Shows Grassroots Strength As Well As Financial Momentum
Kansas City, Missouri- Today Jacob Turk, Republican candidate for Missouri’s 5th district announced that he filed his FEC report showing that he has raised $114,964 as of the filing deadline of 12/31/11.
I am very pleased with the financial support I have received from the voters of Missouri,” said Turk. “Clearly people are responding to my focus on private sector jobs, growing the economy and shrinking the size of government.”
Turk officially announced his candidacy in December. Since kicking-off his campaign one month ago he has been able to raise almost half of what he raised the entire campaign in 2010.
“We have momentum and people are willing to financially invest in my campaign,” said Turk. “This election will offer voters a clear choice between the federal budget or the family budget. These are the issues important to the voters of Missouri and what I’ve been fighting for,” said Turk.
Turk’s fundraising is now in the same league as incumbent Congressional members from Missouri.
| Incumbent | Amount Raised for Quarter | Last report filed |
| Clay | $121,000 | Year-end report for 2011 |
| Carnahan | $141,000 | October |
| Hartzler | $114,000 | October |
| Cleaver | $108,000 | October |
| Graves | $165,000 | Year-end report for 2011 |
| Emerson | $95,000 | October |
Turk strongly believes that with fundraising momentum and national polls showing that a majority of voters would not re-elect their Congressman, he is in a very good position to win in 2012.
“We came close last time. If we had had the financial resources it would have been a different outcome. 2012 is going to be our year,” said Turk.
Turk is a Marine veteran. After completing his Marine Corps service, he started a family. As a young father, he worked two jobs and attended college thanks to the GI Bill, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Missouri. He initially worked at the Allied-Signal plant. Suddenly faced with a new life as a single father of three small children, Turk tailored his own custom software business so he could be available to his kids.
As a small business owner for 12 years, Turk knows, firsthand, what it’s like to struggle to make payroll for his employees, deal with government regulations, pay taxes, and work to make a profit. Turk then went to work for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. It was in that position where he began to understand the insurance industry and gained insights into some of the difficulties and barriers to competitive, affordable health insurance in America.
“It has taken a lot of hard work to convince people that a candidate who is not politically connected, who is just an average citizen wanting to change Washington, and who is committed to getting the government off the backs of small business so they can create the jobs people in the 5th District so desperately need and lower the national debt can win this seat. After years of building a strong grassroots organization, we are now seeing donors join the effort.
February 1, 2012 at 3:33 pm
GO TURK GO! We need a Marine to go in there and clean up Cleaver’s mess!!
February 1, 2012 at 4:39 pm
Fantastic news! I am more confident than ever that we will finally be represented by an honest conservative… time to unseat Cleaver! Jacob Turk’s platform is clearly listed at http://www.turkforcongress.com , and it’s just what Kansas City needs!
February 1, 2012 at 5:13 pm
Let’s kick some people out of office. No more free hand outs. Cleaver will be history.
March 24, 2012 at 10:55 am
Jacob Turk is always a bridesmaid but never a bride. He is a so-called small government conservative like the ones who are stalling progress in our country righ now. Why would the people of the fifth district elect him over a hard working, dedicated Representative like Emanuel Cleaver who has done a great job for his district and for the people of Missouri and the United States for a guy who wants to gut programs that are important to the great majority of Americans and fifth district residents? Turk is a loser and always has been but he will be popular among the extremists, so called conservatives, who have always supported him in the past. There is nothing conservative about taking the ax to important programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Vote for Turk at your peril, he is a regressive who wants to turn our country back to the bad old days of Herbert Hoover.