FEC reports reveal Sharice Davids, Derek Schmidt to be magnets for Kansas campaign donations

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, raised $906,000 in the second quarter of 2024, which far exceeded the flow of cash to any of more than a dozen other Kansas congressional candidates signed up for the August primary. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA — Large cash donations to campaigns of Democrat Sharice Davids and Republican Derek Schmidt contributed to second quarter receipts of nearly $2.5 million among Kansas congressional candidates and set the stage for a surge in spending ahead of the August primary.

On Tuesday, Federal Election Commission filings showed U.S. Rep. Davids, who serves the 3rd District in the Kansas City area, took in $906,000 and spent $288,000 during the three-month reporting period to leave her with $2.8 million in cash as of July 1. Republican challenger Prasanth Reddy, who is seeking the GOP’s 3rd District nomination next month, raised $224,000, spent $130,000 and ended the quarter with $830,000 in cash.

Davids’ cash reserve surpassed totals of two other incumbents in Congress seeking reelection in Kansas. Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Estes of the 4th District had $1.67 million in cash, while Republican U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann of the 1st District reported $1.5 million in cash.

Five Republicans and two Democrats launched campaigns to replace GOP U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, who declined to seek reelection in the 2nd District to a third term in Congress.

Schmidt, the former state attorney general and a candidate for the GOP nomination in the 2nd District, generated $430,000 in donations from April through June. He spent $103,000 during the quarter and was left with $326,000.

“Our team has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support on such short notice in this campaign,” Schmidt said. “We are thrilled to post such a great number with not even a full quarter passed since our announcement. We are just getting started. We look forward to a strong showing in the primary, and to keeping this seat in Republican hands come November.”

His 2nd District primary rivals, former LaTurner staff member Jeff Kahrs and feedlot co-owner Shawn Tiffany, trailed Schmidt in the FEC’s updated filings. Kahrs reported $106,000 in donations, $39,000 in expenditures and a $300,000 personal loan to his campaign. The bottom line of his quarterly report showed $366,000 in cash in the account.

“We will spend it,” said Kahrs spokesman Rob Fillion. “We are on the air now. Mailers are getting ready to hit. We have a ground game. We’re all in.”

And, Boyda v. Kleinmann

Tiffany, a former president of the Kansas Livestock Association, reported donations of $178,000, expenditures of $63,000 and $114,000 in cash at close of the second quarter. However, Tiffany filed an amended FEC quarterly report Tuesday to say the campaign actually raised $272,000, spent $160,000 and had $112,000 cash on hand.

“Shawn’s impressive fundraising haul this quarter is a sign that voters are ready for a change,” said Ben Davis, Tiffany’s campaign manager. “While Derek Schmidt cashed checks from the political donor class that have been funding him for more than 20 years, Shawn brought in numerous first-time donors who are excited about sending a cowboy to Congress.”

Tiffany’s initial FEC report contained incomplete or inaccurate information on a portion of donors. The document raised questions about whether certain contributions were labeled properly or exceeded limits. Tiffany didn’t appear to have filed the financial disclosure report required of candidates for U.S. House.

Nancy Boyda and Matt Kleinmann, the Democrats running in the 2nd District, have conducted more austere campaigns.

Boyda, a Baldwin City resident who served in the U.S. House from 2009 to 2011, took in donations of $7,700 and spent $8,300 during the second quarter. Her FEC report indicated she made loans of $49,000 to her campaign and had $48,000 in cash at close of the reporting period.

Kleinmann, who worked with community health organizations in Wyandotte County, informed the FEC he raised $32,000 during the quarter and expended $3,800. He had $28,000 in cash reserves ahead of the Aug. 6 primary.

Accounting for the rest

Paul Buskirk, a Lawrence Democrat running for the 1st District seat held by Mann, said in the FEC filing that he accepted $13,600 in donations during the second quarter. He also spent nearly $9,000 in the quarter, which left $12,000 in his campaign account.

Estes, the Republican who has served the 4th District in Congress since 2017, said he took in $269,000 in donations, including $208,000 from political action committees, and spent $126,000 in the reporting period. He had $1.67 million available to the campaign at the outset of July.

His Democratic challenger, Esau Freeman, reported to the FEC a total of $19,200 in donations. He spent $20,900, but had $10,000 remaining in his campaign fund.

The FEC online files didn’t include updated campaign finance reports for 2nd District GOP candidates Michael Ogle of Topeka and Chad Young of Lawrence; 1st District GOP candidate Eric Bloom of Lawrence; and 3rd District GOP candidate Karen Crnkovich of Olathe.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Scott Schwab said the deadline was Tuesday for submitting a voter registration application in Kansas for participation in the August primary.

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