Utility companies are giving to Missouri politicians ahead of this year’s midterm elections – even some not on the ballot. Republican candidates got more cash, according to an analysis by the Energy and Policy Institute, a utility watchdog group.
Investor-owned utilities and their associated political action committees, or PACs, reported spending about $2.4 million in Missouri races in 2025 and 2026.
“Anytime you get into the seven figures, that's a meaningful influence on the political state of a state,” said Jonathan Kim, research and communications manager at the Energy and Policy Institute.
Kim’s analysis of Missouri Ethics Commission data shows investor-owned utilities such as Ameren, Evergy and Spire spent about five times as much backing Missouri Republican politicians than they did Democrats, with $1.6 million going to Republican-aligned PACs and $328,000 going to Democrat-aligned PACs.
Kim said Missouri politicians who supported Senate Bill 4, a massive utility bill passed in 2025, got more dollars than those that didn’t.
“We saw about three quarters of spending to candidates go to folks that voted for SB4 — including folks coming from the utilities and energy committees — and then you also have just 10% going to those that were against the legislation,” Kim said.
In 2024, when Gov. Mike Kehoe was running for his position, utilities companies contributed more than $400,000 to his campaign. Kehoe has prioritized expanding energy production in the state by creating a nuclear power task force and directing the Department of Natural Resources to produce a state energy plan.
The governor is not on the ballot this year, but in the past two years, utility companies have donated about $175,000 to the Kehoe-affiliated American Dream PAC.
Kim said Missouri utility spending is out of sync with other Midwestern states. In Wisconsin, campaign spending by utilities is down this year, despite a high-profile gubernatorial race. In Michigan, voters will weigh in on a ballot proposal to ban utility campaign spending altogether.
Which politicians are benefitting?
Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, R-Shelbina received $205,000 from utility companies and their affiliated PACs, according to data from the Energy and Policy Institute.
Utilities have also bought into both sides of a Missouri Senate race between outgoing House Speaker Jon Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, and Rep. Keri Ingle, D-Lee’s Summit.
They are seeking the seat being vacated by term-limited Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Lee’s Summit, who had been chair of the Senate energy committee. Patterson received $71,000 in campaign donations from energy companies and affiliated PACs, and Ingle got $11,400.
Montgomery County Republican and Executive Vice President of the Missouri Cattlemen's Association Mike Deering is running for Missouri Senate District 10 — where Google and Amazon are developing power-hungry artificial intelligence data centers. He received $36,000 in reported utility campaign contributions.
Energy companies offer little explanation on why they donate
Gas company Spire is regulated by the Missouri Public Service Commission and provides utility services for 38 Missouri counties.
“Spire complies with all legal requirements and ethical standards governing campaign donations and stays engaged with the communities we serve to raise awareness about the value of natural gas and to grow Missouri business,” spokesperson Jason Merrill said.
Ameren Missouri provides electric service for much of central and eastern Missouri and gas service for the Columbia area. In an emailed statement, 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 by protecting customers from unnecessary cost increases while ensuring that grid reliability is never sacrificed,” an Ameren spokesperson said.
Ameren also emphasized that money for political contributions does not come from customer’s bills.
"We support candidates, regardless of political party affiliation, who advocate for sound, constructive energy policy for the benefit of our customers that moves Missouri forward,” the company said in the statement.
Representatives from Evergy declined to comment.
