Such transfers, which once occurred regularly in Kansas politics, have been prohibited since a Kansas Supreme Court decision in 2003 determined they violated state law.

Since then, lawmakers have routinely tried to change the statute. They included a provision for transfers in an elections bill vetoed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in 2006.

Critics succeeded again in turning back a smaller-scale proposal Wednesday as lawmakers concluded their 90-day session.

"This is a pretty self-serving bill," said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, who voted against it. "It's almost like an incumbent protection type deal, that's how I look at it."

The bill allowing campaign finance transfers between a candidate's accounts failed despite actually gaining more supporters than detractors.

Eighteen senators, all Republicans, voted in favor of the bill while just nine in the chamber opposed it.

However, a bill needs 21 supporters to advance on a final vote and eight senators refused to vote by "passing" on the bill.

Another five senators, four who were absent on the day the tally was taken, didn't vote.

Had it passed, then the bill would have allowed incumbents to shift funds from an old account to a new one. For example, a House member could have moved up to $15,000 from an account into a new campaign for the state Senate.

In fact, several current or former House members, including Rep. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, already have begun raising funds for a potential Senate run.

But the bill's provisions also would have applied to elected officers in first-class cities, counties and school districts with more than 35,000 students, as well as state-level officials.

Huelskamp said he proposed the measure to help a Wichita area judge who was looking to transfer funds out from an old campaign account into a current one.

The bill also would have deemed that all campaign finance transfers from 1976 until the 2003 ruling would be considered legal.

Over the years, lawmakers and other Kansas politicians often have shifted leftover campaign money when seeking a higher office, a move permitted by state ethics officials.

But that practice stopped after the high court blocked former Rep. Carlos Mayans from using about $50,000 in legislative donations for the Wichita mayoral race.

Carol Williams, executive director of the state Governmental Ethics Commission, said she wouldn't be surprised to see lawmakers propose a bill to allow the transfers.

"Every single year that's been a discussion in the Legislature," Williams said.

But she doesn't think a law restoring transfers would give incumbents too much of an advantage.

"It hasn't per se been an advantage unless you have an open seat," Williams said.