Friday File

Guest Commentary

Dan Hawkins

Kansas Speaker

of the House

In January, Republican legislators stood side-by-side in a packed statehouse room to launch our Better Way legislative agenda. Together we resolved to advance good policy for the people of Kansas and in opposition to the woke, leftist agenda of the newly re-elected Kelly/Toland Administration.

The Better Way inspired incredible conservative legislation and our members stuck together, in what many doubted could be done, overriding 11 of the Governor’s radical vetoes. We achieved significant override wins in defense of life including the Born Alive Infant’s Protection Act, requiring notification of abortion pill reversal, and funding The Alternatives to Abortion Program in the state budget. Other overrides defended common-sense safety protections by passing the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, the Women’s Bill of Rights, ensuring same-sex room assignments on overnight school trips for Kansas kids, and keeping males and females separate in Kansas prisons.

Did all Republicans always agree on everything in each bill? No, we don’t march in lockstep like the left. We thought for ourselves but also found where we could agree and built up from there.

We are in a battle for the future of our country and state. The woke left wants to eliminate patriotism and destroy the core values our nation was built upon. It’s a battle we can win but only if we stick together as Republicans. To that point, it’s time for the GOP to build on our agreements and put an end to the in-fighting. We can and will have our internal disagreements, but when the time comes we need to be willing to set those aside to oppose the radical leftist agenda.

The only way we will beat the Kelly/Toland Administration and their radical, woke minions is to stand united and push back together. I look forward to standing united with all Kansas Republicans to show everyone that there’s a Better Way.

God Bless, Dan

Proven, Powerful, Cutting Edge Data Management Platform Selected for KSGOP

As a result of much due diligence and process testing of various data and voter contact programs, your Kansas GOP team is pleased to announce our new partnership with Numinar Analytics.

Numinar is the world’s most advanced platform for campaigns, candidates and volunteers. Powered by world-class artificial intelligence, Numinar gives you a custom, start-to-finish strategy- a key component to helping Kansas Republicans win their races.

Data

Numinar is a vast and robust platform with millions of data points, including voter and commercial data, that will power your campaign to big wins through your KSGOP account. Numinar is backed by best-in-class voter files and commercial data representing 400 demographic and socioeconomic data points. Numinar provides powerful modeling for competitive races with proven accuracy in our Professional and Premium subscriptions.

NOTE TO SIDEKICK USERS

For those using an RNC-approved data management platform, including Sidekick, you need to be aware your data was not only stored on the management platform but was also being pushed to and stored in the RNC Data Trust. Your data is still available to you and will populate back into Numinar. There may be a glitch or two along the way, as is to be expected with any transition, but Numinar will quickly assist us in working through these issues as they arise. We are confident you will see the amazing benefits of the Numinar Analytics platform very quickly.

Numinar is placing the ability to build samples, make calls, send text messaging, and conduct online surveys directly in the hands of campaigns to get the job done faster, cheaper, and better. Reaching your voters at scale with Numinar will enable your team to deploy a complete grassroots campaign with reliable, scalable, and intuitive text messaging, live calling, and canvassing – all in ONE platform. Build and manage voter lists, track interactions with voters, cut walk books, create tags, and generate reports. Look up individual voters in your district and see a full report on their engagement with the campaign.

Passionate supporters are a force and can multiply our KSGOP voter outreach. This platform gives our volunteers all the tools they need to reach their friends, family, and neighbors. It also tracks their activity and helps keep them organized, motivated, and passionate. Finally, a canvassing app that is fast, simple, and highly intuitive – all built right into this platform so the data is completely integrated.

Taking advantage of the digital command center for all campaign managers – from local races to statewide is now at your fingertips.

Powerful reporting enables you to track every voter contacted or tag voters collected across all your users. Simple and fast voter list creation with built-in analytics lets you ask questions about your data. Execute voter contact projects directly in the web platform via a smart phone or tablet through text message or walk book.

To sign up for your KSGOP Numinar account, please fill out your information at the link below:

CLICK HERE

NUMINAR

KSGOP covers the cost of Numinar for your data and canvassing.

