(Updated to reflect late filings of Colyer and Brewer reports)
Independent gubernatorial candidate Greg Orman plowed $650,000 into his campaign for governor, boosting his fundraising totals to more than $1 million for the approaching fall election.
New campaign finance reports out on Monday showed that the Johnson County businessman raised $878,874 from Jan. 1 through July 26, including $650,000 of his own money. Orman reported having about $459,000 on hand on July 26.
Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer beat Orman’s fundraising efforts, reporting a total of $878,000 for the year and nearly $1.5 million for the campaign.
Meanwhile, Democratic state Sen. Laura Kelly of Topeka raised $572,000 for the first seven months of the year
The amount reported on Monday brings Kelly’s total fundraising to $728,000. Kelly closed the reporting period with $236,000 in the bank.
One of Kelly’s primary Democratic rivals, former state Rep. Josh Svaty, raised $213,000 during the period. He reported having just $35,000 on hand. He’s raised about $405,000 for the campaign.
The other major Democratic candidate, former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, reported raising $80,000 this year to bring his total for the campaign to about $125,000.
A spokesman for the Svaty campaign played down Kelly’s fundraising.
“We have known all along that we would not raise as much as the Kelly/Rogers campaign,” Mike Swenson said. “They are both sitting state senators in the middle of their term and regardless of the outcome of the race for governor, they will both be sitting in the capitol come January.
“Special interests and outstate money will always make the safe bet and cover themselves for the next legislative session, when there are politicians sitting in s
Reports for Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer were still out late Monday evening.
Republican evangelist Patrick Kucera dropped about $300,000 of his own money into the governor’s race, bringing his total fundraising to $320,580.
Former Republican state Sen. Jim Barnett, meanwhile, filed a report showing he had raised about $38,000 during the reporting period.
Barnett still had $315,000 on hand, although he lent more than $500,000 to his campaign last year.
The amount of money that Kelly has raised so far this year is less than what former House Minority Leader Paul Davis raised at a similar point in the 2014 governor’s race although he had no competition for the nomination.
Davis reported raising $1.1 million for basically the first seven months of 2014 when he was gearing up to face then-Gov. Sam Brownback, who was running for-election. Davis ended the July reporting period with $1.3 million on hand.
