(Updated noon, Tuesday, July 29)
St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley is heading into the final week of his nasty primary with $140,000 more in his bank account than Democratic rival Steve Stenger.
That’s because Stenger has spent a lot more on TV ads in July than Dooley. Dooley’s edge means that he could fire back with a heavier counter-barrage of ads during the final days before the Aug. 5 Democratic primary.
Dooley reported $263,930 on hand as of Monday, compared to $123,564 for Stenger.
Since the report was filed, Stenger also has lent another $100,000 of his own money to his campaign. He had lent $100,000 early on.
The financial details are contained in the campaign-finance reports that Dooley and Stenger were required to file Monday with the Missouri Ethics Commission. The reports offer the last detailed look at their finances before the primary.
The reports showed that Stenger raised $224,759 in July, compared to $169,100 for Dooley. But Stenger also spent $140,000 more than Dooley during the month. Stenger spent $529,716, compared to Dooley’s $384,476. Most spending went to TV spots.
Both men launched new attack ads on Monday that generally stuck to their earlier jabs.
Dooley’s last-minute money-raising includes $50,000 donated by wealthy financier Rex Sinquefield. But Sinquefield, a longtime donor to Dooley, appears to be hedging his bets. On Monday, he gave $100,000 to one of the Republican candidates, state Rep. Rick Stream of Kirkwood.
Stream reported $129,703 in the bank as of Friday. But that doesn’t include Sinquefield's donation.
Stream is competing against Green Park Alderman Tony Pousosa in the Republican primary. Pousosa reported only $5,660 on hand for the final stretch of the campaign.
