Davis breaks fundraising record, releases new ad

NEWS RELEASE:

Following news last week that House Minority Leader and candidate for governor Paul Davis is leading in most recent public polls, he filed his latest campaign finance report today. Davis broke the record for most money raised by a challenger in any Kansas race, ever.

The Davis/Docking ticket raised $2,069,840.36 in just three months.

For the entire campaign, the Davis/Docking team has set a record in fundraising for a challenger in a gubernatorial race raising $4,192,659.73. Never before has a challenger in any Kansas race raised this much money. The outpouring of support comes as Sam Brownback and outside groups spend more than $10 million to trying to smear Davis and rewrite the governor’s record.

“Our report reflects the deep concern Kansans have about the damage Sam Brownback is doing our schools and our economy,” Davis said. “And now Sam Brownback is running a disgraceful campaign full of lies and smears to try to stay in power. This is not the way we do things in Kansas. There is a better way. Kansans are ready to go in a new direction and restore Kansas.”

In just three months, the Davis/Docking campaign has received more than 8,000 individual contributions. The campaign has received more than 18,000 separate contributions since the beginning of the race.

Of the 8,861 campaign donors, 99.7 percent are individuals and they account for 96 percent of the money raised by the campaign. And 70 percent of the Davis/Docking contributions were for $100 less.

Statistics for the period (7/25 - 10/23):

Total raised: $2,069,840.36
Total number of contributions: 8,386
Percent of contributions that came from Kansas: 86 percent
Statistics for the entire campaign (through 10/23):

Total raised: $4,192,659.73
Total contributions: 18,986
Percent of contributions from Kansas: 89 percent
The Davis/Docking campaign also released a new television ad in all media markets this weekend. The ad contrasts the results of the failed Brownback experiment and Paul Davis’s commonsense approach to the budget and schools, as well as his recent endorsements.

ELECTION NEWS: Kansas State Troopers Association endorses Paul Davis for Governor

NEWS RELEASE:

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- -Citing his strong commitment to public safety, the Kansas State Troopers Association Political Action Committee today announced their endorsement of Paul Davis for Governor.

While many in public safety have endorsed Davis this year, including the Fraternal Order of Police and Kansas State Council of Firefighters, the Trooper endorsement is particularly significant: they endorsed Sam Brownback in 2010.

Since the PAC’s inception, the Troopers have never before endorsed a challenger over an incumbent governor.

“We are proud to endorse Paul Davis and Jill Docking for Governor and Lieutenant Governor,” said Mitch Mellick, member of the Kansas State Troopers Association PAC board. “Paul has been a strong voice for the law enforcement community and has consistently fought for tough laws that help us hold criminals accountable and keep our roads and communities safe. His Kansas values, his steadfast commitment to law enforcement officers and dedication to the safety of our communities make him the best choice for governor.”

The association has a long history of advocating for the safety of Kansas communities. Many on both sides of the aisle note their long history of support for the safety of Kansas communities.

The association works to improve public safety for Kansans and contributes to their communities by supporting the work of the Kansas Special Olympics, sponsoring families of officers slain in the line of duty to attend the National Law Enforcement Memorial, and much more.

“The Kansas State Trooper Association works around the clock to keep Kansas roads, communities and families safe,” Davis said. “I am honored to have their endorsement and look forward to working with them to support law enforcement officers, ensure that they have the resources they need on the job, the support they deserve in retirement and enhance the state’s ability to protect families.”

Davis advocated for groundbreaking laws to strengthen penalties against child rapists and protect women and children from sex trafficking and stalking.

He also wrote legislation to close loopholes that allowed sex offenders to avoid prosecution. Davis has a strong record of supporting first responders and issues important to their organizations, including protecting KPERS, investing in public safety, and fighting for tough on crime laws.

“Jill and I are proud to have the endorsement of the Kansas State Troopers Association PAC, along with the Kansas Fraternal Order of Police and the Kansas State Council of Firefighters,” Davis said. “These men and woman fight every day to keep our families safe and we will do all we can to provide them with the support and resources they need to do their duty.”

Kansas budget director says job growth eventually will restore revenues

By Jim McLean
KHI News Service

A $21 million shortfall in September tax collections has renewed the debate on Gov. Sam Brownback’s economic policies heading into the last month of the 2014 campaign.

