Kansas

Sunday Reader: PAC targets Finch; Pandemic polling

August 2, 2020

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Good morning:

By Tuesday night, it will all be over — at least for the primary. Then we can do it all over again for the general election. Let’s just cross our fingers and hope that Election Day settles these races once and for all and they don’t drag out for days or weeks. Best wishes to everyone this week. Now onto the significant stories of the week that we published as well as the stories you may have missed but need to know:

Evergy is backing two dark-money groups supporting moderate Republicans in primary legislative races.
Wind energy is pouring thousands of dollars into campaigns to help moderate Republicans in primary races.
Democrats are registering more voters than Republicans since 2018.
A judge dismissed the lawsuit trying to force the secretary of state to implement the “Vote Anywhere” law.
Primary turnout is expected to be the highest in 24 years.
Former Gov. Sam Brownback now figures into the Republican primary for the 3rd Congressional District.
The executive director of the governor’s Recovery Office abruptly left for another job.
Lawmakers approve more than $250 million in coronavirus relief funding.
Planned Parenthood has removed House candidate Patrick Penn’s name as a donor.
House candidate finance reports: a complete breakdown.
Senate candidate finance reports: a complete breakdown.

Public opinion dropping for governors

A new poll out last week showed that governors across the country, including Laura Kelly in Kansas, are continuing to lose support from their residents in how they are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new survey of 19,052 individuals across all 50 states plus the District of Columbia found that governor has experienced an average of 13-point drop in their approval rating since April for their pandemic response. Kelly’s approval rating has dropped 18 percentage points.

The governor’s office declined to comment on the survey, which was done by researchers at Harvard, Northeastern, Northwestern and Rutgers universities. The poll was done from July 10 through July 26.

When the poll was done in April, Kelly had an approval rating of 68% for handling the pandemic. Her approval number fell to 58% in early May, 57% in late May and 51% in late June before hitting 50% in July.

The poll for last month had a margin of error for Kansas of plus or minus 6 percentage points.

Since April, Kelly has run into opposition on a number of fronts as she has sought to contain the spread of the virus with detractors arguing that she tried to overstep her authority.

She ran into a legal fight over an executive order limiting the size of religious gatherings, a legislative battle over limiting her emergency powers and pushback on an executive order mandating face coverings.

Most recently, Kelly’s proposal to delay the opening of schools until after Labor Day weekend was rejected by the state school board.

The survey found that governors in five states — Hawaii, Michigan, New York, South Dakota and Vermont — have seen their approval ratings improve since April.

Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan had an approval rating of 76% for how he has dealt with the pandemic, followed by Vermont Gov. Phil Scott at 75%, and both New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo at 71%.

Some of the Republican governors in Kansas’ neighboring states are fairing much more poorly compared to Kelly.

Only 28% of residents approve of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ handling of the pandemic, down from 52% in April. She had the lowest approval rating in the country.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has an approval rating of 34% compared to 51% in April. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson was at 38%, down from 60% in April.

The study noted that Republican Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, who closed down the state’s
economy relatively early in the pandemic and has mandated masks, has seen his approval rating drop as well.

DeWine’s approval rating in April was the highest in the nation at 81%, but it sits at 58% in the latest poll.

PAC takes aim at Finch

A conservative leaning political action committee started by the former executive director of the Kansas Lottery is targeting a leader in the Kansas House, records show.

The Liberty PAC, which raised $27,185 this year, is making an independent expenditure on behalf of Shari Weber, who is trying to unseat state Rep. Blaine Finch, now the House speaker pro tem, campaign finance reports show.

The PAC was started earlier this year by Terry Presta with the goal of backing Republican candidates would “stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Kansans in defense of basic constitutional liberties and principles.”

The PAC raised $5,000 from Presta and $5,000 from Van Meteren Farms, which is owned by political consultant Kris Van Meteren.

It also received $3,000 from Republican activist Mike Egan, who a former Kansas who now lives in Osage Beach, Missouri, but still takes an active interest in statehouse happenings. It received another $10,000 from Harry Lukas.

The PAC gave $500 to Shari Weber, who is trying for the second time to defeat Finch. In 2018, she lost to Finch with 29% of the vote.

The PAC also made a $3,059 independent expenditure on Weber’s behalf.

It also gave money to other conservatives, such as state Rep. Kellie Warren who is running against state Sen. John Skubal for the Senate, Brett Fairchild who is running against Donna Hoener-Queal in House District 113, and state Sen. Mike Thompson who is in a primary against Rep. Tom Cox in Senate District 10.

The PAC gave $500 each to Warren and Fairchild and $1,000 to Thompson. It also gave $1,000 to former state Rep. Virgil Peck, who is challenging state Sen. Dan Goddard.

