Paul Davis on money in politics

What Davis said

When he launched his congressional campaign on August 15, 2017, Davis said he supported a constitutional amendment to keep "dark money" out of politics. "I think people are disgusted by all of these nice-sounding groups," he said. In September 2018 he said he would work to change the campaign funding system and reduce "dark and outside money." The campaign site's archived addresses also show December 2017 and January 2018 releases endorsing an anti-special-interest reform package and a permanent ban on earmarks.

Looking back at 2014, he said national money had made the difference, estimating that Republican Governors Association spending was worth about $5 million.

His own money

Davis was a strong fundraiser. In his first 45 days in the 2018 race he raised $408,650, of which about 83 percent came from individuals and 15 percent ($60,500) from PACs, according to the Lawrence Journal-World's reading of his report. His committee's receipts for the full cycle totaled $3,985,403 (FEC).

Outside spending and the other side

Ballotpedia's tally through late October 2018 showed the Congressional Leadership Fund spending $3.9 million and the NRCC $1.1 million in the race, mostly against Davis, and the DCCC $2.8 million, mostly against Watkins. Watkins turned the issue back on Davis: "What is Nancy Pelosi getting for her $4 million?" he asked at the WIBW forum, referring to Democratic groups aligned with Pelosi. Davis answered that party-aligned groups back their own candidates and repeated that he would not support Pelosi.