It’s amateur night at the Apollo.
Signs for the candidates in the republican primary for Johnson County Prosecuting Attorney –
Lynn Stoppy (the incumbent) and Rob Russell (the challenger).
I’m usually the first person in line to yell “Fight!” and elbow my way to a good vantage point so as to fully enjoy the spectacle of a republican primary. The republican primary for Johnson County Prosecutor is no exception.
Tonight’s Warrensburg Daily Star Journal had a number of large color ads (expensive) for candidates in Tuesday’s primary. There’s a large ad paid for by “Missourian’s for Justice”, a PAC, opposed to the reelection of Johnson County Prosecutor Lynn Stoppy (r) and, of course, a large ad by Lynn Stoppy’s campaign taking issue with the PAC’s assertions.
Warrensburg Daily Star Jounal ads for the “Missourians for Justice” PAC (left)
and Johnson County Prosecutor Lynn Stoppy (r) (right) – August 1, 2014.
Newspaper ads are expensive. They are not particularly effective. Yard signs are just as bad. Dollar for dollar a campaign reaches more people far more effectively with direct mail. I’m not particularly interested in schooling republicans on efficient campaign technique and I wouldn’t do so if there was a Democratic Party candidate running in the November General Election. Think about that for a moment.
The people who deal with a county prosecutor on a regular basis (attorneys and law enforcement) want someone who does a good job. They’re not particularly interested in any other criteria. If they can do their jobs without any extraneous grief they’re happy. So, when an incumbent county prosecutor draws a primary and a PAC is paying for ads against that incumbent people should take notice. Do we have any idea why there’s a primary challenge? Not really. All we know from the ad is that someone is unhappy.
The PAC:
C141349: Missourians For Justice
1402 Young Circle Committee Type: Political Action
Raymore Mo 64083
[….] Established Date: 06/02/2014
On July 22, 2014 the PAC filed an “Amended Statement of Committee Organization” stating that it was opposed to the reelection of Johnson County Prosecutor Lynn Stoppy (r).
And who is funding the PAC?:
MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION
CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED
MISSOURIANS FOR JUSTICE [pdf] 7/12/2014
12. TOTAL ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSON GIVING $25 OR LESS $0.00
13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $500.00
Todd Branson 1402 Young Circle Raymore MO 64083 self — mortgage lending 6/1/2014 $100.00
Michael Hanna PO Box 812 Warrensburg MO 64093 self — dentist 6/13/2014 $500.00
Marguerite Hanna 991 Mitchell St. Warrensburg MO 64093 retired 6/12/2014 $500.00
Barbara Rhodes 1005 Plaza Pl Warrensburg MO 64093 retired 6/24/2014 $650.00
Stephen Angle 233 NE 51 Warrensburg MO 64093 self — attorney 6/19/2014 $500.00
Vest Drive Apartments 223 E. Market St. Warrensburg MO 64093 6/13/2014 $500.00
[emphasis added]
That’s not particularly informative, other than the small number of individuals involved.
We took a shot in the dark and looked at the Missouri Secretary of State web site for business filings:
Name(s) Vest Drive Apartments, LLC Address
Type Limited Liability Company Charter No. LC0541674
Domesticity Domestic
Registered Agent
Hanna, Jeffery A.
223 East Market St.
Warrensburg, MO 64093
Status Active
Date Formed 9/17/2003
Interesting.
Previously:
All national politics is local (July 1, 2014)
Correlation, causality, stupidity, paranoia – part 2 (August 3, 2013)
Correlation, causality, stupidity, paranoia (August 2, 2013)
The Johnson County recount case is finally over – for sure, sort of – part 2 (February 25, 2009)
