Election 2023: Big donations, PACs influence Mississippi lt. gov. primary

With just days before they face off in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor, incumbent Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and challenging state Sen. Chris McDaniel filed their July campaign finance reports with the secretary of state.

Those reports showed Hosemann continuing to hold a strong lead over McDaniel in both monthly fundraising and overall cash on hand, albeit a smaller lead in overall funds than previous reports as both candidates pull significantly from their war chests for advertising and events in the waning days of the primary campaign.

There are also multiple political action committees spending significant amounts of money on the race in July, including one that as of Friday is under investigation for potentially violating the law.

Hosemann reported raising $301,643 in July, while spending more than $1.6 million and sitting on more than $2 million in cash on hand, down from about $3.4 million at the end of June. McDaniel reported raising $167,822 in July, while spending about $288,000 and sitting on about $307,000 in cash on hand, down from about $338,000 at the end of July. There appears to be a discrepancy between the amount McDaniel spent and the remaining cash on hand compared to the July figure. Campaign treasurer Thomas Datwyler did not respond to a request for comment.

When looking at McDaniel's figures as reported, the challenger raised about 56% as much as Hosemann, after being out raised by more than 500% in the previous filing. In terms of cash on hand, Hosemann was sitting on more than six times as much as McDaniel, down from holding about ten times as much as the challenger in the previous filing.

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PAC Fight and Investigation

A new anti-Hosemann PAC, called Invest in Mississippi, was created in July and spent more than $440,000 in its first month, a figure higher than what McDaniel's campaign spent. According to its filings with the secretary of state, the PAC was created by Datwyler, a Wisconsin-based political consultant. Datwyler is also listed as treasurer on McDaniel's campaign filings.

Shortly after noon Friday, the office of Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that it had alerted Datwyler and Invest in Mississippi that morning that it was investigating "potential criminal violations under the Mississippi Election Code, as well as other statutes," according to an email from the office.

Invest in Mississippi received about $886,000 in its first month of existence, with all of it coming from other PACs, most of which are registered in other states or Washington D.C. The lone Mississippi donation came from a PAC called Good Hope Inc., which donated $750. The other PACs, which each donated six-figure sums, were American Jobs and Growth PAC, of Washington D.C., Defend US PAC, of Washington D.C., Fund for a Working Congress, of Annapolis, MD and Save Our Constitution PAC, of Cincinatti, OH. Save Our Constitution donated the most, with $425,000.

The anti-McDaniel True Conservatives Mississippi PAC reported spending about $259,000 in July, nearly as much as the McDaniel campaign itself spent. The PAC, run by two longtime Mississippi Republican operatives who have worked on advertising for Hosemann and other candidates in previous campaigns, spent most of that money on advertising.

True Conservatives Mississippi PAC also received a number of high-profile donations in July, including $100,000 from Friends of Mississippi Hospitals, the PAC affiliated with the Mississippi Hospital Association. Friends of Mississippi Hospitals made news when it donated $250,000 to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley during the January-April filing period. Following that donation, a number of large hospital systems left the MHA. At the time, MHA President and CEO Tim Moore told Mississippi Today that the PAC gives to candidates from both parties and said that it planned to give $100,000 to Hosemann. However, that $100,000 donation has not appeared on any of Hosemann's filings, including his for July.

Hosemann's Donations

Hosemann received a number of large and notable donations during the month of July.

His largest donor was Centene Management Company LLC, of Ridgeland. Unlike corporations, which are limited to donating $1,000 per candidate per year, limited liability corporations can give unlimited donations. Centene Management Company gave Hosemann $25,000.

The largest individual donor to the Hosemann campaign was not far behind. Stuart Archer, of Frisco, Texas, gave $24,000. Archer is an executive at Plano, Texas-based Oceans Acquisitions.

Hosemann got a number of large gifts from donors that have previously given to the campaign of Gov. Tate Reeves, including $15,000 from the political action committee affiliated with Mississippi Power Company. Also cutting Hosemann a big check in July, to the tune of $10,000, was Kent Nicaud, a longtime Reeves donor. Some of the donors gave to both Hosemann and Reeves in the same month, like the political action committee affiliated with pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, which gave both $1,000 in July. It's the same story for gambling corporation Penn Entertainment, which gave both candidates the corporate limit of $1,000.

