Democratic-allied group gives a boost to conservative Kobach in Kansas Senate primary

It's the latest indication that Democrats' hopes to win a Senate seat in Kansas for the first time since 1932 rest largely on Kobach winning the primary, hoping he would amount to the weakest candidate in a difficult general election against their candidate, state Sen. Barbara Bollier. And if Democrats take the Kansas seat, they will be in a strong position to win back the Senate majority, which currently stands at a 53-47 GOP advantage.

The new group, called the Sunflower State PAC, has quietly reserved $850,000 for ads just this week alone, according to data from the Campaign Media Analysis Group. The ad, reviewed by CNN, bashes Republican US Rep. Roger Marshall as a "phony" and "soft on Trump" and notes that Kobach is called "too conservative" who "won't compromise on building a wall" or "getting tough on China."

Kobach, an immigration hard-liner and voter fraud crusader with staunchly conservative views in line with President Donald Trump, has long maintained that the criticisms he would be a weak general election candidate are misplaced, in part because 2020 is a presidential election year, far different than the 2018 cycle when he lost a race for the governorship.

Sunflower State formed just this week, filing a statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission on July 13. By forming shortly after the end of the second quarter, on June 30, the group could avoid disclosing any information about its donors until the end of the third quarter, all the way in September, even if it spends millions between now and then. Even if the group chooses to file more regular monthly reports with the FEC, it won't have to disclose donors until late August, weeks after the Kansas primary on August 4.

And the group quickly hit the airwaves after forming. One day after it filed initial paperwork with the FEC, the group placed the $850,000 TV ad reservation set to run this week on broadcast and cable in Kansas.

The group placed its reservations through Old Town Media LLC, a media firm that has also placed nearly $4 million of ad reservations for Unite The Country, the super PAC supporting former Vice President Joe Biden's presidential campaign.

On its FEC forms, the group lists Amalgamated Bank as its financial institution, a company that supports progressive causes and lists as its clients, the Democratic National Committee, environmental groups, labor unions, Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign and the Biden Foundation.

An individual listed as the treasurer for Sunflower State, Jim Jesse, did not respond to a phone call seeking comment. Asked about its ties to Democrats, the group responded via email to CNN simply saying: "Sunflower State is focused on educating voters about the US Senate race in Kansas and is operating in accordance with all federal election laws."

It's unclear if the group has ties to other major Democratic players, including the main Senate Democratic super PAC, Senate Majority PAC, which is aligned with Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. A spokesman for Senate Majority PAC did not respond to inquiries seeking comment about the new Kansas outfit.

Eric Pahls, campaign manager for Marshall, argued the reason why the group is attacking the candidate is because Democrats are "terrified of him."

"This is not a new phenomenon," Pahls said in a statement, arguing the strategy at hallmarks of a past Senate race that led to the reelection of then-Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri. "In 2012, national Democrats poured money into the Missouri Senate Race to nominate flawed candidate Todd Akin, who was handily defeated by Claire McCaskill. Their ad from 2012 closely mirrors this message, and they view Kobach as even more easily beatable."

A spokesperson for Kobach didn't respond to a request for comment.

It is not the only outside group with Kobach on its mind -- nor is it the only time that an outside group has gotten involved in the opposing party's primary.

A Republican-aligned group, Plains PAC, formed last week and announced a $3 million ad campaign against Kobach in an effort to derail his candidacy. And earlier this year in North Carolina, a super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tried to prop up a Democratic candidate that the party believed would be weaker in the general election, though that candidate ultimately lost in the Democratic primary.

In Kansas, Kobach is facing 10 Republican candidates including his top rival, Marshall, an obstetrician-gynecologist who represents the same solidly Republican, farm-focused district from which former Senate Republican leader Bob Dole, Sen. Jerry Moran and the retiring Sen. Pat Roberts built the base of their power.

Other GOP candidates include Bob Hamilton, who owns a plumbing company, and Dave Lindstrom, a former Kansas City Chiefs player and businessman.