Kansas lawmaker’s offer to Black colleague: A photo-op in exchange for campaign cash

A white Kansas Republican state representative, facing a Black primary opponent, asked the state’s only Black Republican lawmaker to pose for a photograph in exchange for campaign contributions, the lawmaker said.

Rep. Michael Capps, a Wichita Republican, told the lawmaker, Rep. Willie Dove of Bonner Springs, that he wanted the photo “because you’re Black,” Dove said.

At a candidate forum on Friday, Capps’ primary opponent and an audience member accused Capps of seeking the photo. Capps, who has been disowned by the state and local Republican Party, is being challenged by political newcomer Patrick Penn.

In an interview with The Eagle on Monday, Dove described Capps’ unsuccessful offer. It marked the latest in a series of allegations leveled against the first-term legislator, including that Capps donated to Planned Parenthood in his opponent’s name.

“I was very offended at the request,” Dove said. “At this time that we’re going through with so many racial issues that are out there and for someone to ask for a picture just because the person is of a different skin color is absolutely ridiculous.”

He called Capps’ actions “totally out of line.”

“To think that he would try and use that photo to help his campaign against another Black man,” Dove said.

Capps didn’t respond to a request for comment. At the candidate forum, hosted by the Wichita Pachyderm Club, he said Dove had reached out to him for a donation and called the allegations that he sought a photo “just flat-out, categorically wrong.”

Dove said he had recently called Capps along with other lawmakers seeking donations for his state Senate campaign. Capps told him he would think about it before calling him back either later that day or the next.

When Dove answered, Capps told him he would get 10 people to donate to Dove’s campaign at $50 each, according to Dove. Capps also promised he would make his own donation.

Dove said he questioned Capps about the offer, eventually asking him what he wanted in return.

“’Well, I’m going to take a picture with you on the (House) floor,’” Dove said, recalling Capps’ response.

Dove said he told Capps that his district is about 200 miles away and that a photo wouldn’t make any difference. “I don’t see the correlation here, I don’t understand it,” Dove said he told Capps.

When Dove asked why the photo was so important, Capps responded, “’Well, I’m running against an opponent,’” according to Dove.

“I knew right then what he was saying,” Dove said. “I said ‘Oh, OK, why? Why me?’ And he says, ‘Because you’re Black.’”

“And I said, ‘Michael, forget it. I’m not going to do that. That’s something I don’t want to get involved in and I think you’re barking up the wrong tree,’” Dove said.

Dove said Capps still had a few people send cash contributions but that he continued to rebuff the offer. He said no photo was ever taken. Capps wanted to take the photo during the special session a few weeks ago, Dove said.

At the Friday Pachyderm meeting, Penn ripped into Capps for appealing to racist tropes and suggesting he’s “a lifelong Democrat” and that because he’s Black, he must be a Democratic plant.

“We don’t do these types of dirty politics,” Penn said. “We don’t offer people $1,000 for their skin color. Black people can think for themselves, and they can be conservatives.”

Capps said at the Pachyderm meeting that his motivation for giving money to Dove was that he had spent significant time with Dove and had learned from him since being elected.

“Talk about a very conservative man. Talk about a person who I had the opportunity to spend countless hours in his office learning and being mentored during the past two years. There are so many things that man has taught me,” Capps said.

On Monday, Dove disputed that the two had had extensive contact.

Dove said the two had done some work related to N95 masks and Capps had previously been interested in industrial hemp, a subject Dove is passionate about. But he said Capps’ comments weren’t accurate.

“Michael has been to my office once,” Dove said.

Capps represents the 85th District, which straddles Sedgwick and Butler counties and includes the city of Benton and parts of Bel Aire, Kechi and east Wichita. The primary election is Aug. 4.