The message for Republican supporters at state Rep. Ed Robb’s re-election campaign kickoff yesterday was essentially: Get out to vote, and get out your wallet.

Robb

U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia, told the audience that Robb, a Columbia Republican, has plenty of money to win the election. "The problem is that some of it is still in your wallets," he said.

Later, emcee Fred Parry, a local publisher and radio personality, jokingly asked supporters to scrawl IOUs to Robb on the napkins at host restaurant Grand Cru.

The solicitations come after early campaign finance reports show Jim Ritter, one of Robb’s Democratic challengers, with a strong start for early fundraising. State reports show Ritter, a former Columbia schools superintendent, raised $15,580 during the first three months of this year. Robb raised $13,585 during that same period. Ritter said this morning he has now raised more than $43,000 for his campaign.

Ritter said other politicians told him it would take about $100,000 to have a good shot at winning. "I’m sure that the Republicans would like to maintain this seat and are going to pour in a lot of money from outside the area to maintain it," he said.

The other Democrat running for Robb’s seat is Sid Sullivan of Columbia. Sullivan, who has not yet had to file a campaign-finance report, said Robb needs money to correct an "image problem" caused mainly by his votes to cut the state’s Medicaid program.

When he won his election in 2004, Robb became the first Republican in decades to win the 24th District seat. Now vying for his second term in the House, Robb said if re-elected he would concentrate on passing tax reforms and stopping funds from being channeled from MU to Missouri State University in Springfield.

"There are certain forces who would like to take money from our flagship university and divert it to some unnamed community in the southwestern part of the state," he said.

Robb’s educational work and credentials impress Columbians Cathy Rupard and Stan Frederick, who attended the event. Robb, an economist, is the former director of MU’s State and Regional Fiscal Studies Unit and Economic & Policy Analysis Research Center.

In his speech, Robb said one of his top achievements was helping restructure the formula the state uses to distribute funds to public schools. "I’m happy to say that we passed that, and many of the aspects of the new formula are my proposal," he said.

But to win re-election, Hulshof warned Robb and his supporters they would have to overcome a level of voter ambivalence toward Republican candidates. Hulshof made similar comments at his own election kick-off in March.

"There is absolutely no reason why he should not be re-elected," Hulshof said. "Except there are some in this community that say the only reason that disqualifies him from serving in Jefferson City is the letter behind his name."