To the editor:
“Follow the money,” says “Deep Throat,”, in the movie, “All the President’s Men,” guiding the reporter to answers behind the Watergate scandal. Sage advice to follow in this year’s Kansas governor’s election.
Billionaire Charles Koch is behind Sen. Ty Masterson’s rise in Kansas politics. Koch funded Masterson’s job, a term I use loosely, at Wichita State University. According to Kansas City Star reporting, Masterson’s position at GoCreate, involved managing a collaborative for students and the community to use tools and technology. His salary of $163,000 in 2025 was raised to $217,350 in 2026, according to KWCH. The Star also reported that employees at the collaborative didn’t even recognize photos of Masterson. He has scrambled to explain his “job responsibilities”, resulting in even more confusion.
Masterson is heavily tied to the American Legislative Exchange Council, serving as chairperson in 2024. Better known as ALEC, it’s a lobbying group for conservative legislation and guess who the second-largest funder was from 2019-2023? If you guessed Koch and his affiliated trusts and foundations, you win! (according to the nonprofit watchdog Center for Media and Democracy)
Masterson has been endorsed by Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a conservative group heavily influenced and funded by Koch Industries that likes to hide behind PACs and other entities. The organization provides funding through those other entities. AFP had donated $1,029,423.96 to Masterson’s campaign as of July 23. (Kansas Public Disclosure Commission-KPDC)
In contrast, Sen. Cindy Holscher’s donations have come almost entirely from individuals within Kansas, according to KPDC. Holscher worked for Sprint for 12 years as a mid-level executive and substitute taught during the pandemic – no phantom jobs from billionaires.
Who do you think is going to be pulling the strings if Masterson prevails and becomes governor? The billionaire or Kansans? Please join me in voting for Cindy Holscher for governor – the candidate who is NOT in the back pocket of billionaires.
Pam Martin
Great Bend