Over the last five months, tax receipts have fallen more than $360 million short of official projections, driven largely by the 26 percent reduction in income tax rates championed by Brownback and passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2012 and 2013.

The continuing shortfalls are forcing the state to spend through its reserves, a strategy that analysts in the nonpartisan Kansas Legislative Research Department say could put the state nearly $240 million in the red by July of 2016.

Paul Davis, Brownback’s Democratic challenger, used the September revenue report to launch another attack on what he calls the governor’s “failed policies.”

“The governor’s economic experiment isn’t working, and it’s not going to work,” Davis said in a campaign news release. “It is damaging our schools, hurting our economy and putting our children’s future in jeopardy.”

Brownback and others in the administration insist that the drop in revenue is temporary and that the tax cuts will transform the Kansas economy if given enough time to work.

VIDEO: Gov. Sam Brownback, Paul Davis and Keen Umbehr debate the issues

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- The second gubernatorial debate for this year's Kansas Governor's race was held on Friday.

This time, the debate had a twist: Libertarian Party nominee Keen Umbehr joined Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Democrat Paul Davis on the stage.

Taxes, education and the budget are three of the key issues discussed. If you intend on voting and if you're not sure who you are voting for yet, check it out!

Rasmussen Reports: Paul Davis leads Brownback by 10 points

By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- A poll from Rasmussen Reports has Democratic nominee Paul Davis up by 10 points against current Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback.

Davis leads Brownback 51 percent to 41 percent in the survey taken by Rasmussen.

In the survey, 51 percent of voters were polled. Five percent of voters were undecided, while three percent prefer a third-party candidate.

Brownback is behind Davis when it comes to two key issues for the state: Taxes and spending. Of those surveyed, 42 percent trust Davis on the issue of taxes more than they do Brownback.

Davis is more trusted on the issue of government spending, according to Rasmussen. On the issue of government spending, Davis leads 43 to 36 percent.

This is the third poll this summer that shows Davis with a lead. It's the first poll where Davis has earned the support of the majority polled. He led two separate Survey USA polls by six and eight points.

Brownback led Davis by 12 points in a New York Times poll taken late last month.

KSN News Poll: Davis 48, Brownback 40, Democrat edges closer to Pat Roberts

By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Kansas Rep. Paul Davis is leading Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback in another poll from KSN News and Survey USA.

Davis leads 48 percent to 40 percent in the poll, which was taken during the week of July 17-22.

SurveyUSA interviewed 2,400 adults, 2,079 of which were registered to vote. In a poll taken earlier this summer by the same media outlet, Davis led Brownback by six points.

Davis' lead can be attributed to four key items, according to the poll.

First, Davis has the support of nearly 30 percent of the Republicans who participated in the poll. Only five percent of Democrats are supporting Brownback, per SurveyUSA.

Second is the issue of education. Among those voters who consider education the most important issue in this year's election, Davis enjoys about four times the support as Brownback does.

Third, Davis leads Brownback by 20 points among senior citizens.

Fourth, non-affiliated and Independent voters are falling in line with the Davis campaign. Davis leads Brownback by 21 points among independent voters. Libertarian candidate Keen Umbehr has the support of 13 percent of independent voters.

Umbehr has the support of five percent of voters, which would earn the major party designation for the Kansas Libertarian Party.

Other notes from the poll:

1. In a potential match-up between U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts and Democrat Chad Taylor, Roberts leads the poll by five points and has only 38 percent of support from voters. Roberts maintains a 20-point advantage over Milton Wolf, Roberts' challenge in the GOP primary. In a race between Taylor and Wolf, Taylor edges out Wolf 34 to 33 percent.

2. Among state-wide Republicans, Secretary of State Kris Kobach is in the strongest position. Kobach leads Democrat challenger Jean Schodrof 46 to 37 percent. Kobach leads his primary challenger Scott Morgan 56-30 percent.

3. Greg Orman, a Johnson County businessman seeking to appear on the Senate ballot as an independent candidate, earns 13 percent of the vote against Roberts and his Democratic challenger.