Texting, AI modeling, and phone polling is available at an additional affordable rate though Numinar for each individual campaign as needed and wanted.

Lastly, below are links to the training guides. There are three versions. There will also be Zoom trainings bi-monthly for candidates and volunteers.

1. Contents Page for all platform functions

CLICK HERE

2. Canvassing Tutorial

CLICK HERE

3. Mobile Calling Tutorial

CLICK HERE

4. Land Line Calling Tutorial

CLICK HERE

Local Office Candidates Wanted

The KSGOP has been busy working with Republican County Party officials across Kansas recruiting candidates for local school governing boards and city council seats.

We have many candidates from across Kansas already recruited and signed up to run for local office.

If you or someone you know would like to explore the possibility of running for office, contact your county Republican office or the KSGOP!

The filing deadline for local office is June 1, 2023.

Let's have a private conversation and assess if running for office is right for you.

How to File for Office in Kansas

Steps to File as a Candidate in Kansas

Each level of public office has unique requirements for filing to appear on the election ballot.

To see what each position requires, visit the Kansas Secretary of State's website:

CLICK HERE

For local elections, you can also get information by visiting your Election Office or County Clerk website via your Kansas County’s homepage.

IMPORTANT DATES

For 2023, the filing deadline is June 1st at precisely 12 noon.

Primary Election

August 1, 2023

General Election

November 7, 2023

DECLARE YOUR TREASURER

After officially filing for office, fill out the form declaring who your treasurer is within ten days of filing. NOTE: This can be you or someone else.

The Declaration of Treasurer can be found online

CLICK HERE

OBTAIN AN EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (EIN) FROM THE IRS IN YOUR CAMPAIGN NAME:

Examples: John Doe For Kansas, Jane Doe for Overland Park Mayor

After filing, it is recommended to register an EIN through the IRS website:

CLICK HERE

NOTE: The are many knock-off sites where you pay a fee to get the EIN... If you go direct to www.IRS.gov the EIN is provided to you for FREE.

You may only process this application Mon-Fri and during regular business hours.

Your campaign is considered a Political Organization.

OPEN A CAMPAIGN BANK ACCOUNT

While you can self-finance a campaign, raising funds is critical and you achieve the best campaign finance protection by using a separate bank account for your campaign.

This bank account will let you link to Anedot, one of the most common websites for political fundraising or other available platforms such as WinRed.

This allows you to automate collection of required details, such as an individual’s address and employment as their donation level requires. This will be critical at finance reporting deadlines!

FOLLOW THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE RULES

CLICK HERE

CANDIDATE CAMPAIGN HANDBOOK GUIDE

CLICK HERE

FILE YOUR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS

Campaign finance reports are straightforward but are required on time.

The Ethics Commission is VERY helpful for explaining any terms or procedures you are not familiar with. Do not hesitate to call: (785) 296-4219 or email: [email protected]

Note: Thank you to the Johnson County Republican Party for this guide.

KSGOP Standing Committees

The KSGOP Rules Committee has met twice in the last few weeks and some questions and concerns have been raised.

To be clear, when I ran for Chairman of our party I promised to never put my finger on the scale of inner-party contests, races or decisions. It is my job to hold the scale and not intentionally tip it one way or another but to let it do its job.

When it comes to our standing committees we have many highly intelligent and qualified committee members who largely were selected by the four congressional district chairs. It was not my obligation to share this opportunity with the CD Chairs to appoint members to the standing committees, but that is largely how I chose to handle it to be sure we had a good cross-section of representation. These committee members are smart, and savvy Kansas Republicans, who have been tasked with a job. That job, as described by the KSGOP By-Laws and by me as Chairman, is to bring forward ideas that each of the standing committees deemed worthy of consideration and could pass from their committees to me for presentation to the state committee.

An idea about shrinking the size of our state executive committee to more closely align it with the RNC model was contemplated, discussed, debated, and ultimately passed out of the Rules Committee.

Per the bylaws, that resolution now comes to me, as the Chairman, just as all the other proposed changes considered and passed by the committee. I would note, this includes some unanimously approved proposals as well.

