Democrat Goyle raises $400k in race for Congress

Oct. 13, 20094:48 p.m.
Goyle

Goyle

State Rep. Raj Goyle, D-Wichita, announced Tuesday that he has raised $403,083.68 since July in his race for the 4th District congressional seat.

Goyle is the first candidate to release his fund-raising tally for the July-September reporting period.

Thursday is the deadline for candidates in the race to disclose donations and spending to the Federal Election Commission.

Goyle’s total is so far the largest amount raised in a quarter in the race to replace outgoing Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard.

Tiahrt is leaving the House to run for Senate against Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays, and retired media executive Charles Schollenberger, D-Prairie Village.

In the April-June quarter, GOP National Committeeman Mike Pompeo raised $253,000; state Sen. Dick Kelsey, R-Goddard, had lent his campaign $222,500.

Three more GOP candidates have entered the race since then: businessmen Wink Hartman and Jim Anderson and state Sen. Jean Schodorf, R-Wichita. They have yet to file a finance report with the FEC.

Goyle is a prolific fund-raiser who holds the money record for a state House seat.

His only announced opponent for the Democratic nomination is Robert Tillman, a retired court services officer.

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Gov. Parkinson joins the blogosphere

June 23, 20091:16 p.m.

TOPEKA – “Welcome to my first actual blog,” wrote Gov. Mark Parkinson yesterday.

In the post Parkinson, a Democrat, said he decided to start blogging when he became governor at the end of April “to provide you a glimpse of what it is like to serve as Governor and to give insight into what happens in our office every day.”

The blog comes up with the governor’s website.

In the mostly biographical initial offer Parkinson promised he’d be the one writing the posts, “this isn’t something that a staffer is writing to try to make me look good.”

He also promised he, and other posters, would try not to be boring or politically correct and “we’ll try not to use political speak (lots of words that say nothing, but sound good).”

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Kansas Democrats announce a new executive director

Dec. 10, 20083:13 p.m.

TOPEKA – Kansas Democratic Party Executive Director Mike Gaughan is leaving to work in the governor’s office and the party’s technology director, Kenny Johnston, is assuming his spot, the party announced Wednesday.

Johnston began working with the party in February 2007 after working on two of Rep. Dennis Moore’s congressional campaigns in the 3rd District.

Democratic Party Chair Larry Gates praised Gaughan’s three-and-a-half years of work with the party. Read More »

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Kansas House Democrats get a new website

Oct. 22, 20082:36 p.m.

Kansas House Democrats unveiled a new website for their caucus on Wednesday.

“Communicating with constituents is one of the most important jobs of state legislators,” said House Minority Leader Rep. Dennis McKinney, D-Greensburg. “We want people to know who House Democrats are and what we are doing to meet the challenges Kansas families face.”

The site, www.kshousedems.com, includes links to member profile pages, issue positions, a media center and upcoming events. It also allows visitors to sign up for email updates and lists ways visitors can get involved in politics such as internships or testifying before a committee.

The House Republicans have a similar website, www.kansashouse.org.

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