Joseph Shepard and Maggie Ballard far outpaced their opponents in campaign donations over the final months of the Wichita City Council election.
Shepard, a registered Democrat and candidate for the District 1 seat, raised $32,531 from more than 370 donors. Ballard, a Democrat and the District 6 incumbent, raised $27,945 from about 210 donors.
City Council elections are non-partisan.
Contributions to both candidates nearly matched the totals reported during the primary election period. Donor support for Shepard and Ballard remained strong even as the campaigns weathered controversy around campaign finance limits.
Campaign finance reports filed with the Sedgwick County election office show that only three other candidates received more than $5,000 in the reporting period: District 3 incumbent Mike Hoheisel, $13,591; District 1 candidate LaWanda DeShazer, $9,037; and District 6 candidate Brett Anderson, $8,856.
Genevieve Howerton, a candidate in District 3, brought in $3,046 in donations. District 6 candidate Margaret Wheeler Shabazz brought in $340.
All told, donors have contributed more than $190,000 to the races for the three city council seats.
Campaign supporters have kept a close watch on who’s behind those dollars and have cried foul when they feel their opponents violate Wichita’s campaign finance rules on reporting and contributions.
It’s created a campaign season focused on the city’s campaign finance ordinances — to the point that city staff created a new page on the city's official website to track who submitted which reports, and instructions on how to file a complaint.
While Wichita’s council is technically nonpartisan — meaning you won’t find political party affiliations listed alongside candidates on the ballot — this year’s races have the potential to reduce the number of liberal voices on the council. Seats held by the council’s three Democrats are up for grabs.
Ballard and Hoheisel, a Democrat, are both seeking reelection. Ballard faces a challenge from Republican Brett Anderson and unaffiliated candidate Margaret Wheeler Shabazz.
Hoheisel is being challenged by Genevieve Howerton, the secretary of the Sedgwick County Republican Party and daughter of state Rep. Cyndi Howerton.
District 1 council member Brandon Johnson will reach his term limit in January. His seat will either be filled by Shepard or DeShazer, two long-time Democrat figures in the community.
Campaign finance issues have taken a particular prominence in the District 1 race.
Supporters of DeShazer claimed earlier this month that Shepard violated city campaign finance laws that cap contributions from donors at $500 for the primary election and $500 for the general election.
Shepard said he accepted the donations based on his understanding of state law, which changed this year and increased the contribution limit to $2,000.
Shepard said there may need to be a discussion later about Wichita’s ordinance, but for now, “We have no interest in being a test case on state law versus city, so we are adhering to the city ordinance limiting individual donations in city campaigns to $500 per person.”
On Oct. 2, Shepard amended his finance report for the primary election. The updated report showed several donations had been split between married couples and that refunds had been issued to two donors.
Shepard’s finance report for the general election period shows his campaign also issued a $1,500 refund to Comfort Care Homes after learning about the conflict between city and state law.
KMUW reached out to Shepard for comment about donations listed from Paul Lavender that totaled $1,100 over the two election cycles. Paul Lavender Sr. is the former chief financial officer of Newton Medical Center.
Shepard said the latest report accidentally credited a donation by Paul Lavender Sr. to his son Paul Lavender Jr. He said both men donated within the limit. He submitted an amended report to the county election office on Oct. 31.
Donations by Lavender Sr. to Ballard also appeared to violate the city contribution limit. When asked about Lavender’s donations, Ballard said her campaign made a reporting mistake. She said that they missed a note on one of the contributions that it was being made in the name of Cathy Lavender, not Lavender Sr.
It’s not the only reporting error in Ballard’s final report. A donation by Nela Bayouth, meant to be made as a contribution from Bayouth’s LLC, was listed under her name. A check from The Monarch was also reported on two separate dates in July.
Ballard said she amended the report and would be refiling with the city and county offices.
Anderson, one of Ballard’s opponents in the District 6 race, also had issues with Wichita campaign finance laws.
Anderson accepted a $1,000 donation from Culture Shield Action Inc. on Sept. 18. The Christian and anti-abortion political action committee has donated to several state Republican campaigns in the past.
“I guess I didn’t realize the city had an ordinance that differentiated from the state statutes,” Anderson said. “Trial by fire, I guess.”
He claims “zero communication” has come from the city on this and other required reporting. City officials said information on city campaign ordinances was sent to candidates on June 6, along with a reminder letter earlier this month.
