JEFFERSON CITY — The power of incumbency is clear in the Missouri Ethics Commission quarterly report filed by Gov. Jay Nixon.

In his first quarter as governor, Nixon raised $766,000, including in-kind contributions. He ended the reporting period with more than $500,000 on hand. Ironically, the man many expected Nixon to face in the 2008 governor’s race, former Gov. Matt Blunt, still has more than $400,000 in his campaign account. (Blunt did not raise money last quarter).

Beyond Nixon and Blunt, no in-state politicians come close to those numbers.

Nixon’s large fund-raising take was helped by numerous large donations from some of the state’s largest corporations. Since late August of 2008, Missouri has had no campaign finance donation limits. Nixon reported a $50,000 check from AT&T, and $25,000 each from Boeing, Kansas City Power & Light, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Several other corporations donated $10,000.

Some of those donations were slated to help pay for the governor’s inaugural festivities.

Nixon also refunded some donations, including $10,000 to Motorola, a company which had a contract to build a new statewide emergency operations communications system. Nixon put the contract on hold.

Nixon also refunded a $2,500 donation from the American Insurance Association of Missouri PAC, and a $2,000 donation from Sam Hamra, a longtime Democratic donor who is involved in the low-income housing tax credit business.

Hamra achieved some acclaim a couple of years ago for writing then Gov. Matt Blunt, who he had supported during his 2004 campaign, and complaining that Blunt didn’t send enough tax credits Hamra’s way. In a letter to Blunt that became public record, Hamra said he’d turn his support to Nixon.