Election Day Update!

This last Tuesday was a big election day in here in Kansas First, I won my race for Republican Precinct Committeeman for Shawnee Ward 2, Precinct 4 against entrenched incumbent Tom Slezak. I won with 56% of the vote, and my mom, running for committeewoman, won with 52% despite a last minute mail blitz by a “Kansas Republicans for Education” group that endorsed the Slezaks. The group sent out a mailing the friday before Election day with a perforated list that voters could tear off and take with them to the voting booth. Walking every house in my entire precinct definitely helped me pull this off; without that, I could not have won. Also, the push-cards I handed out to everyone and my last-ditch calling the night before the election made the difference between having a couple-vote loss/win to a strong majority.

In other races, Conservative Jim Barnett squeked out a victory with 36% of the vote in the GOP primary to take a shot at Sebelius in the Fall. Ken Canfield followed with 26%, followed by Jennison with 22%. While I believe Canfield would have been a stronger candidate, Barnett/Wagle is definitely better than Jennison and the other fringe candidates, and hopefully, they will give her a run for her money.

My guy, Chuck Ahner, won the 3rd District GOP primary handily against state rep. Scott Schwab (51%-33%). Ahner was definitely the stronger candidate, and all the work I did for him paid off. Ahner won Johnson, Wyandotte, and Douglas counties. He’s the best guy to take on Dennis Moore in Kansas’ only Democratic-held congressional district (a majority Republican district, by the way, which has been held by Moore for 4 terms).

Conservative newcomer Eric Carter couldn’t beat incumbent Sandy Praeger for Insurance commissioner however (but oddly enough, Carter won in moderate-heavy Johnson County and the eastern part of the state but lost in rural, conservative-heavy western Kansas).

Ron Thornburgh held on as Secretary of State easily from a challenge by conservative state senator Kay O’Connor of Olathe (70%-28%). Thornburgh, embraced by both moderates and conservatives, was endorsed by both the liberal MAINstream Coalition and Kansans for Life.
Conservatives knocked off a few moderate incumbents in house races, and other seats were taken by moderates with no opposition from conservatives.

At least Phil Kline will be running statewide on a ticket with popular moderate Repubicans Sanday Praeger and Ron Thornburgh. Maybe, just maybe, it will be enough to put him over the edge and beat Paul Morrison for a second term as attorney general. He needs all the help
He can get…

Next week is the explosive Connecticut Democratic primary between Liebermann and Ned Lamont. Watch for an update.