This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, July 16, 2011 - Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley, a Republican running for lieutenant governor, and Attorney General Chris Koster, a Democrat running for re-election, have several things in common.
Each has amassed more than $1 million in his campaign bank account, according to reports filed by Friday's deadline with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
Tilley, who formally launched his campaign on Thursday, reported $1.05 million in the bank, after raising $356,864.98 since April 1. His tally doesn't include several hefty donations he received this week: $20,000 from Pyramid Home Health Services and $10,000 apiece fromAugust A. Busch III, former chief of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., and the Missouri Healthcare Association.
Koster had an even stronger quarter, raising $498,510, which helped him accumulate $1.06 million in the bank.
Koster's notable donations include $10,000 from nationally prominent lawyer David Boies (who represented Al Gore in the 2000 presidential recount in Florida) and $81,909 in inkind contributions from Hilltop Public Solutions, the public relations firm that has been handling Gov. Jay Nixon's campaign.
Koster and Tilley also have something else in common: Each received $75,000 from wealthy financier Rex Sinquefield.
