Kansas City area's Kunce leads the fundraising race for Senate Democratic primary

Jefferson City, Missouri, native Lucas Kunce, who hopes to become the first Democrat in the U.S. Senate representing the state since Claire McCaskill lost her seat in the 2018 election, is the leader in campaign fundraising among Democrats by a wide margin for the upcoming 2022 Senate primary, according to the most recent report of the Federal Elections Commission released Friday.

A Yale graduate who spent 13 years as a Marine officer with service in Iraq and Afghanistan, Kunce has raised $1.76 million in his race for Senate, according to data released Friday by the Federal Election Commission.

Only GOP U.S. Senate hopeful Eric Schmitt, Missouri's attorney general, has raised more money to-date than Kunce.

Kunce mustered out of military service in 2020 and now serves as national security policy director for the not-for-profit American Economic Liberties Project, based in Washington D.C.

According to AELP's Twitter account, the organization's mission is "fighting to realize economic liberty for all, in support of a secure, inclusive democratic society."

Kunce's fundraising figure is more than twice the amount amassed so far by former state Sen. Scott Sifton of St. Louis, who has raised $725,502.

Other announced Democratic Senate hopefuls are Spencer Toder of St. Louis, Timothy Shepard of Excelsior Springs, Jewel Kelly of Festus and Nicholas Straus of Ballwin.