House Republican super PAC attack ads directed at Democratic congressional candidates in Kansas reached the double digits in a sign of the GOP's eagerness to cling to seats held by U.S. Reps. Lynn Jenkins and Kevin Yoder despite shifting political dynamics created openings for Democrats.

Jenkins is walking away from the 2nd District after a 10-year career in Washington, while Yoder is attempting to win re-election to a fifth term in the U.S. House.

Democrat Paul Davis, who carried the 2nd District in the 2014 governors' race, is competing with Republican Steve Watkins for Jenkins' job in Washington, D.C. Yoder is up against Democrat Sharice Davids, a political novice in the suburban Kansas City district narrowly won by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.

To stem a blue wave in Kansas' 2018 toss-up races, the Congressional Leadership Fund controlled by U.S. House Republicans have -- so far -- spent $1.9 million on television advertising in the 2nd District and reserved $2 million in TV time in the 3rd District. CLF has aired five commercials favorable to Watkins and five supportive of Yoder.

"This is the biggest onslaught of negative ads, this early, that Kansas has ever seen. They're intensely negative," said Bob Beatty, a Washburn University political science professor who has tracked the state's campaign advertising for years.

CFL's expanded financial commitment in the 3rd District coincided with the super PACs declaration in a commercial that Yoder's Democratic rival had denounced law enforcement for operating a culture rooted in violence.

“Sharice Davids is so extreme she joined forces with radical left-wing protestors to vilify law enforcement,” said Courtney Alexander, the CLF's spokeswoman.

One of the latest CLF's offerings to 2nd District viewers pointed to a 1998 police raid on a strip club in eastern Kansas where an officer reported Davis was found in a room with a partially dressed woman. It's the same issue raised in 2014 by Gov. Sam Brownback's re-election campaign, but the new ad made reference to Davis' vote in the Kansas House against a bill containing new restrictions on sexually oriented businesses that didn't pass the GOP-led Legislature.

Previously, CLF claimed in an ad Davis would vote for U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi for House speaker if Democrats retook the House. Davis said from outset of his campaign in 2017 that he wouldn't back Pelosi.

The House would fall to Democrats if the GOP surrenders two-dozen seats in November.

It's possible the candidates will speak for themselves in October with Watkins and Davis confirming willingness to participate in an Oct. 18 debate on WIBW and a forum on Oct. 17 or 22 with KTWU. Davis expressed interest in a southeast Kansas forum Oct. 3, while Watkins said he would be at a Topeka business association gathering Oct. 9.

"I have committed to three public debates that are set to take place over the next months," Watkins said. "I have shown my willingness to talk to the public."

In the 3rd District, election forecaster FiveThirtyEight recently amended the Davids-Yoder race to a toss-up. That occurred as the U.S. Chamber sponsored a commercial praising Yoder working in Congress to secure the U.S. border and reunite families separated under a policy introduced by President Donald Trump.

"Young children separated from their parents at the border," the ad says. "Kevin Yoder is working to fix it."

Yoder dropped an ad, labeled "Nightmare," that warned Davids supported a single-payer national health system.

"Yoder's team launched an attack ad against me, falsely claiming that I want to make it harder for folks to access health care," Davids said. "Yoder also pretends to want to uphold protections for people with pre-existing conditions, but has repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would gut care for millions."

Yoder also made a push for recognition of his endorsement of a nonbinding resolution and a piece of legislation calling for retention of the Affordable Care Act's popular requirement that people with pre-existing conditions continue to qualify for health insurance.

"Throughout our ongoing health care debates, I have made a promise," Yoder said. "I will protect those with pre-existing conditions and ensure they are not denied the affordable coverage and care they need to survive."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee pounced on Yoder and referred to his campaign-season position as an "empty gesture" and "gut punch to those living with asthma, cancer, diabetes and other pre-existing conditions."

Zach Helder, spokesman for the Kansas Democratic Party, said Yoder had no intention of blocking insurance companies from charging excessively high premiums that lead to loss of coverage for the 300,000 people with chronic conditions in the 3rd District.

"Any working family can tell you there is no difference between insurance companies intentionally jacking up prices on people with pre-existing conditions to kick them off insurance and denying them coverage in the first place," Helder said.