Mitten’s Finance Reports Show Support, Weakness in City
The city has few state legislative races that have garnered attention like the competition to replace term-limited State Senator Karla May. The expansive 4th senatorial district stretches from north to south along the city’s western side, while taking in bits of St. Louis County that border the city. As the district is overwhelmingly Democratic, this August’s primary contest effectively serves as the general election for the district. While State Representative Steve Butz of south St. Louis maintains a significant cash advantage, he faces stiff competition from State Representative Gina Mitten of Clayton. In many ways, the race revolves around familiar themes in St. Louis local politics, with a significant focus on issues of bodily autonomy being a clear dividing line in the contest. Butz is well-known for opposing abortion rights, while Mitten is a champion on choice issues and enjoys the support of pro-choice advocacy groups. Another fault line in the race has been a focus on Butz’s support for Missouri’s takeover of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Mitten joined most St. Louis lawmakers in opposing the state takeover, despite hailing from the county.
While Butz has maintained a clear financial advantage, Mitten has raised enough money to be competitive and enjoys support from organized labor, former elected officials, and other constituency groups. Mitten’s primary fundraising vehicle is her campaign committee Mitten for Missouri. This committee’s most recent report showed over $100,000 in total donations for the cycle. A search of Missouri Ethics Commission campaign financing information also lists the Good Hands PAC as supporting her candidacy. The latest quarterly filings for the Good Hands PAC show that the group raised very little money in the year’s earlier quarters, listing less than $1000 in donations. This has changed drastically in recent weeks. Notices for large contributions show that $47,500 in contributions arrived on July 6th. The largest was for $40,000 and lists the donor as Safer Families for Missouri, another PAC. Safer Families is a long-running PAC, and a review of recent filings shows that it receives the bulk of its funding from attorneys. Good Hands PAC also lists a $7500 donation from Penn Entertainment Inc, which says it is based out of Pennsylvania. There is a second large donation report that was filed the same day, though it appears to be a duplicate listing the same donations.
One clear group of supporters is Mitten’s fellow former state legislators. Mitten’s reports show donations from Mary Nichols, Jeanne Kirkton, Jill Shupp, Margo McNeil, and Barbara Fraser. Many of these former state legislators have made multiple donations to Mitten’s campaign. Shupp also serves as the candidate committee chair for Access MO, a statewide PAC that supports pro-choice candidates. Access MO also made its own separate $2400 donation to Mitten’s campaign committee. Other PACs supporting Mitten’s candidacy include the St. Louis Association of Realtor’s PAC, Homefront PAC, and Shamrock PAC, which also gave to her opponent’s campaign. Homefront PAC is run by Columbia-area State Senator Stephen Webber, who previously served as a member of Missouri’s House of Representatives.
Mitten’s organized labor supporters have given her numerous donations, and one seemingly labor-related PAC that doesn’t appear to have a connection to organized labor also contributed. Four separate Teamsters PACs have made donations. Mitten’s reports also show donations from the United Autoworkers (UAW) and the labor-themed Protect Missouri Workers PAC. In turn, the Protect Missouri Workers PAC has received much of its recent funding from another PAC named Missouri’s Energy Future PAC. Missouri’s Energy Future PAC’s donations are primarily connected to utilities, though it also shows contributions from groups such as Bootheel Values PAC, Conservative Leadership for Southeast Missouri and other PACs that don’t appear immediately connected to any utilities. Protect Missouri Workers have also recently donated to President of the Board of Aldermen Megan Green and Alderman Shane Cohn, who is currently seeking the Recorder of Deeds office. Despite the PAC’s name, there is no recent sign of significant labor support for the Protect Missouri Workers PAC. The PAC’s biggest donation reported in its 2026 disclosures is $25,000 from Simmons Hanley Conroy LLC, a law firm with an address in Alton, IL. Mitten received additional labor support from a United Steelworkers local, officials with the Missouri National Educators Association (MNEA), and Carson Pope, who serves as Political Director for the Missouri AFL-CIO. Multiple labor law attorneys also donated to Mitten’s campaign.
One clear point of weakness in Mitten’s fundraising reports is a lack of support from city-based elected officials and others. While Butz’s reports show donations from current and former city aldermen and the city’s Collector of Revenue, much of Mitten’s report highlights support located in the suburbs. Given that the district is overwhelmingly made up of city precincts, the disparity highlights Mitten’s difficulty in winning the mostly urban district.
The primary election takes place on Tuesday, August 4th.