McDaniel's Donations

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McDaniel received significantly fewer donations over $1,000 than Hosemann, but the challenger did get the biggest donation of any candidate in the race during July.

California-based Daniel Hegel, director of Advanced Development Technologies, gave $100,000 to the McDaniel campaign.

McDaniel's largest in-state individual donor, James Cegielski, of Laurel, gave $10,000.

Notably, McDaniel donated $100 to his own campaign in the month of July. The address listed on the donation is his legal office in Laurel, not the Ellisville house where he is registered to vote. The Hosemann campaign has filed a complaint with the attorney general and district attorney of Jones County alleging that McDaniel committed voter fraud by registering at an address where he does not live. McDaniel has said the Ellisville house continues to be his legal domicile, but that his family does not spend nights there due to black mold.

While a number of Reeves donors also donated to Hosemann, at least one of the governor's staffers donated to McDaniel. Hunter Estes, communications director for the governor, donated $25 to the McDaniel campaign in July.

Large Donors

Below is a list of all donors to the Hosemann and McDaniel campaigns who gave $1,000 or more in July:

Delbert Hosemann

$25,000

• Centene Management Company LLC, of Ridgeland (LLC)

$24,000

• Stuart Archer, of Frisco, Texas (Executive, Oceans Acquistions)

$15,000

• MS Power Company State PAC, of Gulfport (PAC)

$10,000

• Cadence Bank PAC, of Tupelo (PAC)

• Mississippi AGC PAC, of Jackson (PAC)

• MAE - PAC, of Tuscaloosa, AL (PAC)

• Steve Goldring, of Vicksburg (Executive, Goldring Barge)

• Kent Nicaud, of Pass Christian (CEO, Gulfport Memorial)

$7,500

• Marty Davidson, of Meridian (Owner, Southern Pipe)

$5,600

• William Seemann III, of Pass Christian (Owner, Seemann Composites)

$5,000

• Robert Tatum, of Hattiesburg, (Businessman, C3V LLC)

• David Murphy, of Southaven (President, Murphy and Sons Inc.)

• Chip Reno, of Jackson (Consultant, The Consultants)

• Jimmy Alexander, of Marion (Part Owner, A&B Electric Company)

• Wade Creekmore, of Jackson (Executive, CSpire)

• Wild For Mississippi Outdoors PAC, of Ridgeland (PAC)

• ASA MS PAC, of Madison (PAC)

• Thomas Duff, of Hattiesburg (Owner, STM LLC)

• Clay Holladay, of Meridian (Executive, Mississippi Broadcasters)

$2,500

• Adam Breerwood, of Poplarville (President, Pearl River Community College)

• Gina Sharman, of Meridian (Owner, A&B Electric)

• Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, of Washington D.C. (PAC)

• Larry Love, of Meridian (Administration, Specialty Roll Products Inc.)

• Michael Crowe, of Meridian (Executive, Specialty Roll Products Inc.)

• Bruce Martin, of Meridian (President, Meyer & Rosenbaum Inc.)

• Manny Mitchell, of Meridian (Executive, Mitchell Distributing Inc.)

• MS Chiropractors PAC, of Flowood (PAC)

• TRUCK PAC, of Jackson (PAC)

• David Machado, of Gulfport (Executive, Machado Patano)

• Brett Jones, of Columbia (Forestry Services, Self)

• Benjamin Van Cleave, of Hattiesburg (Executive, Buffalo Services Inc.)

• Clifton Van Cleave, of Summit (President/CEO, Buffalo Services Inc.)

• MS CPAS PAC, of Ridgeland (PAC)

• Thomas Woolridge, of Tupelo (Physician, Self)

$2,000

• MS Ind. Package Stores Association, of Jackson (Nonprofit)

$1,500

• David Ledlow, of Pattison (Retired)

$1,200

• Jonathan Krebs, of Hattiesburg (Partner, Horne)

$1,000

• Johnny Maloney, of Madison (Sales, Cowboy Maloney)

• Karen Green, of Grenada (Law Professor, Retired)

• Land Title Association of Mississippi, of Flowood (Corporation)

• Ten One PAC, of Jackson (PAC)

• Jared Carlson, of Hattiesburg (Broker, London and Steelman)

• Huey Townsend, of Belzoni (Banker, Guaranty Bank)

• Hue Townsend, of Belzoni (Banker, Guaranty Bank)

• Daniel Holland, of Daleville (Executive, Clearspan Components Inc.)

