Stitt still receiving campaign donations

Gov. Kevin St itt has raised more than $600,000 from donors since hi selection in November, his campaign contributions reports show.

Most of that came from April through June, a new report shows. During those months, he accepted $356,130 from individuals and $27,200 from political action committees.

His continued success in fundraising gives the Tulsa Republican a major head start on an expected re-election effort. Leftover funds from his 2018 campaign account can be transferred into a 2022 campaign account once one is established.

The latest 2018 campaign report was filed Friday afternoon with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. It shows the total raised exceeds $11.4 million, an unprecedented amount for a gubernatorial race in Oklahoma. Almost $5 million came from personal loans Stitt made to his campaign account.

Stitt is still spending, too. He has paid consultants thousands of dollars this year. He finished the quarter with $468,271 in his campaign account.

Stitt, a former mortgage company CEO with no political experience, began a four-year term in January.

Among the $2,700 donors listed on Stitt's latest report are Thunder owner Clay Bennett, Tulsa oilman and banker George Kaiser, Tyson Foods chairman John Tyson, Oklahoma City banker H. E. Rain bolt and Oklahoma City philanthropist Sue Ann Arnall.

A number of legislative candidates have already started raising money for the 2020 elections, their reports show. One of the newest candidates, Dr. Chris Emerson, a Jenks Republican, on Thursday reported raising $66,160 through June 30. The physician anesthesiologist announced in June he was running for the state Senate.