Paul Davis announces economic advisors

News Release:

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- At events in Wichita and Kansas City today, candidate for governor Paul Davis outlined his commonsense vision for the Kansas economy and announced the appointment of former Republican Lieutenant Governor Gary Sherrer and former Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Moore as senior economic advisers to the campaign.

The bipartisan leaders, both who also bring extensive experience in Kansas’ private sector, are tasked with engaging a diverse collection of business leaders and economic development professionals to develop recommendations for private-sector job growth in Kansas.

“The key to our success and the answers to our challenges are here in Kansas,” said Davis. “By bringing Kansans together and recommitting ourselves to proven solutions, we can find Kansas Solutions. John and Gary have decades of private-sector experience and were highly successful Kansas Secretaries of Commerce. They share my vision that our economic success should be rooted in proven methods - not experiments.”

“Paul Davis puts partisanship aside when it comes to finding solutions,” said Jill Docking, Davis’ running mate. “This is indicative of the leadership style Paul will bring to the office. He will work with experts right here in Kansas and, more to the point, he will be a governor who listens to what those experts have to say.”

Working with Sherrer and Moore, Davis has established key principles for private-sector job creation. In contrast to Brownback’s “red state model,” Davis will focus on partnerships between the state and Kansas communities while also incentivizing job growth with accountability measures.

"Sam Brownback has no private sector credentials to grow the Kansas economy and relied on one out of state consultant to craft his stimulus package of extreme tax cuts,” said Moore. “Our governor has given away $2 billion worth of tax revenue without the guarantee of a single Kansas job. That is not pro-growth – that is profoundly irresponsible. On the other hand, Paul Davis has involved successful, recognized Kansas business leaders to develop Kansas Solutions, a proven and fiscally responsible approach to creating  jobs in Kansas.”

Sherrer and Moore’s work engaging private-sector leaders will be rooted in the guiding principles of the Davis/Docking economic strategy:

Public Education and Workforce Training: The state must provide a strong public education system with K-12, technical/community colleges, higher education institutions that produce Kansans who are qualified for good paying jobs;

Partnerships: Economic development must be driven by Kansas communities which have challenges and opportunities that are unique to them. The state must encourage and facilitate community public/private partnerships;

Infrastructure: A strong infrastructure - roads, highways, water, energy, technology, and public safety - must provide the support necessary for economic success and growth;
Image: Kansas must be aggressively promoted to establish a positive image - through rural culture, arts, marketing, and quality of life - in order to better attract and cultivate new business opportunities.

"There is no magic bullet in economic development and job creation,” said Sherrer. “To suggest a massive income tax cut that is skewed to the wealthy is such a magic bullet, is fiscally irresponsible, defies logic and facts and undermines those elements critical to economic development - quality, affordable education and solid infrastructure. The number one demand of businesses is a well trained, educated workforce. Cutting funding to education and driving up tuition impacts quality, affordability and availability. We need to get back to the basics: community partnerships, increased resources to support community efforts, new creative programs to attract new business and aggressive marketing both nationally and internationally."

To deliver on these guiding principles, the state must have a strong fiscal outlook.  In less than a year, Moody’s Investor Service has downgraded the state’s credit rating twice, state revenues have plummeted more than $300 million below estimates, and Kansas faces a $1.2 billion budget deficit. And in the last six months, Kansas was one of only five states in the country to lose jobs. The viability of Kansas’ long-term economic growth is at risk.  Therefore, Davis recommends:

● Postponing the second phase of the Brownback tax experiment until public education funding is restored to pre-recession levels. This action alone will significantly address long-term budget projections without raising taxes on a single Kansan.

● Immediately upon taking office, Davis will establish a bipartisan tax commission to address two key issues:

Accountability measures within the tax code and targeted incentives for job growth.
Proposals aimed at reversing the $400 million property tax increase that has occurred during the Brownback administration.

“We cannot clean up Sam Brownback's mess overnight,” said Davis. “What I’m proposing are commonsense ideas that prioritize our public schools, incentivize real job creation, and empower communities to maximize their unique opportunities for growth.”

In collaboration with Sherrer and Moore, Davis has begun hosting small group meetings across the state to collect feedback on measures targeting diverse sectors of the economy. Recommendations resulting from these meetings will be put forward throughout the campaign.

