Missouri’s utility companies appear to be mostly lining up behind one gubernatorial candidate in this year’s race. Campaign contribution records show this election cycle they’re throwing their support behind Mike Kehoe.
A report published by the Energy and Policy Institute, a utility watchdog organization, shows three of Missouri’s largest investor-owned utilities contributed to Lt. Gov. Kehoe’s campaign or to political action committees that support him.
Since 2019, Ameren, Spire and Evergy have donated $408,500 to American Dream PAC, a political action committee that supports Kehoe, according to the Energy and Policy Institute. Since 2010, the three companies contributed $86,700 to the Citizens to Elect Mike Kehoe campaign committee.
The Missouri Independent reports Kehoe’s campaign raised almost $13 million in the past two years.
Evergy is an electric utility that serves much of western Missouri. In a statement, an Evergy spokesperson said the company “supports candidates who understand the important role energy plays in our society.”
“Evergy is proud to support Mike Kehoe in his campaign to be Governor. He has been a champion for infrastructure investment in this state since his days in the State Senate,” Evergy’s statement read.
Jonathan Kim is a research associate with the Energy and Policy Institute and compiled the campaign finance records in the report. He said the future governor has a lot of power over the Public Service Commission, the state agency that regulates utility profits and what the companies charge gas or electric customers.
“These utilities are giving money to the person that could potentially be appointing folks who make the rules for them,” Kim said.
Of the three companies, Ameren, an electric utility that serves a large portion of central Missouri, contributed the most. The institute also found more than $40,000 in donations to Kehoe from Ameren executives.
In a statement to KBIA, an Ameren spokesperson said the company has “robust governance procedures and oversight over all of our political contributions.”
“Advocating for smart, balanced energy policies at the local, state and federal levels ultimately benefits our customers and the communities we serve,” the spokesperson said.
Utilities are often some of the largest corporations in a state and do regularly donate to political campaigns, Kim said.
“It's always the goal of utilities to build favorable regulatory environments,” he said. “It's clear that they believe that Mike Kehoe is the candidate that can do that.”
Jason Merrill, a spokesperson for Spire, the gas utility that serves the majority of Missourians, said the company complies with “legal requirements and ethical standards governing campaign donations.”
“Spire stays engaged with the communities we serve to raise awareness about the value of natural gas and to grow Missouri business,” Merrill said.
Kehoe’s campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
