The political arm of the Kansas Republican House caucus pulled in $209,000 in 2019, the first time party leaders say that much was raised in an off election year.
The Republican House Campaign Committee, which underwent a change in leadership last year, reported raising about 30% more than the $161,650 taken in during the last off election year in 2017.
It was more than double the $81,855 raised in 2011 when conservatives gained control of the House and Sam Brownback was in his first year as governor.
While the amount raised was less than the nearly $300,000 brought in during the 2018 election year, it was more than the roughly $192,000 raised during the 2016 election year.
The House campaign committee filed its report Tuesday. The Democratic House committee had not yet filed its report.
Republican leadership was ecstatic about the fundraising results, especially after a change in the committee’s leadership.
The fundraising haul was characterized as the first time in an off election year that the GOP House campaign committee, or its Senate counterpart, raised more than $200,000.
“We had an awesome year,” House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins said. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of time we spent on the phone making calls and talking to people.”
The committee set a new fundraising benchmark this year after a reorganization that saw state Rep. Kristey Williams lose her role as the committee’s chairwoman.
She was replaced by first-term state Rep. Chris Croft, who presided over last year’s fundraising efforts and hired a new consultant to replace political operative Travis Smith, who worked for Axiom Strategies before joining Creative Direct.
The House committee went with former Singularis partner Jared Suhn as its new political strategist going into the 2020 elections. Consultant Katie McGurk also has been working on fundraising.
Williams was not without success. She raised raised $457,380 during the two-year 2018 election cycle, more than the House campaign committee had raised in any cycle since at least 2010.
“A few months ago, RHCC embarked on a new and aggressive model to change the way we campaign in Kansas and become a bigger player in defending our GOP majorities,” Croft wrote in a letter to the House GOP caucus.
“I’m pleased to report that we are well on our way to accomplishing our mission,” he wrote.
The Republican House caucus is battling to hold onto its 84-seat supermajority, critical for overriding Gov. Laura Kelly’s vetos. Losing one seat will cost the GOP its supermajority.
Republicans are homing in on various races, especially in Johnson County, which has been trending Democratic in some areas, most notably within the Interstate 435 freeway loop.
Areas where the GOP could be vulnerable include House District 17, where Republican state Rep. Tom Cox is leaving to run for the state Senate after winning re-election in 2018 by 330 votes.
Gun safety advocate Jo Ella Hoye is running for House District 17, which has a distinct Democratic leaning and covers parts of Lenexa and Shawnee.
So far, no Republican opponent has emerged, and she’s already raised about $21,000. She has about $17,000 still on hand.
The district went for Paul Davis in the 2014 governor’s race, Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election and Laura Kelly in the 2018 governor’s race.
The GOP also will be focused on a race from out west where Republican state Rep. Barbara Wasinger will face a rematch from Democrat Eber Phelps in House District 111.
Wasinger won the race by 35 votes in a district that went for former Secretary of State Kris Kobach in the 2018 governor’s race.
The district also went for Sam Brownback in 2014 and President Donald Trump in 2016.
Districts where the House Republicans are looking to make gains include House 41 where Democratic incumbent Jeff Pittman is leaving to run for the state Senate.
Retired Army Col. Pat Proctor has been campaigning as a Republican for months for the House District 41 seat.
He raised $29,030 in 2019 and had $11,425 on hand at the end of the year. He is expected to have opposition from Democrat Whitney Moulden.
Republicans, meanwhile, are hopeful to beat state Democratic Rep. Dave Benson, who won the District 48 seat by 82 votes in 2018.
The district went for Kelly in 2018 but went for Trump in 2016 and Brownback in 2014.