POLL: Davis leads Brownback 47-41; Republicans up in other races

By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- In a new poll taken by KSN News, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is behind likely Democratic Party nominee and Kansas Rep. Paul Davis by six points.

Republicans across the state fare better in their races.

In the gubernatorial race, Davis has an advantage in Kansas City and Wichita. At this time, he's beating Brownback by 15 percent in the Wichita area and leads Brownback by three percent among voters in the Kansas City metro area. Brownback's strength comes from Western Kansas, where he leads Davis by 16 points.

Another factor: The female vote. Davis is leading Brownback by 14 points among women, while Brownback leads by one percent among men.

Davis also has made a sizable dent among Brownback's Republican support, according to the poll. Davis receives 26 percent of support from registered Republican voters. On the other hand, Brownback received six percent of support from Democrats in the poll.

If there's one single issue boosting Davis' chances, it's education. For those who consider education the most important issue, Davis is leading Brownback by 54 points. Brownback has a large lead against Davis among voters who consider taxes the most important issue.

Jennifer Winn, a Republican challenger to Brownback, received 37 percent of the vote against Brownback when Republicans were asked to choose between the two GOP candidates.

Kansas Libertarian Party candidate Keen Umbehr received five percent of the vote. Umbehr registers well for a third party candidate when it comes to the young vote. Umbehr received 13 percent of support from voters 18-34 years old.

In other races:

• U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts has a commanding lead over Milton Wolf in the GOP primary, earning 56 percent of support among Republican voters. Roberts also leads Democratic Party challenger Chad Taylor 43 to 33 percent. Independent candidate Greg Orman receives 8 percent, while Libertarian Party candidate Randall Batson received 5 percent. Roberts also leads another Democratic challenger, Patrick Wiesner, by 45-29 percent. 

• If Milton Wolf were to win the primary, the Republicans would have an uphill battle in a traditionally dark red state. According to the poll, Wolf is behind Taylor by three points in that senate match-up. Wolf would lead Wiesner in that race, if it were to happen.

• Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach leads Democratic challenger Jean Schodorf by five percent. In the primary, Kobach is crushing Scott Morgan 61 to 29 percent

• In all polls, there's a sizable "undecided" count, meaning there's a lot of time left and undecided voters could swing many of the races.

SurveyUSA interviewed 2,200 residents in Kansas.

Of the 1931 registered voters, 508 will vote in the Republican Party's primary, while 252 will likely vote in the Democratic Party's primary.

Paul Davis to make campaign stop in KCK today

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Paul Davis, the likely winner of the Democratic Party's nomination in this year's Kansas gubernatorial race, will be visiting Kansas City, Kan. today.

A reception for Paul Davis will be held at Breit's Stein and Deli from 4:30 to 7 p.m. today.

Davis is seeking to defeat current Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, who is running for re-election.

With Wyandotte County being the one of the few reliable Democratic voting areas in the red state of Kansas, high turnout in the county will be critical for a Davis victory.

Breit's is located at 412 N. 5th Street in downtown KCK.

Paul Davis files for governor's election

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Democrat Paul Davis has officially filed to run in this year's Governor's race in Kansas.


News Release:

Topeka – Vowing to restore commonsense leadership and the right priorities to the statehouse, Paul Davis and Jill Docking filed the necessary paperwork today to officially run for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Kansas.

“Kansas has a long tradition of moderate, commonsense leadership – both Republicans and Democrats – solving the problems we face,” Davis said. “We share a commitment to our kids and their schools and an understanding that businesses have diverse needs to grow and create jobs. It’s time for Kansas to once again focus on the right priorities and restore our commitment to our future.”

Davis has a twelve-year record working across party lines and building coalitions to support Kansas schools, families and businesses in the state legislature. He announced his intention to run for governor last September and named Jill Docking as his running mate in October.

“Like so many Kansans, we’re profoundly troubled by the direction our state’s been heading over the past three years,” Docking said. “Because of the Brownback experiment, Kansas has a projected deficit of over a $1 billion within five years, is 45th in new business creation and our credit has been downgraded twice. It’s clear the experiment has failed.”