• Friends of MSMS, of Hattiesburg (Corporation)

• Roman Galey, of Hattiesburg (President, SouthGroup/The Galey Agency)

• Bob Chain Jr., of Hattiesburg (Real Estate; South and Company Properties)

• Hardy Graham, of Bailey (CEO, Meridian Coca-Cola Bottling Company)

• Huntington Ingalls Industries, of Pascagoula (Corporation)

• Mike Smith Cattle Company Inc., of Guntown (Corporation)

• Richard Addy, of Oxford (Photographer, Addy Photography)

• Norman Enterprises Inc., of Meridian (Corporation)

• Jennifer Rodriguez, of Meridian (Physician, Cardiovascular Institute of the South)

• M.L. Waters, of Meridian (Sales, Waters International Trucks)

• Tommy Dulaney, of Meridian (VP, Structural Steel Services)

• James Williams, of Florence (Owner, Farrow Finance LLC)

• Charles Richard Barge, of Macon (Retired)

• Aluminum Recycling of Mississippi Inc., of Jackson (Corporation)

• R&M Investments, of Vicksburg (LLC)

• Financial Service Centers of MS PAC, of Oxford (PAC)

• Barry Bridgforth, of Olive Branch (Real Estate, Bridgforth Realty Inc.)

• Jeffrey and Laura Guy, of Madison (Vice President & GM, Nexstar Media Group dba WJTV/WHLT)

• Perry Phillips, of Purvis (Attorney, Perry W Phillips PLLC)

• Jared Waldrop, of Hattiesburg (Dealer, Pine Belt Chevrolet Buick)

• Gary Hill, of Oakvale (Drilling, Walker Hill Environment)

• Joseph Pope, of Hattiesburg (Management, Pine Belt CD JR)

• Citizens Bank, of Columbia (Corporation)

• Rodger Wilder, of Gulfport (Retired)

• PhRMA, of Baton Rouge, LA (Corporation)

• Chevron, of Pascagoula, MS (Corporation)

• Oceans Acquisitions Inc., of Plano, TX (Corporation)

• JW Chain Contractors LLC, of Hattiesburg (LLC)

• Friends of Billy Hewes, of Gulfport (Candidate Committee)

• Eli Lilly and Company PAC, of Indianapolis, IN (PAC)

• National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies PAC, of Washington, DC (PAC)

• Keith Sanders, of Summit (Charters, Bus Supply Charters)

• Allred Investments LLC, of Meridian (N/A)

• Paul Cooper Morrison, of Jackson (Real Estate Investing, Self)

• Kent Van Cleave, of Centreville (Retired)

• Penn Entertainment Inc., of Wyomissing, PA (Corporation)

• West Main LLC, of Flora (LLC)

• Bill Chancellor, of Madison (Owner, Chancellor Funeral Home)

• Robert King, of Ridgeland (President, Triangle Development)

• Russell Hawkins, of Vicksburg (Retired)

Chris McDaniel

$100,000

Daniel Hegel, of Carmel, CA (Director, Advanced Development Technologies)

$10,000

• James Cegielski, of Laurel (Retired)

• Plum Creek Properties LLC, of Walnut (LLC)

$5,000

• Joseph Estess, of Tupelo (Owner, Magnolia Business Center)

$2,900

• Chris Johns, of Summit (Installment Lender, Self Employed)

$2,500

• Michael Cure, of Waveland (Retired)

$1,450

• Hayes Patrick, of Brandon (Deputy Commissioner, MS Dept of Ag)

$1,000

• William Hewes Jr., of Gulfport (Retired)

• Daniel Burton, of Gulfport (Retired)

• Independence Land Company LLC, of Baton Rouge, LA (LLC)

• Jason Castle, of Meridian (Energy, Self Employed)

• Jimmy Lane, of Ocean Springs (Retired)

• Leslie Rutland, of Collins (Retired)

• Randy Abrams, of Oxford (Retired)

• Richard Conrad, of Laurel (Retired)

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi lt. gov. Republican primary July campaign finance update