(Updated to reflect amended report filed by the Tiffany campaign)
In a sprint for the Republican nomination for the 2nd Congressional District seat, former Attorney General Derek Schmidt leads his major rivals in fundraising, according to new reports that came out late Monday.
Schmidt reported raising $430,157 in a little more than two months. His report showed he started raising money April 26. A campaign spokesperson said Schmidt set a record for most money raised in a quarter by a nonincumbent in Kansas.
“Our team has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support on such short notice in this campaign,” Schmidt said in a statement late Monday night.
“We are thrilled to post such a great number with not even a full quarter passed since our announcement,” he said.
Jeff Kahrs, a top adviser to outgoing Congressman Jake LaTurner, reported raising $408,477 from April 1 through June 30. However, Kahrs supplemented his campaign with a $300,000 loan on June 21. Schmidt reported no loans.
Meanwhile, former Kansas Livestock Association President Shawn Tiffany, who got up early on television in the campaign, initially reported raising $178,588 and no loans on Monday night but later amended the report.
A new report filed on Tuesday afternoon showed that Tiffany reported raising $272,169 during the quarter ending June 30. A spokesperson for the Tiffany campaign didn’t explain what led to the amended report.
Tiffany reported receiving $5,000 from the National Cattleman’s Beef Association, $5,000 from the Livestock Marketing Association and $950 from the political consulting firm Aristotle International.
With the primary election now three weeks away, Schmidt reported having $326,440 in cash on hand as of June 30.
Kahrs reported having $366,383 in the bank, and Tiffany had $114,837 in cash on hand in his first report and $112,063 in the new report.
“We have the necessary funds at this point to get across the finish line, and more money is coming in every day,” said Kahrs’ spokesperson, Rob Fillion.
Schmidt enjoyed financial support from a number of political committees, including $5,000 each from the American Bankers Association, Koch Industries PAC, Spirit Aerosystems, the National Automobile Dealers Association and the National Association of Realtors, among others.
Schmidt also received $2,500 from the Kansas City law firm Husch Blackwell, which had hired him last year to join its state attorneys general practice.
Kahrs received $2,000 from former Gov. Sam Brownback and $1,041 from Brownback’s former appointments director and deputy chief of staff, Kim Borchers.
He also received $1,000 each from outgoing state Sen. Molly Baumgardner of Louisburg and her husband, Brian.
He also received $1,000 from the wife of David Kensinger, the chief of staff to Brownback when he was in office. Kahrs also received $500 from Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay.
Over on the Democratic side, former Congresswoman Nancy Boyda reported raising $56,788 – most of which came from a personal loan.
She lent her campaign $49,020. She still had $48,470 in cash on hand as of June 30.
Democrat Matt Kleinmann reported raising $32,435 since May 15. He reported no loans and had $28,544 in cash on hand as of June 30.
Boyda and Kleinmann are in worse financial shape than other Democratic candidates who sought the seat and still lost.
At this same point in 2018, former House Minority Leader Paul Davis had raised $1.5 million and had $894,000 in cash on hand.
At the same juncture in 2020, former Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla had raised $694,000 and had stockpiled $522,600.
And Democrat Patrick Schmidt, who was not as well known as the two other Democrats, had raised about $648,000 and had about $390,900 still on hand.
