LOCAL
See who donated the most to Shawnee County Commission candidates
Keishera LatelyTopeka Capital-Journal
Aug. 2, 2026, 4:04 a.m. CT
Candidates for the District 1 seat of the Shawnee County Commission turned in campaign finance reports in advance of the primary election Aug. 4
The three candidates brought in a total of $58,975, with Lance Royer pulling in the most donations
How much did Shawnee County Commission candidates raise?
Royer’s campaign raised $36,605 during the time period of Jan. 1 to July 23, after previously having $500 on hand, according to campaign finance reports available July 27
Cooper Melvin, Royer’s opponent for the Democratic nomination for the District 1 seat, raised $8,820 during that time period, his campaign finance report said. He previously had nothing on hand, it said
Royer and Melvin are vying for the Democratic nomination in the Aug. 4 primary. The winner will likely face Jack Calcutt in the Nov. 3 general election
Calcutt raised $13,550, after having $479.50 on hand, according to his campaign finance report
Who were the district 1 candidates’ largest donations from?
Royer’s campaign finance report states his largest donation was $2,000 from RW Unlimited Inc
He spent $10,547.59 on the campaign. Royer’s largest expense was to Tailwind Partners for campaign branding, which totaled $3,000
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Melvin’s campaign finance report states his largest donors — with $1,000 each — were the following:
- IBEW Pac Educational fund.
- Local Union 124 Voluntary Political Fund.
- Iron Workers Local No. 10 Political Action fund.
- NEKS Building and Construction Trades Council PAC.
- Kansas State Building and Construction Trades Council.
- Laborers Local 1290 PAC.
- Missouri and Kansas Laborers PAC.
Melvin spent $3,224.21 on his campaign. His largest expense was $1,248.41 to Donahue Advertising for yard signs
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Calcutt’s campaign finance report states his campaign’s largest single
He had spent $4,617.82 on the campaign
Calcutt’s largest expense was $1,493.72 to Firepit PR for signs
