Koster still on a roll

Here’s the thing about running for governor in a swing state like Missouri:

It’s supposed to be hard.

But so far, Democrat Chris Koster is making it look easy. He’s worked his way out of a potentially contentious party primary against state treasurer Clint Zweifel. He’s watching from the sidelines as a potentially brutal three-way GOP primary stacks up between Catherine Hanaway, Tom Schweich and John Brunner.

And Koster’s raising all kinds of money.

This week, he reported a $539,000 haul in the year’s first quarter, giving him more than $2 million in the bank for his 2016 campaign.

Hanaway, meantime, raised just more than $300,000 in the first quarter, although she didn’t begin raising money until February when she announced her campaign. Schweich picked up about $275,000 for his re-election campaign for auditor.

One reason for Koster’s fund-raising success is his standing as the early favorite to succeed outgoing Gov. Jay Nixon, who can’t run again because of term limits.

It’s an enviable position to be in, and one that’s paying off.

This story was originally published April 17, 2014 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Koster still on a roll."