By RUDI KELLER — Thursday, July 16, 2015 at 2:00 pm
State Rep. Stephen Webber added more than $130,000 to his campaign account in the second quarter, fattening his bank balance to $320,000 as he prepares for a state Senate race next year that the Democrat expects will cost at least $1 million to win.
No other candidates have stepped up to contest the 19th District seat held by state Sen. Kurt Schaefer, a term-limited Republican who is running for attorney general in 2016. Including the eight years Schaefer will have served in January 2017, the GOP has represented Boone County in the Senate for only 12 years since the party was founded.
Webber’s largest contribution was $10,000 from Simmons Hanly Conroy, a law firm based in Alton, Ill. He received two $5,000 contributions, from contractor Emery Sapp & Sons Inc. and from former Secretary of State Robin Carnahan’s campaign account. Webber’s quarterly filing with the Missouri Ethics Commission showed he had more than $320,000 on hand on June 30.
