(Updated to reflect filing of Esau’s campaign finance report)
Incredibly busy day on the Kansas political scene Monday.
Hundreds of campaign finance reports came flooding in, candidates found new and different ways to go on the offensive in the closing days and a new dark money group enters the governor’s race.
Let’s take a look at the top five things you may have missed but need to know from the start of the last week of the primary race.
New dark money group emerges in governor’s race
Give credit to the Eagle’s Jonathan Shorman for unearthing this new dark money group with ties to independent candidate Greg Orman, who boasted of raising $1.3 million only to find that $650,000 came from him. Here’s the group’s website and the incorporation papers, which show his campaign manager from his 2014 Senate race is a director.
Relentless in the 2nd Congressional District
Most of the Republican candidates in the 2nd District aren’t going to let fellow Republican Steve Watkins forget his past in this primary race.
Over the last couple of weeks, stories keep emerging that question Watkins’ commitment to GOP values, whether it’s flirting with running as a Democrat or not voting for President Donald Trump – or basically not voting at all.
And we have another one for you this morning from the Topeka Capital-Journal that looks at Watkins’ voting record before running for Congress.
For what it’s worth, Republican congressional candidate Caryn Tyson has paid for this website that neatly bundles up everything you want to know about Watkins’ past. It’s called the Real Steve Watkins.
As a reminder, Watkins is putting close to a half million of his own money into this race, not counting the more than $400,000 that the political action committee started by his dad is throwing into the campaign as well.
Meanwhile, a new ad put out by the PAC started by Watkins’ dad is blaming Democrats for spreading rumors about him.
Colyer says a vote for Selzer, Barnett elects Kobach
Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer has been running an ad that basically says outright that a vote for former state Sen. Jim Barnett or Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer is a vote for Republican Kris Kobach.
It’s generally been believed that the better Selzer and Barnett do in the primary the more it potentially hurts Colyer in the campaign.
The ad drew this response from the Selzer campaign:
“We understand why Jeff Colyer is releasing this ad, he knows that Selzer is rising significantly in the polls. Voters are connecting with our message of a full time governor, fiscal responsibility and a certified public accountant in the governor’s office,” the statement said.
Barnett offered up this response.
“A vote for Colyer is a vote for Brownback,” Barnett said in an email. “He is a weakened candidate and cannot win the primary. His ad is saying, ‘I’m not the best candidate, but vote for me anyway.’
“Unfortunately, his handlers and consultants mismanaged him. They never should have tried to protect him in the debates. Kobach decked him in Salina and knocked him out in Johnson County. He could not even garner enough support from citizens in his own backyard to support him at the last debate.”
The Colyer campaign did not respond to a request for a comment about the ad on Monday afternoon. But here’s a look at the ad.
Secretary of state fundraising
Democrat Brian McClendon – known short as BAM – led the field of secretary of state candidates in fundraising this year.
McClendon, the brains behind Google Earth, pulled in $509,000 this year. Of that amount, McClendon put in $150,000 of his own money. He reported having about $176,000 on hand at the end of the reporting period on July 26.
On the Republican side of the ledger, Dennis Taylor, a cabinet official in Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration, led the way this year with $73,335.
He was followed by outgoing state Rep. Scott Schwab with $65,655, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Craig McCullah with $13,640 and state Rep. Keith Esau reported raising $8,392. Former Saline County GOP chairman Randy Duncan brought in $3,151.
Overall for the entire campaign, Schwab has raised $152,000. He started his fundraising drive last year when he raised $86,650. Esau also started campaigning last year. He’s raised about $23,000.
Schwab ended the reporting period with $18,863 on hand, Taylor had $1,504 while McCullah was $62,000 in the red. Duncan had $39.81. Esau had $4,236.
State treasurer fundraising
Kansas Treasurer Jake LaTurner raised nearly $23,000 this year and is sitting on $96,000 going into the general election against Democratic challenger, state Sen. Marci Francisco of Lawrence. Franciso reported bringing in $18,601 while going into the general election with $8,065 on hand.
Bonus round
Here are a couple other items out there worth noting, they include:
- Bob Dole’s endorsement of Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer.
- Coverage of a stop on Colyer’s 105-county tour.
- Democratic Secretary of State candidate Brian McClendon visits Hays and talks about paper ballots as a security safeguard.
- A little piece from the Hutchinson news about the Republican primary between state Rep. Steve Becker and Paul Waggoner.
- And a profile on Kris Kobach’s legal nemesis, Lauren Bonds, the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas.
