photo by: Peter Hancock

From left, Democrat Laura Kelly, independent candidate Greg Orman and Republican Kris Kobach square off in this file photo from the Kansas State Fair gubernatorial debate on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018.

TOPEKA – Democrat Laura Kelly has raised $2.3 million during the general election cycle for her bid to be the next governor of Kansas, far more than Republican opponent Kris Kobach, even though recent polls show it to be an extremely close race.

According to campaign finance reports that were filed Monday, Kobach, the current secretary of state, raised just less than $1.4 million during the period. But nearly half of that, $683,350, came in the form of personal loans from his lieutenant governor running mate, Wichita businessman Willis “Wink” Hartman.

Those reports detail the candidates’ fundraising and spending from July 27 through Oct. 25.

Kelly, a state senator from Topeka, also reported spending just more than $2 million during the reporting period, leaving her with about $530,000 in available cash heading into the final stretch of the campaign.

The Kobach campaign spent nearly all the funds it had available during the period, leaving the GOP team with less than $61,000 in cash for the final push.

The most recent poll in the race, by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, showed the race a dead heat, with the two leading candidates sharing 41 percent of the vote each and independent candidate Greg Orman trailing with only about 10 percent support.

Orman, a Johnson County businessman, reported raising just more than $800,000 during the cycle. He came into the general election with nearly $46,000 on hand and spent a little more than $1.2 million, leaving him with about $530,000 heading into the final stretch.

Kobach has benefited from a large amount of outside support, including the endorsement of President Donald Trump who has made, along with Vice President Mike Pence, personal campaign appearances on his behalf.

In other Kansas races, Democrat Brian McClendon has outraised and outspent his Republican opponent, Scott Schwab, in his bid to become secretary of state.

McClendon, a former tech executive at Google and Uber who now lives in Lawrence, had $176,000 in the bank at the start of the period. He raised about $675,000, including a $200,000 loan from himself, and spent $659,000.

Schwab, an Olathe resident and the current speaker pro tem of the Kansas House of Representatives, came out of a tough primary campaign with about $19,000 on hand. He reported raising $151,000 and spending $134,0000, leaving him with about $36,000 on hand at the end of the period.

In the race for attorney general, incumbent Republican Derek Schmidt had a clear advantage over Democrat Sarah Swain, according to the reports.

Schmidt, who is seeking his third term in office, came into the cycle with more than $400,000 already on hand. He raised another $139,000 and has spent about $218,000, leaving him with about $324,000 on hand at the end of the cycle.

Swain, a Lawrence defense attorney, alienated the Kansas Democratic Party early in the race with a poster in her office and social media comments that were seen as hostile toward law enforcement. She raised about $20,000, spent $12,000 of that and had $9,000 in the bank at the close of the period.

In the state treasurer’s race, incumbent Republican Jake LaTurner, a former state senator from Pittsburg, showed a big advantage over Democrat Marci Francisco, a state senator from Lawrence.

LaTurner, who was appointed to the post in 2017 after former Treasurer Ron Estes won a special election for Congress, had a little more than $96,000 in the bank at the start of the period. He reported raising another $95,000 on top of that, spent nearly $147,000 and finished the period with about $45,000 on hand.

Francisco had about $8,000 at the start of the cycle. She raised $28,000 on top of that and spent a little more than $33,000, leaving her with about $3,000 on hand for the final days.

And in the race for insurance commissioner, Republican Vicki Schmidt had a dominant financial lead over Democrat Nathaniel McLaughlin.

Schmidt, a pharmacist and state senator from Topeka, had $38,000 in the bank after the GOP primary. She raised more than $230,000 during the general election cycle, spent $166,000 and finished the cycle with $102,000 in the bank.

McLaughlin, a retired health care executive and NAACP activist, raised and spent less than $4,000 for his campaign.

In local House races, Democrat Mike Amyx led Republican Cynthia Smith in fundraising in the 45th District of west Lawrence and western Douglas County.

But in the 42nd District of eastern Douglas County and rural Leavenworth County, the competition for cash was almost tied between Republican incumbent Jim Karleskint and Democrat Thea Perry.

Amyx, a longtime Lawrence city commissioner and former mayor, came out of the Democratic primary with about $1,000 on hand. Since then, he raised more than $18,000 and spent a little less than $10,000.

Smith, a public policy attorney from Lawrence, came out of the primary with about $2,300 on hand. Since then, she raised $6,150 and spent $5,460.

Karleskint, a retired school administrator and college instructor who lives outside of Tonganoxie, is running for his second term in the House. He raised just less than $15,000 during the period, slightly ahead of Perry, who raised $13,365 during the period.

But Perry, a University of Kansas graduate who lives in rural Leavenworth County, had more than $6,500 in the bank at the start of the period and was able to spend a little more than $18,000 during the cycle, compared with the $13,637 that Karleskint spent.

All of those races, plus other races for Congress and the Kansas Legislature, will be decided on Tuesday, Nov. 6.