Sponsored by Jim DuBois: Who Is Financing Steven Howe’s Campaign?
By Jim DuBois
Campaign finance reports and independent expenditure disclosures show that a significant amount of outside support for Steven Howe has come from three out-of-state super PACs rather than organizations based in Kansas.
The American Energy Action Fund is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. It is a federally registered super PAC organized to make independent expenditures in federal and state elections.
Growth & Opportunity PAC is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. It is also a federally registered super PAC that participates in elections through independent expenditures.
American Opportunity PAC is headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida. It is a federally registered super PAC that makes independent expenditures in elections.
A super PAC is a political committee that may raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose candidates through independent expenditures. By law, super PACs cannot contribute directly to a candidate’s campaign or coordinate their spending with the campaign. However, they may spend unlimited sums on television advertising, digital advertising, mailers, text messages, and other communications intended to influence an election.
There is nothing illegal about this activity. Independent expenditures are a lawful part of the American campaign finance system. However, voters also have a right to know where the messages flooding their mailboxes, televisions, phones, and computer screens are coming from.
In House District 71, a substantial amount of outside support for Steven Howe originated from organizations headquartered in Virginia, Kentucky, and Florida. These are national political organizations that routinely participate in elections across the country, supporting candidates they believe will advance their policy priorities. Their involvement in Kansas is part of a broader political strategy rather than a focus exclusively on Salina or Saline County.
That raises a legitimate question for voters.
House District 71 is a local election. The issues affecting Salina, including property taxes, economic development, education, public safety, infrastructure, and health care, are local issues that directly affect the people who live here.
Should the strongest financial voices in this race come from organizations headquartered hundreds or even thousands of miles away, or from the citizens of Salina and House District 71?
Every voter will answer that question for themselves on Election Day.