A Virginia political action committee that has connections to associates of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul is dumping thousands of dollars into a hotly contested western Kansas House race.
The Make Liberty Win PAC, based in Alexandria, Virginia, has pumped almost $30,000 into the Republican primary for House District 113 for conservative Republican Brett Fairchild, who is battling moderate Donna Hoener-Queal.
The race is one of several high-profile House races across the state pitting conservatives against moderates.
The winner would fill the seat once held by the late state Rep. Greg Lewis, who was succeeded by Alicia Straub after he resigned when he was diagnosed with cancer.
The PAC endorsed Fairchild as one of 29 “liberty-defending state legislators” across the country it’s seeking to elect. An effort to reach the PAC was unsuccessful Monday.
“Our activists, stakeholders, and candidates are fighting to advance the cause of liberty and defend our only special interest: the U.S. Constitution,” the group says on its website.
The group says it specializes in “mobilizing voters to engage in primary and general elections through direct voter contact.
“Door knocking, phone calls, and texting are the best way to establish an authentic connection in today’s political environment. Our activists cut through the noise of the ‘he said, she said.’”
The group is spending $29,158 in the House race on phone banking and distributing literature for Fairchild.
The PAC reported raising about $764,000 this year, most of it coming from Young Americans for Liberty Inc.
Young Americans has given the PAC a little more than a $1 million this year.
Young Americans for Liberty includes a number of staffers who once worked for Sen. Paul, including its president, Cliff Maloney Jr.
Maloney served as the national youth director for Paul’s presidential campaign and built a network of Students for Rand chapters across the country.
Justin Greiss, vice president of grassroots, worked as the 1st Congressional District director for Paul’s presidential campaign in Iowa.
He later stayed on with Paul as political director for the senator’s reelection campaign in Kentucky.
Brandon Borke, director of strategic partnerships, started with Paul’s presidential campaign in Iowa making calls, canvassing campuses and attending the Iowa caucuses on behalf of the candidate.
State records in Virginia show that the registered agent for Young Americans for Liberty shares the same Alexandria street address as the Make Liberty Win PAC although it has different suite.
Hoener-Queal said the outside group’s entrance into the race could make a difference in the ground game going into Election Day.
“They were probably able to knock on more doors than I could,” she said.
“I did not have paid volunteers. I had volunteers, but we could not cover the ground I believe they could. That may very well have a huge impact.”
Fairchild could not be reached for immediate comment on Monday.
Through July 23, Hoener-Queal had raised $19,105 and had $8,891 in cash on hand.
The Kansas Republican Values Fund, chaired by former House Majority Leader Don Hineman, has put about $12,500 into the race.
It received $20,000 in funding from the Kansas National Education Association.
Fairchild, who lost a race against Lewis in 2018 with 34% of the vote, had raised $15,830 and had $1,820. He also had loaned himself $4,900.
He also has enjoyed support from the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, which has put about $16,200 into the race.
