August 3 has turned into the most ballyhooed primary in modern Kansas history. Republican races between well-funded candidates for the U.S. Senate and the 1st and 4th congressional districts in particular have engulfed our television screens with political advertising and filled the newspapers with their campaign messages. With the intensity of the campaigns, turnout should be higher than normal for a Kansas primary among Republicans. But what about the Democratic side? They, too, are asking their voters (and unaffiliated voters as well, who are allowed to vote in the Democratic primary) to brave the August heat and choose Democratic candidates who have the best chance to mount a credible campaign in the fall. What the Democratic Party in Kansas does not want is a repeat of what has happened in South Carolina, where Democratic voters there were so uninformed about the U.S. Senate primary that it looks as if they elected a candidate, Alvin Greene, primarily because his name was listed first on the ballot. His candidacy has since become a running national joke and a party embarrassment.
If there isn’t a concern among Democrats that Kansas voters could “pull an Alvin Greene,” then there should be, because it’s happened in Kansas before. In 2004, retired railroad worker Robert Conroy put his name on the ballot for U.S. Senate to make sure that Sam Brownback at least had an opponent, and then promptly did nothing else. Another Democrat, Lee Jones, actively campaigned, attending candidate forums, party meetings, raising money, and the like. Conroy won 56 percent-44 percent, perplexing everyone, including Conroy, who then withdrew from the race and gave up the nomination. The simplest answer to how Conroy won is similar to the Alvin Greene case: Something about his name or ballot position appealed to voters who knew absolutely nothing about either candidate.
In the Democratic primaries there are two races where the Democratic party establishment is anxious not to see a Conroy/Jones repeat. In the 3rd District congress race, Stephene Moore is running against unknown Thomas Scherer. However, as the wife of incumbent Congressman Dennis Moore, worry is minimal because she is well known enough to win. In the 4th District Congress race, state legislator Raj Goyle is facing political novice Robert Tillman, and one early July poll actually had Tillman leading. Goyle, who has raised over $1.2 million to take on the Republican nominee in the fall, quickly got two TV ads on the air after that poll and should now cruise easily to victory.
Democratic voters on Aug. 3 should not just pay attention in order to avoid picking someone based on how their name looks on the ballot, but also because they need to help the party make some real choices. In the 2nd District congressional primary, Sean Tevis, who has a strong fund-raising background from a previous legislative race, would seem to be the logical party choice, yet Cheryl Hudspeth and Thomas Koch have been seen actively campaigning in the district while Tevis is in hiding. Literally. He won’t appear on Topeka TV campaign interview programs and prospective voters aren’t even allowed access to his campaign website. And, in the Secretary of State race, Democratic party voters have a choice between two viable candidates, Secretary of State Chris Biggs and State Senator Chris Steineger.
Most interesting of all could be the U.S. Senate primary, where the three main candidates have very different backgrounds. State Senator David Haley and journalist Charles Schollenberger argue that their political experience makes them the best choice to take on Jerry Moran or Todd Tiahrt in the fall, but it is the new face in this race that is intriguing, college administrator Lisa Johnston. Johnston shined in the one TV debate shown statewide, and despite only raising $10,000, is the only candidate in the race with a TV ad on the air. Oh, and if Democrats need one more reason to do some research before voting on August 3, it could be the name of another Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate on the ballot: Robert Conroy.
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August 3 has turned into the most ballyhooed primary in modern Kansas history. Republican races between well-funded candidates for the U.S. Senate and the 1st and 4th congressional districts in particular have engulfed our television screens with political advertising and filled the newspapers with their campaign messages. With the intensity of the campaigns, turnout should be higher than normal for a Kansas primary among Republicans. But what about the Democratic side? They, too, are asking their voters (and unaffiliated voters as well, who are allowed to vote in the Democratic primary) to brave the August heat and choose Democratic candidates who have the best chance to mount a credible campaign in the fall. What the Democratic Party in Kansas does not want is a repeat of what has happened in South Carolina, where Democratic voters there were so uninformed about the U.S. Senate primary that it looks as if they elected a candidate, Alvin Greene, primarily because his name was listed first on the ballot. His candidacy has since become a running national joke and a party embarrassment.
If there isn’t a concern among Democrats that Kansas voters could “pull an Alvin Greene,” then there should be, because it’s happened in Kansas before. In 2004, retired railroad worker Robert Conroy put his name on the ballot for U.S. Senate to make sure that Sam Brownback at least had an opponent, and then promptly did nothing else. Another Democrat, Lee Jones, actively campaigned, attending candidate forums, party meetings, raising money, and the like. Conroy won 56 percent-44 percent, perplexing everyone, including Conroy, who then withdrew from the race and gave up the nomination. The simplest answer to how Conroy won is similar to the Alvin Greene case: Something about his name or ballot position appealed to voters who knew absolutely nothing about either candidate.
In the Democratic primaries there are two races where the Democratic party establishment is anxious not to see a Conroy/Jones repeat. In the 3rd District congress race, Stephene Moore is running against unknown Thomas Scherer. However, as the wife of incumbent Congressman Dennis Moore, worry is minimal because she is well known enough to win. In the 4th District Congress race, state legislator Raj Goyle is facing political novice Robert Tillman, and one early July poll actually had Tillman leading. Goyle, who has raised over $1.2 million to take on the Republican nominee in the fall, quickly got two TV ads on the air after that poll and should now cruise easily to victory.
Democratic voters on Aug. 3 should not just pay attention in order to avoid picking someone based on how their name looks on the ballot, but also because they need to help the party make some real choices. In the 2nd District congressional primary, Sean Tevis, who has a strong fund-raising background from a previous legislative race, would seem to be the logical party choice, yet Cheryl Hudspeth and Thomas Koch have been seen actively campaigning in the district while Tevis is in hiding. Literally. He won’t appear on Topeka TV campaign interview programs and prospective voters aren’t even allowed access to his campaign website. And, in the Secretary of State race, Democratic party voters have a choice between two viable candidates, Secretary of State Chris Biggs and State Senator Chris Steineger.
Most interesting of all could be the U.S. Senate primary, where the three main candidates have very different backgrounds. State Senator David Haley and journalist Charles Schollenberger argue that their political experience makes them the best choice to take on Jerry Moran or Todd Tiahrt in the fall, but it is the new face in this race that is intriguing, college administrator Lisa Johnston. Johnston shined in the one TV debate shown statewide, and despite only raising $10,000, is the only candidate in the race with a TV ad on the air. Oh, and if Democrats need one more reason to do some research before voting on August 3, it could be the name of another Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate on the ballot: Robert Conroy.
