A super political action committee backing state Sen. Kellie Warren rolled out its new ad against Kris Kobach on Wednesday morning in the intensifying Republican primary race for attorney general.
The Freedom Conference PAC started running an ad billing Warren as a conservative and Kobach as a law breaker who takes illegal donations and costs the state millions for failing to successfully defend a legal challenge against the proof-of-citizenship requirement for Kansas voters.
The state paid out about $2 million in attorney’s fees to civil liberties lawyers who got the law blocked in court.
“As attorney general, Kellie Warren will enforce laws fairly. Kris Kobach breaks them — illegal donations, millions of taxpayer funds wasted, just like a Democrat.
“It’s time to put Kobach out to pasture.”
Freedom Conference ad
Freedom Conference has already has booked about $142,000 in broadcast air time, bringing to more than $300,000 the outside spending for Warren in the race.
So far, the ad is only running in the Kansas City market.
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.
It raised $17,000 for the quarter ending June 30 and has now raised $29,500 for the election cycle. As of June 30, it had not made any expenditures.
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.
Ivan Crossland, the construction company’s chief executive officer, is on the chamber’s board.
Meanwhile on Monday, Warren claimed an endorsement from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
“Kellie Warren is an unflinching champion for the unborn and mothers and we’re excited to endorse her for attorney general of Kansas,” said Marilyn Musgrave, SBA Pro-Life America’s vice president of government affairs.
“Kellie has championed Kansas’ pro-life values from day one, working to hold elected leaders accountable and calling out the pro-abortion extremism of Gov. Laura Kelly,” Musgrave said in a statement.
“As chair of the Senate Judiciary committee, she played an instrumental role in shepherding the Value Them Both amendment through the state legislature to ensure that Kansans’ voices are heard,” she said.
“In the Dobbs era, strong attorneys general are needed more than ever to fight for the people’s right to have their values reflected in the law.”
