The referendum to expand gambling at the dog track was long opposed by Kansas state Senate President Susan Wagle, a Republican who owned bingo parlors with her husband. Wagle said, "Those of us who oppose gaming don’t have millions of dollars to fend off Mr. Ruffin every time he wants to push a ballot initiative." Her campaign spokesman wrote that Wagle's change in voting to instead support the 2018 gaming bill came, "...after meeting with Mr. Ruffin and other leaders in the Wichita business community and after learning about the uneven tax treatment that had been leveled on the industry." "Tax fairness and tax equity is a top concern for Senator Wagle." When interviewed, Ruffin said Wagle would make a good U.S. senator, dismissing the contention that her position change regarding expanded gaming led to his support. Wagle had long opposed expansion of alternate forms of gambling in Kansas. Six months after receiving a contribution of $1,000 to her 2018 state senate campaign from Ruffin, the owner of Kansas racehorse and greyhound tracks, she reversed her position. Since that time, Ruffin has scaled up his support. He gave her $1,000 more for her state senate campaign, then contributed $5,000 more, the maximum allowable in federal campaigns, to her 2020 primary for the U.S. Senate. Asked about the contributions by a McClatchy newspaper reporter, Ruffin became angry, saying, “What are you trying to find out, young man? What are you trying to do? I’ve answered your goddamn questions," before hanging up. Wagle made a pitch for an ambassadorial post came weeks after Wichita Republican congressman Mike Pompeo, then the Director of National Intelligence received U.S. Senate approval to become United States Secretary of State in April 2018. Wagle's campaign spokesman said Pompeo did not have a role in promoting her candidacy for an ambassadorship to the White House: "While she does not recall speaking to Secretary Pompeo about her interest in serving in the Administration, she did reach out to the President's team and some of their mutual friends, including Phil Ruffin, in this process." Convenience stores Ruffin Companies' web site states that the company owns 61 convenience stores leased to Total and operated by Diamond Shamrock over a three-state area. Lodging Ruffin's Hotel Group division owns and operates 13 hotels under the Marriott Hotels, Fairfield Inn and Courtyard by Marriott brands in Oklahoma, Kansas, California, Texas and Alabama. Real estate