With 10,000 Individual Contributions, Regular Missourians Help Nixon Campaign Raise More than $4.1 Million

JEFFERSON CITY, MO -- Attorney General Jay Nixon announced today that following a major grassroots push that generated more than 10,000 individual contributions, his campaign has raised more than $4.1 million for the 2008 Governor's race.  The campaign raised more than $600,000 in the third quarter of 2007 and now has more than $2.7 million on hand.

"When Matt Blunt slashed health care from thousands of regular folks, including children and people with disabilities, he started a fight with the people of Missouri," said Oren Shur, spokesman for Jay Nixon's campaign.  "Now those regular Missourians are fighting back by contributing their time and money to Jay Nixon's campaign.  Next year, they'll be fighting back at the ballot box."

"Because of his disastrous record, it will be difficult for Matt Blunt to ask regular Missourians to invest in his re-election campaign. Could you imagine opening your checkbook for a Governor who just slashed your health care and made it harder for you to afford college?" said Shur.

After more than 50 grassroots fundraisers across the state and an intense online fundraising effort, the campaign has received over 6,100 contributions of $100 or less from regular Missourians.  More than 500 volunteers for the Nixon campaign and the Missouri Democratic Party have made over 125,000 phone calls to Missourians across the state to listen to their concerns and seek their support.

"Matt Blunt's health care cuts hurt every single person in our state," said Phyllis Sheaks, a retired accountant from Delton who contributed $30 and now helps coordinate a volunteer phone bank for the Nixon campaign in Cass County.  "Now either you don't have health care or if you still have it, you're paying too much for it.  Everyone knows Matt Blunt was wrong, except for Matt Blunt. So I'm getting involved and doing something about it.  We need a change in the Governor's mansion." 

"It's hard to imagine a governor slashing health care from thousands of children, but that's exactly what Matt Blunt did," said Debbi Lehr, a homemaker from Harrisonville who contributed $50 at a recent grassroots fundraiser.  "I may not be rich and connected, but I'm angry about what Blunt is doing to our state. So I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure we elect Jay Nixon to get us back on the right track."

"When Matt Blunt cut health care from all those people and sold off the student loan authority, I decided to get involved," said Jim Higgins, a retired mail carrier from Kirsksville who contributed $25 to Nixon's campaign. "This election is too important for anyone to sit on the sidelines."