Business owners upset over phone calls

A pair of Wyandotte County business owners voiced their displeasure at a Tuesday press conference after receiving what they called “threatening phone calls” from a local Democrat running for the Kansas Senate.

Dan Jones, owner of Jerry’s Nursery, and Steve Flanagan, owner of Buggy Bath and Ensign Storage, say their businesses received a call from Democratic candidate Kelly Kultala in late August threatening to boycott their businesses.

Both Jones and Flanagan have been long-time supporters of Kultala’s opponent, Republican Steve Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald and Kultala are vying to replace Mark Gilstrap in the 5th District Kansas Senate after Kultala knocked off Gilstrap in the August primary.

In a recording of Kultala’s call left on the voice mail at Jerry’s Nursery, Kultala said she noticed a Fitzgerald sign near Jones’ businesses.

“We’ve spent a lot of money at your business and we will not be coming there any longer as long as you still support Steve Fitzgerald,” Kultala said during the message.

During Tuesday’s press conference with local reporters, Jones said he was disappointed with Kultala’s call.

“It just seems like that kind of politics needs to go away,” Jones said. “She should try to win us over instead of making threats.”

In a statement released Tuesday, Kultala admitted to making a call to Jones, but says she never called Flanagan. Further, she says she takes exception to the claim the calls amount to voter intimidation.

"In regard to the phone message I left for [Jones], I was simply expressing my concerns that he would promote my opponent at his business, Jerry's Nursery,” Kultala wrote. “As a long-time customer, I wanted to make sure he knew that Steve Fitzgerald's extreme political views are far outside of the mainstream.”

Jones says he doesn’t think Kultala had been a frequent customer at the nursery.

“I don’t know if she’s ever done any business with us,” Jones said. “I’ve only seen her once.”

Jones did acknowledge however, that he has done business with the Unified Government, the Piper School Board and the Wyandotte County Library Board – all organizations that Kultala has worked for in the past.

“I’ve done business and have a good reputation with those organizations,” Jones said.

Fitzgerald’s campaign called Tuesday’s press conference, and the candidate also took offense to Kultala’s calls.

“Her actions are certainly disrespectful of the rights of others and may even be illegal,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald says that Kultala’s calls amount to voter intimidation, which is a misdemeanor crime in Kansas. But the Republican candidate said his campaign and the two business owners have no plans to file a lawsuit over the telephone messages, though he added he wouldn’t turn down a request from an area lawyer to take up the case.

“[Kultala] is personally engaged in voter intimidation in the district,” Fitzgerald said in a release.

In her statement, Kultala took exception to what she described as “dirty politics” by her opponent.

“"Fitzgerald's smear campaign only serves as a distraction to voters in the

5th District,” Kultala writes. “Instead of finger-pointing, I challenge my opponent to debate the issues important to our community - improving public schools, providing affordable health care to all Kansans, growing local jobs, promoting energy independence, and supporting our elderly and disabled neighbors.”

The two will get that chance to debate when they meet at 7:30 a.m. Thursday Oct. 9, for a candidate forum at Country Club Bank. The forum, sponsored by the Kansas City, Kan., West Kiwanis Club and Business West, will feature Kansas City Kansan reporter Nick Sloan as one of the moderators.

This week’s flap is just the latest in a race that has turned into one of the most followed races in the Kansas Senate.

During the primary, Kultala received assistance from the state Democratic Party, including Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, who both endorsed Kultala’s in her primary with Gilstrap, leading to a comfortable win for Kultala.

In 2004, Fitzgerald ran against Gilstrap in the general election, narrowly losing his attempt to unseat the then-incumbent.