Statehouse spending overdrive

In the last week, major players in statehouse races kicked it into high gear as the battle between moderates and conservatives waged on as the Aug. 4 primary approaches.

The Kansas Chamber of Commerce PAC reported spending $235,614 since campaign finance reports were due July 23. Its spending now totals about $389,000.

Americans for Prosperity spent another $55,169, bringing its total to $115,890 for the campaign so far.

Working for moderate candidates, the highway contractors political action committee — Build Kansas Jobs — reported spending $78,141 in about a week.

The contractors have spent about $217,000, adding to the thousands of dollars that are already being spent on behalf of moderates by the wind industry and dark money groups such as Future Vision and Alliance for a Secure Kansas.

Meanwhile, Kansans for Life reported spending another $16,660 for voter guides endorsing candidates who oppose abortion. KFL has now spent $74,427.

A lot of the money being spent by the chamber, AFP and the contractors is flowing into five major state Senate races where moderates are defending seats.

Heavy sums from both sides are going into the race between moderate Republican Sen. John Skubal and conservative state Rep. Kellie Warren in Senate District 11.

Other races targeted by both sides are District 33 where Republican Sen. Mary Jo Taylor is fending off a challenge from state Rep. Alicia Straub, District 14 where Sen. Bruce Givens is trying to turn back former El Dorado Mayor Michael Fagg and District 15 where former state Rep. Virgil Peck is trying to unseat Sen. Dan Goddard.

U.S. Senate spending

Broadcast spending in the U.S. Senate race is now approaching $16 million, according the latest report from the ad-tracking firm Medium Buying.

Spending on television and radio had climbed to $15.4 million as of Friday, most of which was coming from outside groups.

The four major candidates — Roger Marshall, Kris Kobach, Bob Hamilton and David Lindstrom — spent about $4.2 million combined.

Outside groups, including Sunflower State, Forever Free, Plains PAC and the Senate Leadership Fund, have spent about $11.2 million.

Buoyed by his own money, Hamilton leads the way in broadcast spending with about $2.4 million, followed by Marshall at $1.4 million, Kobach at about $250,000 and Lindstrom at $114,000.

The Democratically connected Sunflower State PAC has spent about $4.7 million, followed by Plains PAC at $2.6 million, the Senate Leadership Fund at $1.9 million and the Peter Thiel-funded Free Forever PAC at $918,000.

No surprises, but $6.4 million of the total spending went into the Kansas City market, followed by $4.9 million in Wichita, $3 million in Topeka and $473,000 in Pittsburg.

2nd District broadcast spending

Data from Medium Buying shows that Congressman Steve Watkins and Kansas Treasurer Jake LaTurner are about neck and neck in broadcast spending as the campaign comes to a close.

Watkins has spent about $239,000 to about $215,000 for LaTurner, the data shows. Republican Dennis Taylor has spent about $41,000.

An outside group with ties to a conservative Cincinnati lawyer who has opposed same-sex marriage and abortion also has been spending in the race for LaTurner.

The Fighting for Kansas PAC has spent $157,000 on broadcasting, although Federal Election Commission reports show total spending at about $260,000.

Fighting for Kansas, based in Washington, reported receiving $160,000 from the Ohio-based Jobs and Progress Fund.

The Jobs and Progress Fund lists its registered agent as Cincinnati lawyer David Langdon, who has been involved in a number of conservative causes including opposing same-sex marriage and abortion and defending religious freedom and the tea party.

Two years ago, Langdon was similarly associated with a group called A Public Voice, which spent hundreds of thousands of dollars against former Secretary of State Kris Kobach in the Republican primary for Kansas governor.

Langdon is credited with writing Ohio’s 2004 constitutional amendment that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.

He also represented the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List in a U.S. Supreme Court case over an Ohio law that made false campaign speech illegal.

COVID-19 strikes campaign event

It had to happen at some point with so many candidates out there campaigning ahead of Tuesday’s primary election.

Last week, the Scott County Health Department issued an advisory warning that there could have been an exposure to COVID-19 at an event for Republican state Sen. Mary Jo Taylor on July 18.

Scott City Mayor Everett Green said in a Facebook post it is possible he contracted the virus at a reelection campaign event for Taylor.

Taylor said the event was a meet-and-greet attended by about 30 people at a community building where she could introduce herself to voters.

She just learned of the possible exposure last Monday and said she and her husband have been self-quarantining at home.

Since she was speaking, Taylor said she didn’t wear a mask at the event. She said she hasn’t experienced any symptoms of the virus so far.

Hamilton mixes in state politics

Even as plumber Bob Hamilton is running for the U.S. Senate, he’s contributing to a political action committee involved in state politics.

Hamilton gave $5,000 to a political action committee chaired by Wichita oilman and former gubernatorial candidate Wink Hartman.

