State Sen. Kurt Schaefer on Wednesday accepted a $250,000 donation from wealthy conservative activist Rex Sinquefield, and the donation marks more than double the amount Schaefer raised in the past three months for his 2016 campaign for attorney general. It�s the second-largest donation he has received after a donation from his mother.

Sinquefield, who is the largest single source of money for Missouri campaigns over the past two years, also gave $750,000 to Republican gubernatorial candidate Catherine Hanaway, more than 11 times the amount she raised during the three months ending Sept. 30.

Schaefer defended taking the money from a donor who has become a target for accusations he is attempting to buy influence. Schaefer said he has known Sinquefield for quite a while, and the donation is one of many that have helped him amass a $1 million campaign treasury.

�It is another contribution,� Schaefer said. �I am certainly thankful for it. I am appreciative for all contributions I get to move Missouri forward.�

Schaefer is the only announced candidate for attorney general but is expected to face House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, who has received large donations from Sinquefield in past campaigns.

Attorney General Chris Koster, also a recipient of large checks from Sinquefield for past elections, is widely expected to be the Democratic nominee for governor in 2016. The Republican race is murkier, with State Auditor Tom Schweich and U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer considering whether to run.

Schweich faces only third-party opposition for re-election this year. He has not announced his plans for 2016, but Nathan Adams, a consultant advising Schweich, responded to the large donation with a harsh attack on Hanaway and Sinquefield.

�Tom has not decided on his own political future beyond 2014 but this much is clear: under no circumstances should Hanaway be the nominee of the Republican Party for Governor in 2016,� Adams wrote in the statement posted on Facebook. �And under no circumstances will we sit idly by while one person � who has already had his cronies sue the Auditor�s office more than 10 times � appears to be attempting to buy Missouri government.�

Hanaway embraced the donation after filing a report showing she raised only $67,316 during the quarter and only $511,000 since launching her campaign.

�I am thankful that Mr. Sinquefield supports the pro-growth agenda I have been working on since I was first elected to public office in 1998,� Hanaway said in a written statement.

The donations for the 2016 races overshadowed the release of quarterly campaign reports for this year�s elections. With no big-spending statewide campaigns for candidates or ballot measures, the most hotly contested races in the state are local county and legislative elections.

In Central Missouri races, incumbents held the fundraising edge for the quarterly reports and for the campaign as a whole. Most campaigns reported totals after the primary and the latest reports generally cover September fundraising.

In the 44th District, state Rep. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, reported raising $23,466 in the September, raising his total to $125,079 for the campaign. His largest donation, $4,500, came from Grow Missouri, a Sinquefield-funded political action committee. His Democratic opponent, Tom Pauley, reported raising $3,411 in September and $17,990 for the entire campaign.

In the 47th District, state Rep. John Wright, D-Rocheport, reported raising $23,249 for the month and $218,000 for the campaign against Republican Chuck Basye, who reported $17,000 in donations and $43,509 in total fundraising. Wright donates the bulk of his own campaign funding out of money earned from his business ventures. Basye�s largest donations were $1,000 from three donors.

In the 49th District in Callaway County, where there is no incumbent, the candidates are virtually even in fundraising for the quarter and the campaign. Former state Rep. Gracia Backer raised $14,507 in the month and $63,787 for her campaign. Travis Fitzwater, a Republican who filed a report covering the entire quarter, reported raising $14,203 for the period and $77,013 for the campaign.