son Concrete.

Rep. Fitzwater attends First Baptist Church. He is a member of the National Rifle Association.

Rep. Fitzwater is a graduate of Potosi High School. He received his B.A. in Education from Tarkio College in 1981.

Just asking.

Apparently he’s not “tenther” enough.

So, who drops money on the Missouri Club for Growth?:

C101046 05/18/2012 MISSOURI CLUB FOR GROWTH POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 5/17/2012 $500,005.00

C101046 09/01/2012 MISSOURI CLUB FOR GROWTH POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 8/31/2012 $160,000.00

[emphasis added]

C101046 07/17/2013 MISSOURI CLUB FOR GROWTH POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 7/15/2013 $750,000.00

[emphasis added]

C101046 03/27/2014 MISSOURI CLUB FOR GROWTH POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 3/27/2014 $973,000.00

[emphasis added]

Maybe it’s all about teacher tenure.