A federal political action committee apparently related to the Republican Attorneys General Association is prepared to spend at least $3 million on the Kansas race for attorney general, new ad data shows.
The Washington, D.C.-based Safer Kansas Fund has booked $2.97 million in broadcast spending from Sept. 29 through Oct. 27 just before Election Day on Nov. 3, according to the ad tracking service AdImpact.
It brings to almost $3.5 million that has been booked for Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach as he heads into a reelection campaign against Democratic challenger Chris Mann, an attorney from Lawrence.
Kobach has booked another $474,400 in broadcast ads from Sept. 29 through Oct. 27, AdImpact data shows.
Safer Kansas was formed on May 22, the day after the Republican Attorneys General Association announced that its affiliated groups were reserving $11 million in initial fall television advertising across six key attorney general battlegrounds, including Kansas
So far, the Mann campaign has spent about $2,200 on digital ads, and there’s nothing to indicate that he’s booked any broadcast time, although that can change quickly because political spending is fluid.
The Republican Attorneys General Association didn’t respond to questions about Safer Kansas, but Kobach has previously led the organization as chair and now serves on its executive committee.
Safer Kansas shares the same address as the Republican Attorneys General Association, 1747 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W. Suite 800, Washington, D.C., according to federal tax and campaign records.
Christine Szathmary shares the same address and is listed as the custodian of records for both groups, federal election and tax records show.
Safer Kansas lists only a treasurer, Cabell Hobbs, who has a career working in Republican politics and has served as a treasurer of other Republican PACs.
The Kobach campaign didn’t comment on the new spending booked for the upcoming race.
“As Chris continues to travel across Kansas, his message of putting public safety ahead of partisan political games is resonating with voters,” Mann campaign manager Leah Rymer said in a statement.
“Kris Kobach and RAGA see that momentum and they’re worried, and they should be.
“As Attorney General, Chris will be focused on the issues that actually impact Kansas families: keeping communities safe, protecting consumers from fraud, supporting law enforcement, and upholding the rule of law,” Rymer said.
The Democratic Attorneys General Association promised a robust campaign ahead.
“Kansans are fed up with Kobach’s willful recklessness, and they’re ready for a change,” said Sean Rankin, president of the Democratic Attorneys General Association.
“As our number one pickup opportunity this cycle, we have a plan for Chris Mann to be the next attorney general, and we’re executing that plan with Mann’s team to make that happen.”
Earlier this year, Mann reported raising about $537,000 during 2025, compared to the roughly $205,000 that he’d raised at this point in his 2022 race for attorney general, although contribution limits increased this year.
He had about $257,000 in cash on hand at the end of the 2025.
Kobach reported raising about $337,300 last year.
He had about $502,600 in cash on hand going into the new year.
Mann ran for attorney general against Kobach in 2022, coming up 15,892 votes short, out of almost 1 million cast in that election.
In that race, the Republican Attorneys General Association Kansas PAC spent about $516,000 for Kobach, state campaign finance records show.
During the 2022 election cycle, Mann raised about $1.6 million compared to about $1.2 million for Kobach, who had to battle through a three-person primary that included current KBI Director Tony Mattivi and Republican state Sen. Kellie Warren of Leawood.
The last high-profile race for attorney general in Kansas — before 2022 — was 2010, when Democrat Steve Six defended the seat against Republican Derek Schmidt.
By comparison, Six raised $1 million in 2009 and 2010 in losing to Schmidt, who went on to hold the seat for the next 12 years. Schmidt raised $724,846.
