Breakdown of who's funding Landis, Woolston, Scorse

(Note: This post has been edited to show that it was John Karriman not John Karraker, who contributed to the Mike Woolston campaign. I apologize for the error.)

As the race for Jasper County Western District Commissioner reaches the final days, the money, as it often does, appears to be telling the story.

Former Joplin R-8 Board of Education member Mike Landis, who quit the board in 2015 after arranging a sweetheart goodbye (you can't call it severance if you agree to say he retired) package for departing superintendent C. J. Huff, has lined up contributions from many of Joplin's movers and shakers and has poured the money into yard signs, television advertising and billboards.

Former Joplin mayor and city council member Mike Woolston, who quit his council position shortly after a damning Missouri state audit alleged he took advantage of his position to orchestrate a land flipping scheme with the storm-damaged property, has attracted far fewer contributions than Landis.

The wild card in the race is Ed Scorse.

Missouri Ethics Commission disclosure reports show Scorse raised more money than Landis and Woolston combined- $34,639.25, with $28,000 of that total coming in loans from Scorse to his campaign.

Scorse had only spent $9,228.81 of that total prior to the last week of the campaign, according to the 8-days-before-election report, but appears to be making up for that in the last days. His July and 8-days-before election reports show no expenditures for television, but anyone watching Joplin market TV stations the past few days has seen an ad featuring Jasper County Presiding Commissioner John Bartosh endorsing Scorse.

For a further breakdown of the money going into this campaign:

Mike Landis

Landis got the earliest start of the candidates, being the only one who filed an April report with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

According to his 8-days-before-election report, Landis raised $24,647 and spent $18,194.30 going into the final week of the campaign.

Nearly half of Landis' contributions were noted in his April report including the following that were $500 or above:

Patterson Collaborative LLC $500

Benjamin Rosenberg $500

Carol Simpson, St. Louis, $500

Dorothy Willcoxon $500

C. A. English $1,000

Hershewe Law Firm $1,000

Jeremy Drinkwitz, Mercy CEO $500

Jerrod Hogan, OWN, Inc. CEO $1,000

Suzanne Sharp $500

Sharon Beshore $500

Roper Kia $1,000

His early expenditures included $2,200 to Lamar Advertising for billboards.

In his July report, Landis received $9,400, including $500 or above contributions from the following:

Samuel Carter, physician $500

B. G. Coffey Enterprises $500

Douglas Lawson $500

Curt Crossland, Crossland Construction $2,000

American Ramp Company $500

Britt Burr, H. E. Williams controller $500

Hal Roper $500

Aaron Peters, Cintax, $1,200

Midwest Regional Allergy and Asthma $500

Newton Sharp $1,000

Sign Designs, Joplin $1,200

According to that report, Landis spent $5,646.41 with Sign Designs for yard signs, $508.30 to KOAM, $317.69 to KSN and $245.86 to KODE.

In the 8-Days-Before-Election report, Landis reported receiving $2,500 from Sarah Sharp and paid $635.38 to KSN, $651.10 to KOAM and $218.24 to KODE.

Mike Woolston

As of the 8-days-before-election report, Woolston had received $7,300, loaning $6,000 of that to his campaign.

Woolston had only two $500 contributors, John Karriman and Diane Volk.

Woolston reported spending $5,068.74.

Ed Scorse

The $28,000 in loans Scorse provided to his campaign made up the lion's share of the $34,639.25 he had received by the 7-days-before-election report. Of that total, he had only spent $9,228.81 by the final week of the campaign with $7,691.33 going toward yard signs from Mid-America Media.

Scorse's contributions of $500 or above came from the following:

Newton Sharp $1,000

James Pinjov, real estate developer $500

Joseph Kim, Missouri Farm Bureau Carl Junction branch manager $500

Allen McReynolds $1,500

Smith's Paint Store $500