A new outside group based in Ohio has entered the attorney general’s race, dropping a $140,000 ad buy in support of former Secretary of State Kris Kobach.
The new ad, which started running Wednesday morning in the Wichita market, is backed by Kansas Rising for Conservative Values.
Incorporated in Ohio, the group formed a political action committee in Kansas that raised $167,000 this year. The PAC has a mailing address in Dublin, Ohio.
It’s bankrolled partly by the law firm of labor lawyer Keith Mark, a hunting buddy of Kobach’s who was credited for introducing the former secretary of state to Donald Trump.
Mark’s law firm gave $20,000 to the PAC. Angry Eagle Holdings of Nashville, which appears to operate hunting lodges in Alaska, gave $50,000 to the PAC.
Muller Transportation of Paola also contributed $20,000, as did Doherty Steel of Paola.
The new ad emphasizes themes similar to those in ads run by the Kobach campaign.
“Johnson County homeowners association lawyer Kelly Warren. Never argued a federal case. Needed an intern to answer a basic legal question,” the ad says.
“Unqualified Kellie Warren is the establishment’s dream attorney general.”
“Their worst nightmare? Conservative fighter, Kris Kobach,” the ad says.
Records filed with the television station broadcasting the ad show it was purchased by Eva Mah, who is a senior ad buyer for AxMedia.
AxMedia is part of Axiom Strategies, which is the general consultant for Kobach’s campaign for attorney general.
J.R. Claeys, the consultant for Kobach, said the campaign had no connection with the ad nor the PAC running the ad.
Warren’s consultant Jared Suhn noted that the PAC is being funded by Democratic interests, namely Mark’s law firm.
“After repeatedly failing Kansas Republicans and forcing us to endure ‘Lockdown Laura’s’ policies, Kris Kobach has reached a new low,” Suhn said in an email Wednesday morning.
“He’s being financed by thousands of dollars from a Kathleen Sebelius, Paul Davis and Kansas Democrat Party donor trying to bail him out because he knows Kansans are tired of his lies,” Suhn said, referring to Mark.
“Democrats know Kobach will lose in November and are salivating at the opportunity to run against the desperate perennial failure.”
Suhn called Kobach “a deceptive con-man” who has no “business being anywhere near the attorney General’s office.”
Broadcast spending in the GOP primary campaign for attorney general has reached nearly $1.3 million with three outside groups making up about $560,000 of that amount.
Americans for Prosperity has now spent about $207,000 on digital and radio ads in support of Warren.
The Freedom Conference PAC has spent about $211,000 in support of Warren as well.
The Freedom Conference PAC was formed independently last summer with the Federal Election Committee and is getting funding from business leaders at the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, whose PAC endorsed Warren last year.
It raised $17,000 for the quarter ending June 30 and has now raised $29,500 for the election cycle.
Contributors include Justin Hill of Lawrence Paper Co., who is on the board of directors of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and whose PAC is backing Warren.
Hill gave $15,000 to the political action committee.
Also donating was Leawood business executive Terry Dunn, who gave $2,000.
Crossland Construction Co. also gave $12,500 to the PAC.
Meanwhile, Kobach and Warren have two new ads out of their own with the primary Election a week away.
Warren has a new ad defending herself against attacks from Kobach and former federal prosecutor Tony Mattivi questioning her credentials to be attorney general.
The ad is running in Wichita and Topeka. Seventy percent of the air play for the ad is in Wichita and 30% is in Topeka.
And Kobach’s ad features him on stage with Donald Trump when the president visited Topeka in 2018.
It also includes an endorsement from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
The also touts Kobach’s educational pedigree attending Harvard and Yale.
The ad is running statewide with 81% of the rotation so far in Wichita, 12% in Topeka and 8% in the Kansas City market.