Docking has more than twenty years experience as a financial advisor and advocate for financial literacy. She also served as chair of the Kansas Board of Regents

“Kansans expect a governor who brings people from all political parties together to focus on the right priorities – great schools, fiscal responsibility, and economic growth that strengthens all Kansas communities,” William Kassebaum, campaign treasurer, said. “I served with Paul in the State House, and I respect his record on these issues and I know his priority as a leader: People before partisanship.”

Kassebaum became treasurer of the Davis for Kansas campaign in August 2013.

“Jill and I will continue to share our message of commonsense leadership and solutions across the state,” Davis said. “This campaign has grown into a statewide coalition focused on getting our state back on the right track.”

MoveOn.org Poll: Davis leads Brownback

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- A poll commissioned by the liberal-leaning MoveOn.org Political Action group has Democratic challenger Paul Davis leading Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback by four points.

Conducted by Public Policy Polling in the first three days of April, Davis leads Brownback 45 percent to 41 percent, with 14 percent not sure about who they're voting for.

According to the survey, 52 percent of the participants consider themselves "Republicans," while 30 percent are "Democrats."

The poll results claim that 26 percent of Republicans are supporting Davis, while Brownback captured 12 percent of Democrats.

Davis is also winning the "independent" vote 48 percent to 35 percent.

Full results here.

Likely opponents Brownback, Davis speak on school funding

By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World

TOPEKA, KAN. — Gov. Sam Brownback on Thursday blamed his predecessors for school budget cuts, but his likely Democratic opponent, House Minority Leader Paul Davis of Lawrence, said Brownback's massive tax cuts have eliminated the state's ability to adequately finance schools.

The two spoke back-to-back to nearly 200 school officials at the Kansas Association of School Boards government relations seminar.

"The Brownback tax plan is crippling our state," Davis said.

Budget projections show that the state will take in $500 million less next year than this year, Davis said. "It's a jaw-dropping figure," he said.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit pending before the Kansas Supreme Court could require the state to increase school funding by nearly $500 million per year.

But Brownback defended his tax policy as necessary for the state to grow economically.

"We've got to stimulate growth," he said.

Since taking office, Brownback has signed into law billions of dollars worth of income tax cuts.

Davis said that has prevented legislators from restoring school funds cut during the Great Recession.

But Brownback said when he came into office he faced a devastating budget shortfall.

Prior to Brownback's taking office in January 2011, the state had used federal stimulus funds to prop up school funding, but then those funds elapsed, he said.

Brownback said he added $100 million to school funding, but schools still took a hit because of the loss of federal funds.

He also said he had to pump more money into the public employee retirement system, which includes school employees, because for years it had been under-funded.

FULL TEXT: Paul Davis' response to Brownback's State of the State Address

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Below is the Democratic response to Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback's State of the State Address.

It's given by Kansas Rep. Paul Davis, Brownback's challenger.

==========

Good evening. I'm Paul Davis. I’m a lifelong Kansan, a husband, a father and I have the privilege of being the minority leader of the Kansas House of Representatives.

I’m honored to speak to you – my fellow Kansans – about the future of our great state. The future of our communities, our economy, our schools, and our families.

I’m delivering tonight’s message from Hillcrest Elementary School, where my mother taught second grade for almost 20 years. And where I was a student myself many years ago. The quality of education I received in this building shaped my path in life. Just like the education kids are getting in these classrooms today will impact their future – and the future of our economy – for decades to come.

Kids learning in these classrooms will become our teachers, nurses, fire fighters, store clerks – and will play key roles in the success of our economy. I’m here tonight because I am concerned about our kids, our stalled economy, and the damage the Governor’s policies are doing to our middle class families – and those families struggling just to make ends meet.

Governor Brownback and his Road Map for Kansas are leading our state in the wrong direction.
Our schools are suffering, jobs remain scarce, and property taxes are sky-rocketing. Meanwhile, big, politically connected corporations seem to get all the breaks.

According to the latest jobs report – released just a few weeks ago – there are 16,000 fewer Kansans working than when Governor Brownback took office. On top of that, public school class sizes are growing, teachers have been laid off by the thousands, and it’s more expensive than ever to send your child to a Kansas college.

We need to go in a different direction.

