Who is paying for all the attack ads you’re seeing in Kansas? Here’s a guide
If you live in Kansas, you’ve probably been bombarded with political ads any time you turn on television or use the Internet.
Most of the spots are paid for not by the campaigns, but rather outside groups looking to influence the election.
Super PACs are pouring money into the state ahead of the August 4 primary, which features tough primary races for the U.S. Senate and the Kansas 3rd Congressional District.
Here’s a guide to who is behind the ads you’re seeing and what they want for their money, based on an analysis by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.
Senate Leadership Fund
Who are they? A super PAC closely tied to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, which seeks to maintain Republican control of the U.S. Senate.
What do their ads say? They promote Rep. Roger Marshall’s record on veterans issues — the same issues as ads from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, another GOP establishment group backing the western Kansas congressman.
Why? National Republicans view Marshall, who represents the same House seat that the state’s two current senators held, as the safer bet to keep the seat in GOP hands than Kobach, who lost the 2018 race for governor to Democrat Laura Kelly.
How much have they spent? More than $1.2 million
Sunflower State
Who are they? The PAC formed in July and its donors have yet to be disclosed. Political observers infer that the group is funded by Democratic money because it is using the same firm to buy airtime, Virginia-based Old Town Media, as Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
What do their ads say? They present Kobach as “too conservative,” a line that appears intended to boost Kobach over Marshall, who the group attacks in more depth and presents as “phony.”
Why? Democrats see Kobach as the weaker of the two top Republican candidates and expect his nomination would give likely Democratic nominee Barbara Bollier her best chance to win in November. Bollier has outraised Kobach better than 8-to-1 since launching her campaign last year and polls well against him despite Kansas’ Republican lean.
How much have they spent? More than $2.6 million, but that number continues to grow quickly.
Free Forever PAC
Who are they? This PAC formed last year and has been funded almost entirely by California billionaire Peter Thiel, the PayPal co-founder and early Facebook investor who bankrolled a dark money group that backed Kobach in the 2018 race for governor. As of July, Thiel has contributed $850,000, 96 percent of its total funding.
What do their ads say? The spots promote Kobach’s conservative credentials and portray Marshall as soft on border issues. The PAC ‘s mailers attack Marshall for voting in favor of the National Endowment of the Arts and suggest that Kobach will stop the next Ruth Bader Ginsburg from being confirmed to the Supreme Court.
Why? Thiel and Kobach have long-standing ties. Kobach told The Star in February that he first met Thiel in 2005 after he reached out to him about his efforts to combat illegal immigration. Thiel holds citizenship in three countries — the U.S., Germany and New Zealand — but he’s been an outspoken proponent of nationalism in recent years. Both Thiel and Kobach served on Trump’s transition team in 2016.
How much have they spent? Nearly $1.1 million.
Plains PAC
Who are they? This PAC formed in July for the sole purpose of thwarting Kobach’s potential nomination. The group’s executive director has worked for Attorney General Derek Schmidt, former Rep. Kevin Yoder and other prominent Kansas Republicans. The group uses the same media buyer, Mentzer Media Services, as the Senate Leadership Fund.
What do their ads say? They attack Kobach for links to white nationalists, noting that one of his former campaign employees regularly posted racist and anti-Semitic comments on a white nationalist website. Kobach has said his campaign cut ties with Joe Suber, the ex-campaign staffer, upon learning of his hateful comments.
Why? The same reason the Senate Leadership Fund is running pro-Marshall ads: National Republicans see Marshall as the stronger general election candidate. But while the other ads seek to boost Marshall, these are intended to tear down Kobach.
How much have they spent? About $2.3 million, but it will surpass $3 million by the primary’s end.
Heartland USA PAC
Who are they? This PAC is primarily funded by Alan Landes, the former president of Missouri-based Herzog Construction and the father of Amanda Adkins, one the Republicans running in the Kansas 3rd Congressional District. Landes has donated $313,000 or roughly 84 percent of the group’s total funding as of July 15.
What do their ads say? They portray Adkins’ GOP primary rival Sara Hart Weir as a Democrat “playing dress-up” as a Republican, based on her registration as a Democrat in the mid-2000s and her work on behalf of Democratic Rep. Dennis Moore in 2004. The ads promote Adkins, in contrast, as “the real thing.”
Why? The race to take on freshman Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids lacks a clear frontrunner. Adkins’ campaign has raised the most, while Weir has been second in fundraising in the five-candidate field. The ads could put Adkins over the top because no outside group is running similar ads on behalf of Weir.
How much have they spent? $213,445.
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 2:11 PM with the headline "Who is paying for all the attack ads you’re seeing in Kansas? Here’s a guide."
