Editor’s Note: This is the first of two stories on finance reports filed by candidates for office. Today’s story is based on reports filed in the Barton County Clerk’s Office. Part II will look at the reports filed in Topeka by candidates for the Kansas Senate District 33 and the House of Representatives District 112.


The winner of next Tuesday’s Republican primary for Barton County Sheriff could face an opponent on the general election ballot in November. While no independent candidate has filed, Warren Peterson, Great Bend, filed a campaign contribution report.
In the report, Peterson shows he spent $80 for a list of registered voters.
Peterson is a long-time employee of the Barton County Sheriff’s Office, currently working as a detention officer at the jail, who has stated he plans to file as an independent candidate. To do so, he must turn in 666 valid petition signatures no later than noon on Monday, Aug. 6.  That number is 4 percent of the total registered voters in the county. His signatures cannot include voters who signed petitions for Richard Unrein, one of three Republican candidates on the primary ballot. Incumbent Sheriff Greg Armstrong and BSCO Lt. Brian Bellendir, the other two primary candidates, paid a filing fee to be on the ballot.
On Tuesday, Peterson said he is still attempting to collect petition signatures but was “a couple hundred short.”
Homer Kruckenberg’s name will appear on the November ballot as an independent candidate, as he seeks reelection for Barton County Commissioner, District 2. Barton County Clerk/Election Officer Donna Zimmerman said he was required to collect at least 124 valid petition signatures, or 4 percent of the registered voters in the Second District.

Campaign finance reports
Monday was the deadline for candidates to file campaign finance reports for the period Jan. 1 through July 26. Reports, which can be inspected at the County Clerk’s office, list donors and the amounts donated, as well as campaign expenditures. All of the candidates reported starting with $0 on Jan. 1. The following highlights are listed in the order they appeared in the file Tuesday afternoon:

Sheriff
Brian Bellendir has received $19,830 in contributions and spent $15,366.72. Bellendir loaned his campaign $3,100 of his own money. His largest contributors at $500 each were: Arbutus Maltby and Bob Maltby, Great Bend; Dirks Dirt Construction, Pawnee Rock; Mike Mitchell, Ellinwood; Oilfield Machine and Repair, Great Bend; Tim Casey, Great Bend; Rosemarie Carroll, Lawrence; Sanko’s Service, Great Bend; Terri Bahr, Albert; and Tom Shupback, Ellinwood.
Greg Armstrong has received $5,640 in contributions and spent $2,892.58. Armstrong has loaned his campaign $2,811.69 of his own money. Those donating $500 are: Alma Inc. - Tom Moore, Mission; Scott’s Welding Service, Max Hames, Sara Hames and Amerine Utilities Construction Inc., all of Great Bend; and GA Consultants Inc., Hoisington.
Richard Unrein has received $4,998.66 in contributions and spend $4,053.66. He received one $500 donation, from Kansasland Tire, Wichita, and has financed much of the rest of his campaign with his own money.

County Commission District 3
Don Davis has received $1,750 and spent $1,557.31. His largest donations were $250 each from Roland Smith Jr. and Jane Smith, and $200 from D&B Motors LLC, all of Great Bend.
Buck Causey has received $3,170 and spend $2,013.80. He received $500 donations from Kenny Doonan, Wichita, and Tom Moore, Hoisington; $250 donations from Southard Corp. and Businesses 4 Growth, both of Great Bend; and $300 from Brown & Isern Law Firm, Great Bend.

Treasurer
Gayle Cell has received $3,290 and spent $3,126.40. She received $500 from Don and Kathleen Damon, Great Bend, and $500 each from D&B Motors and Harper Camperland, both of Great Bend. Tia and Paul Pack, Great Bend, contributed $250.
Kevin Wondra has received $1,875 and spent $1,836.79. Along with $600 from himself, he received $500 from Marc Huslig, DDS, Great Bend, and $225 from Denise and Michael Penn (no address given).

Other candidates
Douglas Matthews, seeking reelection as county attorney, and Donna Zimmerman, seeking reelection as county clerk, did not receive contributions and filed affidavits stating they had none to report.
Candidates for state office filed their reports with the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission in Topeka. Although they are not required to file the reports at county offices, a report was filed here by Martin Keenan, treasurer for Steve Muehelsen, candidate for the 112th District of the House of Representatives. Information from his report, along with the report from 112th District candidate John Edmonds, and information from the candidates for Senate District 33 will appear in Part II of this story.