KS-02: State Treasurer Jake LaTurner once again goes at Rep. Steve Watkins over his legal troubles in his latest TV ad, though this time he's a bit more subtle about it, with a narrator offering him up as an alternative for voters who are "sick of the scandals."
The ad also promises LaTurner will "make Kansas proud again, like Lynn Jenkins did," as a photo of LaTurner with Jenkins (and 4th District Rep. Ron Estes) appears on-screen. Awkwardly, though, Jenkins, who represented this seat for a decade before retiring in 2018, hasn't actually endorsed LaTurner, even though he once worked for her. (She did, however, endorse Watkins ahead of the general election two years ago.)
Just how many people will see this ad, however, is a very good question, since LaTurner's fundraising has been pitiful. Despite running against a guy who'd been under investigation for voter fraud since December and wound up getting indicted less than two weeks ago, LaTurner brought in just $82,000 during the second quarter of the year and less than $9,000 in the first two weeks of July, leaving him with $379,000 for the stretch run.
Watkins did little better, raising $122,000 in the second quarter and $17,000 in the first half of the month, with a balance of $256,000 for the final weeks. Democrat Michelle De La Isla, meanwhile, pulled in $354,000 for the quarter and another $22,000 during the pre-primary period. She has $516,000 in her campaign account.