Best leads in cash on hand in Mayor’s race

Filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission show one candidate for Branson Mayor with a clear advantage in cash on hand. 

According to 40 Day Before General Election filings, Mayor Karen Best’s campaign has $10,367.05 on hand as of Feb. 24, 2023. The report showed the campaign had been given $12,170 versus expenditures of $1,902.95 since their January report filing.

The majority of donors who donated more than $100 during this report period, which are required by the MEC to be publicly reported, are people connected to real estate or development. The list shows $500 donations each from realtors Robert Huels and Steve Critchfield of Commercial One Brokers; $1,000 from developer Dan Ruda; $2,500 each from Tej and Raubi Sundher of Kuvera Partners, the company behind the Hollywood Wax Museum and Aquarium at the Boardwalk; and $5,000 from Christine Glesener of Paradigm Construction & Engineering.

Incumbent Mayor Larry Milton’s campaign filed their 40 Day Before General Municipal Election report showing total receipts for this election at $14,497.80. The bulk of those receipts, $11,897.80, were carryover from the mayor’s previous campaign in 2021. The campaign reported $2,634.99 cash on hand as of March 6, 2023.

The only donation to the campaign over $100 is a $500 donation from Terry Beene, the founder and operator of the Terry Music Awards. The rest of the money obtained this period, $2,100, came from loans Milton made to his own campaign.

Where Best’s campaign has no debt at the end of the reporting period, Milton’s campaign reports the $2,100 the candidate loaned to the campaign.

Chuck Rodriguez’s campaign did not have a 40 Day filing; their statement of committee organization was only filed on March 7, 2023.