More than half of Republican Jay Ashcroft’s funding comes from outside Missouri

More than half of Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s financial support in 2024 has come from out-of-state donors, according to newly filed FEC reports.

Ashcroft is currently running in the Republican primary for Missouri’s open governor race. He is the son of former United State Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Ashcroft’s campaign collected nearly $54,500 from non-Missourians between Jan. 1 and April 15. The campaign took in $152,754.74 total during this period.

Committee for Liberty, a PAC supporting Ashcroft, also collected large sums from out-of-staters, including $10,000 from the Kansas-based Koch Industries and another $10,000 from J&J Ventures Gaming, an Illinois-based slot machine manufacturer. 

Ashcroft also received a $150,000 donation from Steven Craig, a California-based real estate developer. Craig is originally from Missouri.

When the fundraising totals for both entities are combined, donors outside of MIssouri account for more than 56% of Ashcroft’s contributions. .

In March, Ashcroft appeared in a video for Missouri Stands with Women, an anti-abortion group that is trying to thwart an effort to put an abortion rights initiative on the state’s November ballot.

“Right now, out-of-state special interests are trying to fool Missourians into putting abortion on demand, from conception to the very last second before birth, in our Missouri constitution,” Ashcroft said in the clip. “They’re not doing it to protect mothers. They’re not doing it to protect your medical rights. They’re doing it to make money.”

Ashcroft made a similar comment during a Feb. 9 interview with the Mark Cox Morning Show.

“What we need to do is have a bill or bills, you know, joint resolutions that make sure that we’re not amending our Constitution unless a broad swath of Missourians agree with it,” Ashcroft said. “We need to make sure it’s what Missourians want. Not special interest billionaires from outside of the state.”

Most abortions are illegal in Missouri with the procedure only available in cases of medical emergency. 

Ashcroft’s opponents in the Republican primary include state Sen. Bill Eigel and Lieutenant Gov. Mike Kehoe. The leading Democratic candidate is Crystal Quade, the Minority Leader of the Missouri House of Representatives.

The primary is scheduled for Aug. 6.