Early dose of Kansas political ads sheds light on tactics, promises, demeanor of candidates

TOPEKA — Transparently dissimilar state Sens. Ethan Corson and Ty Masterson were drawn to similar homespun tactics for commercials announcing their campaigns for governor of Kansas.

Both chose to film their plunge into a race determining the replacement for Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly by setting up cameras in their homes and outlining what compelled them to seek higher office. Corson, a Democrat, spoke from his Johnson County kitchen with chatty children in the background. A Republican, Masterson, faced voters in his Andover house before opening the aperture to reveal his extended family and political goals.

These partisan rivals — look no further than their recent Senate floor exchanges — managed to land political whales in landlocked Kansas. On Sunday, Masterson secured the endorsement of President Donald Trump. Corson previously locked up backing from Kelly and former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

“First of all, Ethan Corson wants to be relatable,” said Bob Beatty, a political science professor at Washburn University. “He’s got kids. He’s in his house. It doesn’t look like it’s a mansion. It’s very informal. And then he talks about very traditional Democratic issues … and talks about bipartisanship.”

Corson’s ad sought to convince voters he would be a governor who advocated for public schools, cut taxes for “everyday Kansans” and moderated inflation, Beatty said.

On the other hand, Beatty said Masterson brought a bit of swagger to his homestyle announcement. With background rock music, he put a spotlight on his family before tapping the keys of religious faith and conservative ideals. He celebrated Trump and condemned liberal-leaning universities, transgender people and, in general, Democrats. His ad featured a drag queen and video of him in a helicopter on the U.S. border.

“He comes across as sort of a straight talker,” Beatty said. “It’s got this vibe of action. There’s actually a shot there of someone with a tattoo.”

With the Aug. 4 Kansas primary just 10 weeks out, the Kansas Reflector podcast took a dive into ads produced by 11 candidates — two Democrats and six Republicans yearning to be governor, one U.S. Senate hopeful and the Republican and Democratic competitors for attorney general. The commercials were drawn from Beatty’s impressive, publicly accessible online archive covering Kansas politicians and issues back to 1968.

Past praise, right hooks

Former Gov. Jeff Colyer, a Johnson County Republican who served Kansas as a lieutenant governor, state representative and senator, released a brief television ad packed with information about his life that was designed to raise interest among Kansas voters who had yet to delve deeply into the contest.

“I grew up in Hays,” Colyer’s ad says. “We stood for the flag, and we knelt for the cross. I’ve lived my life for my family, that flag and that cross. I worked for President Reagan and President Trump, fighting the good conservative fight.”

The spot included Trump’s line from a Topeka campaign event eight years ago in which the president offered praise for Colyer: “You have one hell of a governor.”

Beatty said Colyer deserved credit for transmitting so much in a 30-second spot. In addition to dropping the names of prominent Republicans and noting Trump’s applause in 2018, Colyer reminded folks that he’d used his skills as a surgeon on international medical missions.

Holscher, the Democratic senator from Overland Park who was endorsed by former Gov. John Carlin, opened her campaign with a two-minute commercial telling the story of her life and reasons for getting into politics. It explains she was raised on a Missouri farm in a family with blue-collar values. She defeated an “extremist incumbent” to win a seat in the House and in 2017 was part of a bipartisan coalition that repealed then-Gov. Sam Brownback’s catastrophic state income tax “experiment.”

“Too many politicians in Topeka and Washington are working to stack the deck against working-class Kansans,” Holscher’s ad says. “We need a governor who will fight for us.”

Beatty said the commercial succeeded in demonstrating Holscher shouldn’t be confused with the economic elites of Kansas.

“Listen for how she’s presenting herself as non-elite,” Beatty said. “So, again, trying to be the candidate that’s relatable.”

Republican Philip Sarnecki, a businessman making his first run for public office, opened a gubernatorial TV ad with images of Kelly celebrating wins against GOP candidates for governor. The images were a jumping off point for Sarnecki to decry the ability of Kelly to defeat Republicans Kris Kobach in 2018 and Derek Schmidt in 2022. Sarnecki also took a swipe at Colyer, Masterson and other established Republicans.

“Had enough losing? So have I,” Sarnecki bellowed in the commercial. “I’m Philip Sarnecki, a Kansas businessman who’s ready to win. Career politicians have failed us. Income taxes? Highest in the region. Property taxes? Out of control. Our economy ranks 48th. We keep losing even while President Trump’s winning. … It’s winning time.”

A pastor for Senate

Adam Hamilton, pastor of the largest United Methodist Church in the country, triggered an earthquake in the state’s U.S. Senate race by announcing his Democratic campaign for the seat held by U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas. Hamilton raised more than $1 million during the first week of his candidacy.

Here are snapshots from Hamilton’s 150-second video:

“I can’t sit still and watch what’s happening to Kansas and our country. Instead of fixing things, we have a government in Washington that’s making life harder for Kansans.”

“I’m not naive. Kindness and compassion alone will not turn around what ails us. We must have the courage to stand up and right wrongs, fight for freedoms, and restore a functional government to this American experiment.”

“I’m a man of faith and sometimes that means believing in something others find unbelievable, inspiring other people to do the same. If you agree that what’s going on today is unacceptable, that it doesn’t have to be this way, please consider joining our campaign. And one more thing: We’re in it to win it.”

Beatty said Hamilton’s introductory ad was compelling in terms of what he said but also noteworthy for how he delivered it.

“This is no amateur in public speaking,” Beatty said. “This is a master class … for an announcement video.”

Kobach v. Mann II

Kobach, who is seeking reelection as Kansas attorney general, and Chris Mann, the Democrat who gave Kobach a scare in 2022, are headed for a November showdown. This rematch would be different, because Kobach would be a four-year incumbent as attorney general.

Mann, a former law enforcement officer who had that career cut short by a drunken driver, would have benefit of lessons learned in his first, unsuccessful campaign against Kobach.

“We’re going to see a huge battle in the next few months,” Beatty said. “I look for (Mann) to be maybe a little more biting and a little more edgy, and Kobach will have to respond to that.”

National Republican and Democratic attorneys general organizations weighed in with commercials designed to set the tone for this rematch. The Rule of Law Action Fund, linked to the Republican Attorneys General Association, argued for Kobach’s reelection based on lower crime statistics.

Via a voiceover, the association celebrated Kobach: “Kansas is a safer place because of Attorney General Kris Kobach. … According to the KBI, Kansas has reached its lowest crime rate in more than two decades. Violent crime is down. Murders have dropped over 25 percent, and property crimes have plummeted.”

The Democratic Attorneys General Association’s spot on behalf of Mann featured remarks by Mann that contrasted his dedication to law enforcement as a Lawrence police officer against what he asserted was Kobach’s self-aggrandizing sense of the work.

“I’ve spent my entire life running towards the problem and I’m not done with that yet,” Mann says in the ad. “We have a real chance right now to send a message that we will not be represented by someone like Kobach, whose only client is himself.”