The Papa John’s founder and CEO John Schnatter and his wife Annette headlined a group of well-heeled donors to the state Republican Party last month, boosting its treasury by $151,000 and possibly pushing it even further ahead of the Democratics, according to its monthly Federal Election Commission report filed yesterday.

The party had $1.6 million on hand at the end of the month, after spending $188,000, the report said.

The Democrats have not filed their July report yet. But in June, they raised just $48,000 to the Republicans’ $155,000. That left the Democrats with only $48,000 in the bank.

The Schnatters and just eight other $10,000 donors accounted for 66% of all the party’s receipts during in July, underscoring the role of a handful of wealthy residents in this year’s elections. Among them, Schnatter especially can afford do be generous: His stake in the pizza chain he founded in 1984 soared above $800 million less than two weeks ago after a run-up in the stock’s price.

The others $10,000 Republican donors were:

• John W. Landrum of Harrodsburg, retired.
• Henry R. Saufley III, owner, Builders Supply.
• Pam Stephens of Russell Springs, bookkeeper and accountant at Stephens Pipe and Steele.
• James Stuckert of Prospect, partner at investment firm Hilliard Lyons, Diane Stuckert, retired.
• E. Duncan Taylor of Lexington, horse breeder, Taylor Made Farms.
• William Wilburn of Eubank, president, Cumberland Security Bank, and Sherry Wilburn, a homemaker.