Laurel, Miss. (Laurel Leader Call) – Candidates for state offices in this year’s Mississippi elections were required to file updated campaign finance reports for activity in May by June 9.
The following is a rundown of the latest campaign finance filings from each statewide and state commission candidate as filed by their campaigns with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office. Some reports either have not been filed at the time of this article or may not yet be loaded on the Secretary of State’s website.
Incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hoseman outraised all state candidates during May, bringing in just under $1 million for the period. His main Republican primary challenger, state Sen. Chris McDaniel, reported raising over $100,000.
However, as pointed out by Hosemann campaign operatives, nearly $10,000 of McDaniel’s May total were previously included in his last filing from the January through April period, meaning the state senator’s campaign team double-reported those funds.
McDaniel’s team hit back at Hosemann, pointing out that the incumbent lieutenant governor accepted donations from “liberal felon” Dickie Scruggs and his son, both of whom went to prison for judicial bribery. Hosemann’s report shows $1,000 from the father and son. Scruggs has also been a contributor to Democratic gubernatorial candidates Brandon Presley and Republican state Sen. Nicole Akins Boyd this cycle.
The leading Hosemann donors this period were the Mississippi Bankers Association PAC ($50,000) and Homebuilders Association of Mississippi PAC ($30,000). Eight others donated $25,000 to Hosemann. They were the Mississippi Health Care PAC, MADA Auto PAC, Ergon State PAC, Mississippi Medical PAC, ECM CO-PAC, Optometry for Progress PAC, R. H. Dunlap and Mississippi Roadbuilders Association PAC.
As for McDaniel, R.H. Dunlap ($15,000) and Nicole Johns ($10,000) were the leading contributors to the state senator’s lieutenant governor campaign. Five others donated $5,000 to McDaniel. Those were Kristian Agoglia, Faye Barlow, Harold White, Daniel Conwill and Denny King. The King donation is reportedly among the contributions that were double-reported.
The other Republican candidate in the race, Tiffany Longino, does not have a report listed at this time. Instead, she filed a 48-hour report showing she took in $790.
The Democratic candidate reported raising zero dollars in May and has zero cash on hand.
Republican
Delbert Hosemann (incumbent)
Raised this period: $958,000
Cash on hand: $3.7 million
Chris McDaniel
Raised this period: $107,000
Cash on hand: $386,000
Tiffany Longino – *Filed a 48-hour report
Raised this period: $790 (*48-hour report)
Cash on hand: $-
Democrat
D. Ryan Grover
Raised this period: $0
Cash on hand: $0
View Original Story (June 14, 2023)