(Developing: Will be updated)
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s new political action committee announced Tuesday morning that it raised almost $1 million in six months to back like-minded candidates who support a number of issues including Medicaid expansion.
The governor’s Middle of the Road PAC announced that it had raised $993,132.50 since its launch in July 2023. The campaign finance report was not immediately available, so the sources of the funding are not yet known, nor was the amount of cash on hand.
“Kansans are tired of extreme politicians pushing through their harmful, unpopular, and divisive agendas in the middle of the night,” Kelly said in a statement.
“They want leaders who are committed to Kansas values and who will work together to make Kansas the best place to live, work, and raise a family,” Kelly said.
“These impressive numbers prove the desire – and need – for more middle-of-the-road leaders who are ready to put politics aside and work with me to deliver for all Kansans.”
The Middle of the Road PAC will publicly endorse and support moderate Kansas candidates running for state legislative races in the 2024 election cycle, regardless of political party.
The Middle of the Road PAC will endorse candidates who support expanding Medicaid, funding schools and “responsibly” cutting taxes.
Kelly has promised to make Medicaid expansion an election issue this fall if the Legislature refuses to act on the issue.
“As we go into 2024, we’re just not going into another legislative session,” Kelly said recently when rolling out her latest Medicaid expansion plan.
“We’re going into a legislative session during an election year,” Kelly said. “I anticipate if this does not pass the Legislature this session, it will be the No. 1 issue going into the 2024 campaigns for the Legislature.”
Kelly carried 61 out of 125 House districts last year, many of them in suburban Johnson County where Democrats believe they can win enough legislative races to break the Republican supermajority in the Legislature.
She won 21 out of 40 Senate districts, including eight represented by Republicans.
Kelly’s PAC outperformed the Road Map PAC affiliated with former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback that launched in 2012 when conservatives mounted a successful effort to take out moderate Republicans in the Kansas Senate.
The Road Map PAC raised about $70,000 in its first months of operation in 2012, raising about $66,000 from July to October of 2012 and $4,000 for the rest of the year.
The Road Map PAC raised $11,500 in 2013. It raised about $15,000 in 2014, pulling in $5,100 from January to July and $10,000 from July to October. It reported raising no money at the end of 2014.
Kelly has always had a demonstrated ability to raise money.
During the governor’s race against Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt, Kelly had raised $6.69 million compared to $4.04 million for Schmidt.
The governor had outraised Schmidt for each of three reporting period in which they submitted reports.
During 2021, Kelly raised $2.05 million to $1.64 million for Schmidt.
And in the first seven months of this 2022, Kelly raised $1.52 million to $707,279 for Schmidt, campaign finance reports show.
