Kevin Yoder had assumed he’d have an easy run to the US House this year, with Democratic Party Members offering minor, underfunded opposition. That is, until Jay Sidie, prominent business leader in the community jumped into the race at the urging of DCCC. Sidie, whose Counterpunch Financial, has been a mover in urging more consumer protections and reforms within the financial industry was seen as a real competitor to Representative Yoder.
Kevin Yoder, on the other hand, has been embroiled in an ongoing controversy regarding his involvement with payday lending companies, which became subject of an ethics complaint last year.
In the weeks before and after co-sponsoring H.R. 1121, Yoder received $24,800 in campaign contributions from the payday lending industry, beginning with a $2,500 donation from Overland Park-based QC Holdings Inc. Political Action Committee on Feb. 23, 2011. QC Holdings Inc. PAC made two more donations, of $5,000 and $2,500, on March 28, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
In the weeks before and after co-sponsoring H.R. 1121, Yoder received $24,800 in campaign contributions from the payday lending industry, beginning with a $2,500 donation from Overland Park-based QC Holdings Inc. Political Action Committee on Feb. 23, 2011. QC Holdings Inc. PAC made two more donations, of $5,000 and $2,500, on March 28, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
While the race between a Democratic house candidate proposing real ethics reform in the financial industry versus someone accused to standing on the side of payday lending seems a solid enough fight in the Kansas 3rd District, it was the fact that Kevin Yoder became the first federal Republican to endorse Trump that really started the ball rolling. Now, with some pressure in his home district, Kevin Yoder is resorting to some...unusual approaches.
Yoder, who has used TV and radio ads to market himself as a moderate Republican took great efforts in the past to make sure that he was seen with Republicans branded as not a radical conservative.
Now, however, Yoder has apparently decided to try a different strategy in order to try and win votes. Yoder’s hope to defeat Sidie? Bring in one of the most conservative voices available — in this case, Trey Gowdy (R, SC-4), yes, that Trey Gowdy, behind the Benghazi hearings Gowdy.
While Yoder’s appeal to the far right in hopes of winning him votes may be an interesting strategy this year; it will most certainly provide at least some distraction to his ethical issues with payday loan companies or his prior drunken dunk in the Sea of Galilee. Many homeowners voiced their concerns over the use of a Home Owners Association event to host Trey Gowdy and turn a summer planned pool party into a political event.
Yoder may face a stiff challenge this year, but Yoder’s impact on the other races in the community will be the subject of great debate for some time.
Much of the debate circles around his 2014 re-election campaign. Yoder, hoping to make himself more acceptable to female voters, helped organize 100 Women For Yoder, with a goal of deflecting issues regarding his negative stances on women’s rights issues.
The group, composed of a long list of Kansas’anti-choice advocates, also included the new candidate for exiting moderate Barbara Bollier, Dorothy Hughes. While the group in 2014, was able to provide Yoder a win, many question whether or not Kansas Anti-Choice supporters funding had a bigger impact on Yoder than it appears — as his co-sponsor of anti-Planned Parenthood legislation in the most recent session indicates it is very difficult to call Yoder a moderate any longer.
Now the question for Kansas voters: will a newly minted true conservative like Yoder, who has ditched his moderate roots manage to turn face painting parties with Trey Gowdy and anti-Planned Parenthood legislation into a win? Or will pay-day lending scandals, drunken-out-of-country romps and endorsements of presidential candidates like Donald Trump be enough to fulfill DCCC’s wishes of another house seat pickup in 2016.
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