Education. Hard work. A strong middle class. Cooperation. These values are what MAKE us Kansans. And if we work together – Republicans, Democrats, and Independents – we can restore the state we love.

As I’ve traveled across Kansas, I’ve heard stories much different than the story Governor Brownback told tonight. I’ve visited with real Kansans who are struggling under the burden of Governor Brownback’s agenda.

People like Kristen from Great Bend. She has a college degree and has been looking for a job that pays the bills for months. But all she can find is a minimum wage job. Kristen loves living in Kansas, but fears she may have to leave just to find a good paying job. She wonders where all the jobs are that the governor claims to have created.

I’ve also heard from parents who fear for their child’s future. They’ve watched their child’s class size increase, seen their child’s teacher laid off, and many parents – just like those here at Hillcrest school – have had to worry that their child’s school may close.

Davis campaign raises over $1 million in first four months

By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- In four months, the Paul Davis for Governor campaign has raised over $1 million.

The Davis campaign filed its first campaign finance report this week. So far in the first four months, the campaign has raised $1,002,839.

“Kansans in every corner of the state are concerned about the direction we are headed under Sam Brownback,” Davis said in a statement. “I’m deeply humbled by this unprecedented outpouring of support for our campaign, and for Kansans' commitment to getting the state we love back on the right track. Our donors are a clear reflection of the broad, bipartisan support Jill and I have earned in just four months.”

The campaign currently has $770,611 available in cash.

Additional information about the campaign finance report:

• Over 3,300 contributions were made. Individuals from 175 cities and towns in Kansas has contributed to the campaign. 

• 64 percent of the campaign contributions are $200 or less and 42 percent of donations were less than $50. 

• 82 percent of the total campaign dollars are from donors in the State of Kansas.

Details of head-to-head poll between Brownback, Davis reveal interesting splits

By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- A poll one year before the 2014 gubernatorial election may not be that significant, but the SurveyUSA poll released last week that shows a close race between Democratic challenger Paul Davis and Republican Gov. Sam Brownback has some interesting highlights.

Overall, the poll shows Davis, the House minority leader from Lawrence, with 43 percent of the vote to Brownback's 39 percent.

The survey has a plus or minus margin of error of 4.4 percent.

The result follows an earlier SurveyUSA poll that showed Brownback with high disapproval ratings and Davis with low name identification, so the subsequent poll showing Davis ahead may be the result of an anti-Brownback sentiment more than a pro-Davis sentiment.

Minority voters and women break toward Davis, but what I found most interesting is that in the age categories, Brownback wins 18- to 34-year-olds, 43 percent to 38 percent, but Davis wins 35- to 49-year-olds, 42 percent to 35 percent; and 50- to 64-year-olds, 50 percent to 34 percent. The two split the 65-plus vote.

Think of people in that 35- to 64-year-old range. That's responsibility time. Raising families, getting kids through school, into college, etc.

And a big chunk of the folks in that age range have been tempered by the Great Recession economy and its aftershocks. These folks, according to the poll, are supporting Davis.

The poll also asks voters what are their top issues.

When the top issue is education, Davis is far ahead of Brownback, 75 percent to 14 percent, but when the top issue is the economy, Brownback leads among those voters, 46 percent to 37 percent, and when the top issue is crime, Brownback leads again, 46 percent to 33 percent.

Probably the most positive aspect of the poll for Davis, is that among those voters who describe themselves as moderate, Davis leads 58 percent to 28 percent.

Davis and his lieutenant governor running mate, Jill Docking, must collect votes from independents and moderate Republicans to win a year from now.

Davis picks Jill Docking as running mate

By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World

TOPEKA, KAN. — Democratic candidate for governor Paul Davis today named Wichita businesswoman Jill Docking to be his running mate in the campaign against Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer.

The selection sets up a rematch of sorts: Docking ran unsuccessfully against Brownback in 1996 for the U.S. Senate.

And the presence of Docking on a statewide ballot in 2014 puts the famous Kansas political name again before voters. Docking is married to former Lt. Gov. Tom Docking, who served from 1983-1987. Tom Docking's father, Robert, and grandfather, George, both served as governor in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

Jill Docking, 57, a financial adviser, has served as chair of the Kansas Board of Regents and writes a blog about politics in which she has criticized budget cuts to education under Brownback.

