(Syndicated to Kansas newspapers Nov. 30, 2015)
Well, we’re starting the holiday season for Kansas House and Senate members, where the real gifts will finally be unwrapped on Monday, Jan. 11.
What?
No, the holiday tree will be put out at curbside—or disassembled and stuffed back into the box for next year—but the real unwrapping will be Jan. 11, when candidates for the House and Senate will reveal just how much money they have in their campaign finance accounts. And, there’s a whole bunch of tactics that surround that initial filing.
Look for most incumbents to show thousands of dollars ready to be spent to woo your votes in the upcoming August primary election, and for a newcomer or two to have loaned themselves thousands of dollars in the hope that it will scare off challengers.
The deadline is Dec. 31 for contributions which will be reported on Jan. 11, after the candidates and their treasurers have had the time to fill out the forms to report the size of their campaign fund.