By: NICOLAS FIERRO
Salina Post
The Kansas GOP has provided details, following the concerns of what evidently presumed to be mailers from the Kansas Republican Party, amidst the Salina City Commission and USD 305 Board general election.
According to Kansas GOP Treasurer Roger Lomshek, the Kansas Republican Party does not in general (and did not in this case), endorse candidates for local office amidst the election.
"Endorsements are not done lightly, or at random, and to break from our traditional practice would require extraordinary circumstances for the party to take a direct interest, and expend funds in a local race," said Lomshek.
Given the fact that the indicia lists who legally owns the permit of these mailers and in order for them to be distributed a candidate must pay three cents per mailer, the question becomes:
Who paid for them?
Since Mayor Greg Lenkiewicz stated he is "not responsible" for the mailers Salinans received throughout the election, the answer for who paid for them is unclear for now.
Lomshek commented, "KS GOP policy is that mailer requests are kept confidential, except as required by law."
He also added that "any registered Republican candidate or County Republican Party" are qualified for the mailers. Before the mailers can be sent out, it must be "reviewed and approved" according to Lomshek.
"Any registered Republican candidate or County Republican Party may contact the KS GOP Executive Director for guidance on use of this service. All mail pieces utilizing the Kansas Republican Party mail permit must be reviewed and approved by the Chair or the Executive Director of the Kansas Republican Party prior to printing," he said.
Furthermore, the mailers in no way were fraudulent and went through the standard KS GOP approval process.
"The mailers in question are not fraudulent and went through the standard approval process," Lomshek stated.
According to the Kansas Finance Act, managed by the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission, there are rules that both the candidate and the Party must report when it comes to all types of expenditures.
In the case a candidate spends over $1,000 in the event of an election, the candidate must file the expenses by the end of the 2025 year and be made available to the public.
The Campaign Treasurer must disclose those expenditures received.
As per KSA 25-4148, the reports will publically become available by January 10, 2026.
Salina Post will provide updates.