"As a businesswoman, Jill is an expert in making wise investments for the future," said Davis, the House minority leader from Lawrence. "As a former chair of the Kansas Board of Regents, she shares my commitment to excellence in our schools. Jill is an outstanding addition to this team and together we will run a strong, Kansas-focused campaign."

Paul Davis to speak at Wyandotte County Democratic breakfast this Saturday

Paul Davis, who's running for Governor of Kansas, will be the speaker at this month's Wyandotte County
Third Saturday Democratic Breakfast.

More information from the Wyandotte County Democratic Party:

The Wyandotte County Third Saturday Democratic Breakfast will meet this Saturday, October 19th, at Johnny Carino's Italian Restaurant, 1706 Village West Parkway, in Village West.

Johnny Carino's is located near the Bob Evans Restaurant.

Our speaker this month will be Paul Davis, Democratic candidate for Kansas Governor. State Representative Davis is also the Democratic Leader of the Kansas House of Representatives.

The buffet is available at 8:15 am and the forum begins at 9:15.

The cost for the breakfast buffet, which includes tax, service and tip, is ten dollars; seven dollars for students and those on limited income. All Democrats are invited to attend.

Reservations are definitely requested, but you do not have to make a reservation to attend. To RSVP, email scottmackey08@yahoo.com

Reservations are requested by this Friday, October 18th.

We had 33 Democrats attended the September Breakfast to hear Kansas Democratic Party Political Director Kerry Gooch speak.

Davis campaign releases campaign video

By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Paul Davis' campaign for governor has released a 5-minute video in which Davis and his family talk about Davis' values and how he has met personal challenges and adversity.

Davis, the House minority leader from Lawrence, is the presumptive Democratic challenger to Republican Gov. Sam Brownback in 2014.

He faces a steep climb against Brownback. Republican voter registration in Kansas far outstrips Democratic registration.

"The essence of Kansas is really the sense of community and neighbors helping neighbors," Davis says in the video. "Whether they're Democrat or Republican, I usually don't know and don't care. I know that I'm their representative and it's my job to listen to them and it's my job to help them if I can," he says.

Here is a link to the video.

Brownback, Davis differ on meaning of economic figures

By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World

Gov. Sam Brownback's administration says recent state tax collection figures are positive, but his presumptive Democratic opponent, Paul Davis, has a different view.

Davis says the plummeting tax revenues and increasing unemployment rate are signs that Kansas is lagging because of Brownback's policies.

"Gov. Brownback's `real live experiment' is not working," said Davis, the House minority leader from Lawrence.

Earlier this week, the Kansas Department of Revenue said taxes collected during the first quarter of the fiscal year were slightly less than expected.

Of the $1.37 billion in taxes collected from July through September, the figure was $8.5 million, or 0.6 percent, below projections.

A dip in corporate tax revenue may have been caused by businesses investing more than expected in machinery, which receives tax breaks, the Brownback administration said.

"We believe that all of these numbers show that Kansas businesses are investing and citizens are spending more money," Revenue Secretary Nick Jordan said.

The $1.37 billion collected during the first quarter was $135.8 million less than what was collected in the first quarter of the last fiscal year. That's a 9 percent decline.

Such a decrease would have set off alarm bells in previous years, but this was expected. That dip is the result of the income tax cuts signed into law by Brownback, which he has said will spur the economy, but which Democrats have said will underfund essential government functions and favor the wealthy.

As far as spurring the economy, Kansas' unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in August, which is lower than the national rate of 7.3 percent. But the national rate has been declining this year, from 7.9 percent in January, while the Kansas rate has increased from 5.5 percent over the same time period.

VIDEO: Kansas Rep. Paul Davis formally announces candidacy for governor

KANSAS CITY, KAN. --- Kansas Rep. Paul Davis formally announced his candidacy for governor on Tuesday.

Davis is the first Democrat to declare his candidacy. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, has announced that he would seek re-election.

Two Libertarian candidates, Tresa McAlhaney and Keen A. Umbehr, also announced their candidacies. 

Below is video of Davis' announcement released this morning.