(Will be updated as warranted)
After many weeks, conservative state Sen. Dennis Pyle is getting the outside help many expected in the Kansas governor’s race.
Within the last week, mailers have started going out paid for by a Washington-based group called the American Center, which records tie back to an influential Democratic law firm.
The nonprofit group has been sending out mailers declaring Pyle as the “real conservative” in the governor’s race against Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and her Republican challenger, Attorney General Derek Schmidt.
“Senator Dennis Pyle stands for strong immigration policies that protect Kansas jobs and our borders,” the mailer says.
The group also is spending about $92,000 on radio in the Wichita, Kansas City, Topeka, Joplin and nonmetro markets, according to the national ad tracking firm AdImpact.
Records filed with one of the radio stations where the ads were purchased lists American Center’s address as the same address for the Washington, D.C., office of the influential Democratic law firm Perkins Coie.
A phone number for the American Center on its tax forms also is the same number for the Perkins Coie firm, where prominent Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias once chaired its political law group before splitting off to start his own law firm last year.
Perkins Coie’s clients include the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the National Democratic Redistricting PAC and Emily’s List among many other, according to federal campaign finance records.
The group’s tax form indicates that its books are kept by the law firm.
The mailer, however, lists a Washington post office box as the group’s address.
An effort to reach the law firm was unsuccessful Friday morning.
Meanwhile, text messages have been going out promoting Pyle as well while calling Schmidt a RINO.
The texts do not include paid-for disclosures, which are only required if they expressly advocate for the support or defeat of a candidate.
Pyle said he had nothing to do with the text messages, and it could not be determined whether they originated with American Center.
Schmidt campaign manager C.J. Grover did not respond to an email seeking comment.
American Center claims on its website that among other things, it identifies “what everyday Americans care about” and works to give them a “stronger voice in government.”
American Center’s tax 2019 income tax form shows that it had about $56,300 in revenue in 2019 and ended the year with about $126,000 in assets.
It is a 501(c)(4), which means it’s not required to disclose its donors.
The group lists David Walters as a director and president, Stephen Patterson as a director and treasurer and Pat Griffin as a director. The center’s website also includes an introductory message coauthored by Mark Begich, a former Democratic U.S. senator from Alaska from 2009 to 2015.
The groups tax form shows it made a roughly $20,400 payment in 2019 to Unite Oklahoma, which according to that group’s tax records “advocates for and against candidates through independent activity.”
Kansas Republican Party Chairman Mike Kuckelman called the group’s entrance into the race “more evidence that it’s the Democrats that want to elect Pyle.
“They don’t actually want to elect him. They want to use him to try to get Laura Kelly elected. A vote for Pyle is clearly a vote for Laura Kelly,” Kuckelman said.
The Kansas mailer, mirroring some of the same arguments Pyle has made in his insurgent campaign for governor, cites several votes that Schmidt made more than a decade ago on immigration when he was in the state Senate.
The ad calls Schmidt “soft on immigration” for voting against several amendments in March 2008 that among other things would have required local and state governments to participate in the E-Verify program.
The ad also criticizes Schmidt for voting against another amendment to a bill – SB 458 – that would have made it unlawful for undocumented immigrants to receive public benefits from the state and local governments.
It also knocks Schmidt for voting against an amendment requiring all law enforcement officers to inquire about the citizenship and immigration status of anyone arrested for a violation of any state law or municipal ordinance.
The ads help elevate Pyle’s campaign, which is largely outgunned against Kelly and Schmidt who have raised millions not counting other groups that have pumped millions more into a race that is now well above $30 million.
Republican political luminaries from across the country have come to Kansas to campaign for Schmidt, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Last week, former President Donald Trump released a video reemphasizing his endorsement, which he originally made last January.
Pyle said he wasn’t daunted by Trump’s endorsement of Schmidt.
“I’ve got a path to win this thing,” he said. “I’m excited.”
He called Trump’s new video “old news,” saying Schmidt’s “had the endorsement all along.”
Pyle said he thought Trump cut the video in response to any backlash Schmidt might have received from Pence’s visit to Kansas.
There had been fear among Republicans that Pyle, who dropped his Republican Party affiliation to run as an independent, would drain votes away from Schmidt and turn the race in Kelly’s favor.
“Many people have been waiting for some sort of Pyle effect,” said Washburn University political scientist Bob Beatty.
“In terms of what this could be, this first round is actually pretty small given the amount of money that has been spent in the race overall,” Beatty said.
“But could it influence a few voters? Sure,” he said.
“There’s going to be a few voters that may not be comfortable with voting for Laura Kelly but just don’t want to vote for Derek Schmidt,” he said.
“That’s where your Pyle vote is going to be.”
Pyle has already gotten help from Democrats who signed his petition to get on the ballot.
Meanwhile, former U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister endorsed Kelly but helped Pyle’s efforts to get on the ballot.
A poll done in September by Emerson College seems to indicate that Pyle could still influence the race, however.
The poll found Kelly with about 45% of the vote compared to 43% for Schmidt. Pyle had 3% in the poll. The undecideds were at 8%.