The constitution and bylaws vest in me the responsibility to pick the meeting during which any proposed rule change, or resolution, is considered. Thus, I will ultimately decide when any committee recommendation is heard by the full state committee. It is my belief that each of these recommendations must be balanced against the amount of time available at a given meeting, the amount of discussion required for each change proposed by the committee, and the other important business that our state committee needs to address.

For example, I believe debate around this particular topic could easily take up an entire meeting. As such, I do not anticipate this resolution coming up at our pending summer meeting. This proposed change, and any other, may come up at a future meeting. As the Chairman, the bylaws grant me the authority to determine at which meeting these are to be discussed. I believe this practice is also in line with the historical application by previous administrations.

To be clear, the adoption of this change rests solely with the KSGOP State Committee. At this time no changes of any kind have been made to the makeup of our executive committee.

Finally, I will reiterate my ongoing position on these matters. As the Chairman, I have not, and will not, take a position on this policy proposal or any other proposal from any of our KSGOP standing committees as I believe this would be a clear cut case of me putting my finger on the scale. I believe in free thought and free debate, and will honor those principles so long as you elect me to lead this party.

Please allow me the opportunity to do my job as Chairman while you go about the important work you have to do.

We are all in this together, and we must pull in the same direction, or we risk everything.

Please join me.

Kansas Presidential Primary Date Set for March 19, 2024

Kansans will participate in a Presidential Primary on March 19, 2024. The KSGOP was supportive of this legislation, and KSGOP Chairman Mike Brown would like to thank Kansas Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins, Kansas House Majority Leader Chris Croft, Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, Kansas Senate Majority Leader Larry Alley, and Kansas Republican Second Congressional District Chairman Eric Rucker for their leadership on this incredible effort and outcome.

Because Kansas Republicans will no longer be putting on a labor-intensive party-driven caucus, Republicans across Kansas will now focus on campaigning and electing Republicans.

“The Kansas Republican Party looks forward to a much higher participation rate in the primary process. We welcome and encourage Presidential candidates to visit Kansas voters right here in the heartland to earn their votes,” said KSGOP Chairman Brown. “This puts Kansas back in the national political spotlight and enfranchises voters by making voting locations closer to them and easier to access. That’s a big win for all of us.”

Conservatively Speaking

By Mike Brown, Chairman

Kansas Republican Party

Dateline: May 10, 2023

Subject: US Debt Ceiling

I’ve been a Conservative my entire life. In my teens in the early 1980s, I understood what conservatism truly meant while watching President Reagan speak. Right then, I knew I was a Conservative Republican.

He said, “We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much.”

With those words, I found my political home.

I was comfortable.

He said what I was thinking.

Those words spoke to me.

They were powerful. They were true. They were obvious. And they reverberated within me in a way that awakened the young Conservative Republican in me. To this day, those words shape how I see things and what I say.

With America staring into a $32T abyss of US National Debt today, I am stunned we are in this mess.

We had warnings.

We had choices.

We had options.

Yet here we are.

And now facing another approaching debt limit deadline, the President of the United States, along with Democrat US Senate and House leadership, takes the irresponsible and reckless position the debt limit must be raised without an agreement to lower future spending.

Read that last sentence again, and don’t just glaze over it. I didn’t say CUT. I said “lower future spending” as a solid and good faith first step showing America and the world we can control l ourselves.

The Democrat position is unpatriotic, juvenile and dangerous.

Joe Biden and Charles Schumer must stop playing on the ignorance and emotions of Americans who benefit from this government spending and act like responsible adults and true American leaders vs. their never-ending “anything you want” Santa Clause act.

Of course, America should always pay its financial commitments; however, to attempt to paint Republicans as “extremists” because we want promises about reduced future spending is ludicrous.

I fully support the US Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, in his demands. And I agree this deal should not last longer than one year as the next debt ceiling debate should occur in a Presidential Election year. Then and there, the American people can decide the right path for America and which presidential candidate best represents them, their values, and their family.

I, for one, encourage Speaker McCarthy to hold firm on the negotiated lowered future spending limits. And I firmly believe Ronald Reagan would agree wholeheartedly, too.