While polls may show him trailing in the Democratic primary for governor, state Sen. Ethan Corson has more than doubled the amount of money that state Sen. Cindy Holscher’s campaign has raised.
Corson filed a report Monday showing that he’s raised about $1.2 million this year, bringing to $2.1 million the amount he raised during the governor’s race in 2025 and 2026. Here are his donors.
He has about $278,000 in cash on hand going into the last days of the primary.
Holscher raised about $412,000 this year, bringing her total for the campaign to about $810,500.
Her campaign finance report is filled with individual donors, many giving from $5 and $7 to $1,000 and $2,000, although Corson, too, lists donors ranging from as low $5 to the maximum of $4,000.
Holscher has about $65,000 in cash on hand left as the campaign enters its final days.
Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog reported raising about $286,000 after joining the race on June 1. He are his donors.
He has about $56,400 in the bank at the end of the reporting period on July 23.
“From the beginning, we have built this campaign to win,” Corson said in a statement when he filed the report on Monday.
““Thousands of Kansans have invested in our campaign because they understand what is at stake.
“We cannot let the progress Gov. Kelly has made be erased by a Republican governor who would defund our public schools, block Medicaid expansion, and threaten the fundamental freedoms Kansans have repeatedly voted to protect.”
Holscher has been undaunted in her campaign as she runs against the support Corson has received from the Democratic establishment, including Gov. Laura Kelly, former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, organized labor and Planned Parenthood.
Holscher has portrayed Corson as a puppet of big business and billionaires although he has countered that she has enjoyed support from corporate America in past campaigns for the Legislature.
She has criticized his past campaign reports, saying that last year he reported raising $89,000 from political action committees corporations, and industry groups.
While Corson’s fundraising gives him the edge of going on up on broadcast television statewide – she’s made one broadcast purchase of $1,500 – Holscher has tried to use that against him as well
Corson is planning to spend $1 million on TV. Skoog is now spending about $113,000 on broadcast television, according to national ad tracker, AdImpact.
And a “dark money” group that was created by a former state Democratic Party spokesman has gone up on television with a one-day $34,000 ad buy in Topeka promoting the governor’s support of Corson.
Holscher has spent less on broadcast television in this campaign than any other major Democratic and Republican candidate in the governor’s race, according to reporting by national ad tracker, AdImpact.
Holscher has said the ad campaigns demonstrate that Corson is beholden to corporate donors who will expect the favors returned if he’s elected governor.
“Cindy doesn’t have millions of dollars to spend on advertising, but she has a grassroots army at her back and that’s why she’s ahead in this race,” Holscher’s campaign manager Madi Ashcraft said in a statement.
“People are sick and tired of corporate-funded establishment politics and she’s going to bring change to Topeka.”
But experts warn that TV still matters in political campaigns even with the presence of social media.
“In the typical statewide primary election, especially with no incumbent running, voters don’t know a lot about the candidates,” said John Sides, who studies political behavior in American politics at Vanderbilt University and has written about the effect of television advertising in U.S. elections.
“New information can really make a difference, which is why you sometimes see big swings in primary polls as voters learn new things and update their attitudes,” Sides said.
“So, television advertising is much more likely to move voters in a primary election than a general election.”
