Democrat Lucas Kunce reported raising $7.6 million over the last three months, more than doubling the amount raised by Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley over the same period, according to disclosure reports filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission.
Hawley, who is seeking his second term in the Senate, reported raising $3 million. An independent political action committee supporting his reelection, Show Me Strong, raised a little under $1 million.
But Hawley ended the quarter with more cash on hand than his Democratic rival, finishing September with $2.6 million for the campaign’s homestretch compared with $1.5 million for Kunce.
Jared Young, who successfully petitioned to form the Better Party for his Senate run, raised $14,860.
Every public poll of the race has shown Hawley in the lead, with most putting the Republican up by double digits. And Missouri hasn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office since 2018.
People are also reading…
But Kunce has consistently outraised Hawley, and as the campaign enters its final weeks, he’s continued to go toe-to-toe with in television ad spending. Since the August primary, Kunce’s campaign has spent $6 million on TV ads hammering the Republican and trumpeting Kunce’s populist message.
Hawley’s campaign has spent $3.9 million on ads during that time, with Show Me Strong chipping in roughly $1.9 million.
The disclosure reports also reveal Hawley’s campaign more than doubled its spending on private jet travel, with nearly $140,000 worth of expenditures on chartered flights since the beginning of August.
That compares to $132,000 during the first six months of the year.
Hawley made criticism of former U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s use of private planes to travel the state a key attack line during his successful 2018 campaign, arguing it demonstrated the Democratic incumbent was out of touch with her constituents.
The criticism was turned back on him when he was recorded earlier this month boarding a Gulfstream IV SP to hopscotch the state for campaign rallies with Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker.
His latest disclosure form shows eight expenditures for chartered flights, including nearly $30,000 on Sept. 19.
Kunce and Hawley are scheduled to debate Oct. 31 on Nexstar-owned stations in Missouri, including KTVI (Channel 2) in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½.
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R., and Lucas Kunce, the Democrat running for the seat, give their closing statements at a September debate. The Missouri Press Association hosted a debate for U.S. Senate candidates on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at the History Museum on the Square's Fox Theatre. View the full debate:
