Kobach speaks at Salina rally as his office reviews gift-card complaint involving voter group
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach joined President Donald Trump on stage at Sunday night's rally at Salina Regional Airport, speaking briefly about immigration and election security a day after his office sent a cease-and-desist letter to a Kansas voter outreach group.
Kobach, a Republican, is on Tuesday's ballot, seeking re-election against Democrat Chris Mann. The rally was held at Hangar 509, 2734 Arnold Court, and Salina311 attended. Full coverage of Trump's speech is in Salina311's rally story: https://www.salina311.com/stories/2026-11-02-at-salina-rally-trump-urges-kansans-to-back-marshall-and-masterson-in-tuesdays-election/
Trump's introduction
Trump brought Kobach to the stage partway through his speech. Before calling him up, Trump said Kobach had told him about a canvasser in Wichita offering gift cards and money to encourage people to vote, and said Kobach was looking into it.
Kobach's remarks
Kobach told the crowd he endorsed Trump in 2016, when Kobach was Kansas secretary of state, and recalled telling his wife, Heather, that Trump "is serious. He's actually going to close the border."
He also spoke about election security. "He gets that voter fraud is real," Kobach said of Trump. "It's real, and we need to do something about it."
Kobach did not discuss the gift-card case in the remarks captured in Salina311's recording.
What the attorney general's office says
Kobach's office announced Saturday, Oct. 31, that it had sent a cease-and-desist letter to Bluestem Kansas. According to the announcement, a Kansas voter reported being offered a $5 gift card by a canvasser who said he worked with the group.
The letter asks the group to stop offering voters incentives tied to voting in the Nov. 3 general election and to preserve records related to its canvassing.
The announcement describes a single reported offer. It does not say where in Kansas the offer was made or whether the voter was asked to support any candidate. No charges had been announced as of Sunday night.
The office asked anyone who was offered a gift card, cash or other incentive by the group or its canvassers to call 785-296-2215.
What the law says
Kansas law, K.S.A. 25-2409, prohibits offering a benefit in exchange for voting, not voting, or voting a certain way. It allows a business or organization to provide an item worth less than $3 to anyone who says they have voted, regardless of how they voted.
About Bluestem Kansas
Bluestem Kansas is the public name of the Bluestem Foundation for Economic Freedom, a Topeka-based nonprofit registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. Its website says its mission includes "educating Kansans on the issues that affect our daily lives" and "providing the tools and information to take action and vote."
Kobach's race
Kobach was elected attorney general in 2022, defeating Mann. He served as Kansas secretary of state from 2011 to 2019.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, and in-person advance voting ends at noon Monday, according to the Kansas Secretary of State's Office.
Salina311 will seek comment from Bluestem Kansas and will update this story with any response.
Photo: Salina311
