The unofficial results for the 130th Legislative District republican primary, via the Missouri Secretary of State:

State of Missouri – Primary Election – August 5,2014

UnOfficial Results

as of 8/5/2014 9:33:21 PM

State Representative – District 130 11 of 11 Precincts Reported

Jeff Messenger Republican 2,273 51.671%

Loren Hunt Republican 2,126 48.329%

Party Total: 4,399

Total Votes: 4,399

[emphasis added]

The incumbent (barely) survives.

Back in June, via the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C141408 06/24/2014 HUNT FOR MO REP THE CLUB FOR GROWTH MISSOURI P O BOX 2068 SAINT LOUIS MO 63158 6/24/2014 $25,000.00

[emphasis added]

Billionaire financed astroturf just doesn’t quite cut it in this one instance.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: Next! (June 24, 2014)

Understatement (July 20, 2014)

Another Check.

There’s a republican primary (and no one else in the general election) in the 130th Legislative District. From the Missouri Secretary of State:

State Representative – District 130

Republican

Name Mailing Address Random Number Date Filed

Jeff Messenger 959 E GRACE ST REPUBLIC MO 65738 254 2/25/2014

Loren Hunt 9410 W ODYSSEY LN BOIS D ARC MO 65612 3/24/2014

[emphasis added]

At the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C141408: Hunt For Mo Rep

Po Box 674 Committee Type: Candidate

Willard, Mo 65781 Party Affiliation: Republican

(417)732-5614 Established Date: 06/23/2014

[emphasis added]

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C141408 06/24/2014 HUNT FOR MO REP THE CLUB FOR GROWTH MISSOURI P O BOX 2068 SAINT LOUIS MO 63158 6/24/2014 $25,000.00

Gee, a challenger in the same political party files at the end of March, waits until the end of June to file their committee, then gets a really big campaign contribution from an astroturf committee. Go figure.

Someone must really think the incumbent is insufficiently right wingnut:

Representative Messenger, a Republican, represents part of Greene County, including the areas of Republic, Willard, Ash Grove, Walnut Grove, and Brookline (District 130) in the House of Representatives. He was elected to his first two-year term in November 2012.

Rep. Messenger was born in Scott City, Kansas and moved to Springfield, Missouri when he was 8 years old. Rep. Messenger attended school in Springfield and graduated at Hillcrest High School. He was raised on a small farm where he performed the duties that most people did that had acreage and livestock to attend to.

Rep. Messenger joined the Navy in 1969 and after completing Naval Aviation Electronics School was assigned to Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas. His duties were to maintain and support the electronics equipment on the Training Aircraft for the squadrons at Corpus Christi, Beeville and Kingsville, Texas. Rep. Messenger served 4 years in the Navy and received an honorable discharged in 1973.

Rep. Messenger has been a self- employed business owner since the early 1980’s. He owned a water well drilling company for over 22 years, serving most of Southwest Missouri in the residential and commercial markets. While owner of his drilling company he served as Secretary on the Missouri Water Well Association where he was instrumental in developing the guidelines and rules on the methods of drilling in Missouri.

Rep. Messenger sold his water well drilling company and bought a Prosthetics and Orthotics company in Ozark, Missouri, known as Kessler Heasley Artificial Limb Co. After just a few short years Rep. Messenger moved his Prosthetics and Orthotics company to Springfield, Missouri. Since that time he has opened up another facility in Monett, Missouri and is currently building a new facility to service the Joplin, Missouri area.

[….]

That’s four. Check, mate.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: when right wingnut isn’t right enough (June 20, 2014)

Campaign Finance: there is another (June 20, 2014)

Campaign Finance: he really likes him (June 23, 2014)

Yesterday, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C091114 07/22/2012 FRIENDS OF THOMAS LONG David Humphrey PO Box 4050 Joplin MO 64803 Tamko Roofing Executive 7/21/2012 $25,000.00

[emphasis added]

Why on earth would someone drop $25,000.00 on a legislative district candidate two weeks before a primary?

Someone’s nervous.

There are three republicans and one Libertarian running for the 130th Legislative District Seat.

C121011: Friends For Jeff Messenger

Party Affiliation: Republican

Established Date: 01/10/2012

Information Reported On: 2012 – July Quarterly Report

Beginning Money on Hand $288.86

Monetary Receipts + $13,467.00

Monetary Expenditures – $10,735.47

Contributions Made – $0.00

Other Disbursements – $0.00

Subtotal     $2,731.53

Ending Money On Hand   $3,020.39

[emphasis added]

Okay, that would appear to be a relatively modest, yet respectable, amount of campaign cash. On a closer look, a big chunk is from loans:

REPORT SUMMARY

FRIENDS FOR JEFF MESSENGER 7/16/2012

3. All Loans Received This Period [$]12,700.00

[emphasis added]

And, you could bet that the expenditures include signs:

ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES OVER $100 SUPPLEMENTAL FORM

FRIENDS FOR JEFF MESSENGER 7/16/2012

Signs Now 2150 S. Glenstone Ave Springfield MO 65804 4/26/2012 Signs for Campaign $856.72

Signs Now 2150 S. Glenstone Ave. Springfield MO 65804 5/16/2012 Campaign Signs $645.60

My Campaign Store 902 E. Court Ave Jefferson IN 47130 6/20/2012 Campaign Signs and Fans $3,554.18

My Campaign Store 902 E. Court Ave. Jeffersonville IN 47130 6/21/2012 Campaign Fans $1,234.82

Signs Now 2150 S. Glenstone Ave. Springfield MO 65804 6/29/2012 Banners and Campaign Signs $348.62

[emphasis added]

Campaign fans? That’s a lot of money. And, yes, it appears to be for hand held fans.

The recipient of the largesse is a a one term incumbent:

C091114: Friends Of Thomas Long

Party Affiliation: Republican

Established Date: 05/26/2009

Information Reported On: 2012 – July Quarterly Report

Beginning Money on Hand $59,578.71

Monetary Receipts + $13,680.00

Monetary Expenditures – $6,349.42

Contributions Made – $2,500.00

Other Disbursements – $0.00

Subtotal     $4,830.58

Ending Money On Hand   $64,409.29

[emphasis added]

Well, that’s a comparative boatload of cash on hand. As if they’re saving it to oppose the Libertarian in the general election?

There is only one inescapable conclusion. Fans make people nervous.

There is another republican candidate:

C121286: Hunt For Mo Rep

Party Affiliation: Republican

Established Date: 05/09/2012

Information Reported On: 2012 – July Quarterly Report

Beginning Money on Hand $0.00

Monetary Receipts + $2,168.17

Monetary Expenditures – $1,488.66

Contributions Made – $0.00

Other Disbursements – $0.00

Subtotal     $679.51

Ending Money On Hand   $679.51

[emphasis added]

Why, they could run as a Libertarian. If they raised and spent less money.