The PAC — Keeping Kansas Conservative — raised another $5,000 from The Right Way PAC. Hartman wouldn’t discuss where his PAC was spending its money.

The Keeping Conservative Kansas PAC that Hamilton helped finance sent out at least one mailer against Republican state Sen. John Doll, who is facing a primary challenge from Finney County Commissioner Lon Pishny.

The mailer accused Doll having an “extreme pro-choice record” and being a “hypocrite” on the abortion issue.”

The Hamilton campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump & Kobach

It’s looking less likely that President Donald Trump is going to bail out Kris Kobach in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate like he did in the 2018 governor’s race.

Of course, it was Trump’s endorsement that was widely credited for handing Kobach the Republican nomination in the governor’s race.

And now after losing the governor’s race to Democrat Laura Kelly, the shine on Kobach doesn’t seem to be there this time.

And without that backing now, does it mean that Congressman Roger Marshall can emerge with the nomination in an 11-candidate field?

It was CNN that first reported that Trump was disinclined to endorse anyone in the U.S. Senate primary. Here’s another overview from The Associated Press.

And in other news from the Senate race, Marhall lashed out at a mailer sent by the Forever Free PAC accusing him of providing an abortion – an accusation largely described as a smear campaign just days before the Aug. 4 primary. Here’s coverage from The Associated Press and KMBC’s Micheal Mahoney.

Foster home audit

A new federal audit released last week revealed that foster care homes aren’t complying with health and safety standards.

Kansas News Service reported that the audit of 31 group homes found that 24 failed to meet physical health and safety requirements, and 29 violated mandates for background checks or fingerprint submissions.

The audit was done by the inspector general’s office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The state objected to some of the report’s conclusions, contending that inspectors overlooked important details and documents.

Here is coverage from Kansas News Service and The Associated Press as well as the report.

Broadband and coronavirus relief money

Last week, the State Finance Council delayed acting on a recommendation to use $60 million in coronavirus relief funding for improving access to high-speed internet service at a time when the pandemic is making people do more remotely.

The Associated Press provides this account that shows how states are hurrying to get their broadband projects completed with the federal money before the end of the year or risk having to return it to the federal government.

In some cases, states are cutting back the amount of money they want to spend on internet access out of concerns that they can’t get the money spent by the end of the year because of the complexities of planning and completing broadband projects.

House write-in candidate

Last week, Democratic House candidate Aaron Coleman created a social media mess when he posted on Facebook that he would “laugh and giggle” if former state lawmaker and now Wichita talk show host John Whitmer came down with COVID-19 and died.

“At least we can say you died doing what you love. Ask your buddy Herman Cain how it worked out for him…Oh wait LOL,” Coleman said to the conservative Republican.

The post was universally condemned. The House Democratic Caucus described Coleman on Twitter as a “toxic extreme candidate.” It backed the seven-term incumbent Rep. Stan Frownfelter in District 37, which is centered in Wyandotte County.

All of this came after Republicans were circulating one of Coleman’s tweets that reflected his views on abortion a day earlier.

“I have made it clear how I would legislate on this issue. I don’t respect fetuses, or their ‘life,’ and will permit them to be terminated at any point, up to the day before labour,” Coleman posted on Twitter.

By Friday morning before the run-in with Whitmer gained traction on social media, the Republican Party announced a write-in candidate for House District 37.

Republican leadership in the House announced it was backing Kristina Smith, who is treasurer of the Wyandotte County Republican Party. She is now listed as a candidate in the Kansans for Life voter guide.

Smith, a paralegal, has already put $1,200 into her campaign and filed paperwork appointing herself as treasurer.

“An election with a single party on the ballot has become a common occurrence in Wyandotte County,” she said in a statement. “Everyone needs a choice, and we need leaders to move this county forward.”

House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. and House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins both issued statements supporting Smith.

“The complete disregard for human life and our law enforcement shown by one of the Democrat candidates is unacceptable” Hawkins said in a statement.

“Kristina will be a strong voice for Wyandotte County, law enforcement, and our most vulnerable,” he said.

1st District judicial nominees

The 1st District Judicial Nominating Commission last week sent the names of three nominees to Gov. Laura Kelly to fill a vacancy left open by the retirement of Leavenworth County Judge Michael Gibbens.

The screening committee recommended lawyer Michael G. Jones of Lansing, lawyer Keyta D. Kelly of Tonganoxie and Deputy Leavenworth County Attorney Joan M. Lowdon of Bonner Springs.

Kelly has 60 days to decide who will fill the vacancy. The 1st Judicial District covers Leavenworth and Atchison counties.

Latest videos

Here’s the latest round of campaign ads from across the state, just in case there was the remote possibility that you missed any of them.

Amanda Adkins