At Wink Hartman's watch party in downtown Wichita the night ended similar to the way it began.
A room of supporters hopeful a tight race, that recently Hartman was projected to lose, would end in victory.
Even as poll numbers favoring Mike Pompeo began to trickle in, Hartman's attitude didn't waver. As the night went on, reality set in.
Nearly two hours after polls closed, Hartman gave a speech thanking supporters and volunteers who spent their time and money on his campaign.
It's a big loss for Hartman, who spent nearly two million dollars of his own money to fund his campaign.
"This has been nothing but fun to explain where I come from and what I want from this country," says Wink Hartman.
Hartman was the first to start campaigning but he and supporters felt it was those same ads, which quickly turned negative against opponent Mike Pompeo, that ultimately changed the race.
"The commercials definitely got old," says supporter Joe Knapp.
"Unfortunately the negative advertising came into play and the mudslinging came into play and it looks like the voters responded to that more than we would have liked," says Hartman.
Hartman insists he did a good job of getting his campaign message out but believes foregoing any negative ads during the last two weeks of campaigning hurt his chances of winning the fourth congressional seat.
"Its one thing to say negative ads don't work but yet when you continually do negative ads I think it shows that they do work," says Hartman.
He says his next step is a good night's sleep then he'll decide in the coming months if politics is in his future.
A room of supporters hopeful a tight race, that recently Hartman was projected to lose, would end in victory.
Even as poll numbers favoring Mike Pompeo began to trickle in, Hartman's attitude didn't waver. As the night went on, reality set in.
Nearly two hours after polls closed, Hartman gave a speech thanking supporters and volunteers who spent their time and money on his campaign.
It's a big loss for Hartman, who spent nearly two million dollars of his own money to fund his campaign.
"This has been nothing but fun to explain where I come from and what I want from this country," says Wink Hartman.
Hartman was the first to start campaigning but he and supporters felt it was those same ads, which quickly turned negative against opponent Mike Pompeo, that ultimately changed the race.
"The commercials definitely got old," says supporter Joe Knapp.
"Unfortunately the negative advertising came into play and the mudslinging came into play and it looks like the voters responded to that more than we would have liked," says Hartman.
Hartman insists he did a good job of getting his campaign message out but believes foregoing any negative ads during the last two weeks of campaigning hurt his chances of winning the fourth congressional seat.
"Its one thing to say negative ads don't work but yet when you continually do negative ads I think it shows that they do work," says Hartman.
He says his next step is a good night's sleep then he'll decide in the coming months if politics is in his future.
