This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Oct. 16, 2011 - Former Ambassador Ann Wagner, a veteran Republican activist running for the open 2nd District congressional seat, has overseen a lot of campaigns but until now hasn't run her own.
But she's proving that she certainly knows how to raise money, with her latest report showing her outpacing virtually every other Republican running for any major office in the state.
Wagner's latest report, filed Saturday, shows that she raised $532,093.07 from July 1-Sept. 30.
That's more than four times the tally of her GOP rival, St. Louis lawyer Ed Martin, who reported raising $115,676.48 during the same period.
But it's also more than the totals for the likely Republican candidate for governor -- Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder -- and for two of the Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate: U.S. Rep. Todd Akin and former state treasurer Sarah Steelman.
The national website Politico reports that Wagner appears to have raised more than any other non-incumbent Republican congressional candidate in the country.
Her financial success may put more pressure on Martin, and may discourage any major Democrat (such as U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis) from running for the 2nd District seat.
Carnahan represents the 3rd District now, but the General Assembly dismantled his district and tossed him after 2012 into the 1st District with Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, a fellow Democrat.
Some national Democrats want Carnahan to consider running in the 2nd in 2012. Wagner's financial success may nip that talk in the bud.
Here's the breakdowns reported to the FEC for Martin, Wagner -- and Carnahan
Wagner (R): Raised $1,055,223 overall ($532,093 for the quarter)
Spent: $194,587 overall ($180,312 for the quarter)
On hand: $857,885.74
Martin (R): Raised $546,360.35 overall ($115,676.48 for the quarter)
Spent: $91,041.12 overall ($71,236.50 for the quarter)
On hand: $270,272.68
Carnahan (D): Raised $679,247.01 overall ($142,096.90 for the quarter)
Spent: $284,711.57 overall ($123,438.73 for the quarter)
On hand: $393,535.44
