Sedgwick County Republicans have a chance to do the decent thing and avoid the spectacle of a rump county commissioner. Rump: a small or inferior remnant or offshoot especially: a group (such as a parliament) carrying on in the name of the original body after the departure or expulsion of a large number of its members (from Oxford languages) Now that the vote canvass is complete in Sedgwick County, Sarah Lopez has won the seat for Sedgwick County Commissioner, District 2. The vote count is 17,041 for Lopez and 16,777 for the incumbent Michael O'Donnell, a margin of 264 votes.…
A presidential nominating caucus or primary would allow Trump skeptics in Kansas to have their say. It could provide a safety valve, a way to release the pressure that builds up from being told they are traitors to not only their party but to the country as well. In September, leaders of the Kansas Republican Party decided to deny giving rank-and-file party members a voice in choosing its presidential nominee for 2020. In a release, the state party said : "The Kansas Republican Party will not organize a Caucus for the 2020 election because President Trump is an elected incumbent…
From the Wichita Pachyderm Club this week: David Kensinger, President of Kensinger and Associates. His topic was “The Early Returns of the 2020 Presidential Election." This audio presentation was recorded on August 2, 2019.
From the Wichita Pachyderm Club this week: Mike Kuckelman, who is chair of the Kansas Republican Party. This audio presentation was recorded on June 28, 2019.
Remarks from a candidate for Sedgwick County Commission call for presenting a unified front to the public. Speaking to the Wichita Pachyderm Club, Sedgwick County Commission candidate Hugh Nicks called for leadership to end what he called "divisive behavior:" "We can’t have -- we can’t have the kind of divisive behavior that we have going on right now -- we just -- it’s just not -- it’s just not acceptable." His opponent in the August Republican Party primary election is Richard Ranzau, who currently holds the office. The "divisive behavior" that Nicks objects to takes several forms, but it's clear…
From the Wichita Pachyderm Club: A panel presentation on the topic "Why I Am a Republican." Panelists, in order of their initial remarks, are Ben Sauceda, former Sedgwick County Commissioner Karl Peterjohn, Precinct Leader Linda Baker, and Sedgwick County Commissioner Richard Ranzau. Todd Johnson is the moderator. This audio presentation was recorded on September 15, 2017.
Another Kansas legislator explains why raising taxes was necessary. So he says. Many members of the Kansas Legislature are writing pieces defending their decision to vote for higher taxes. Don Hineman is one. His explanation merits more than average attention, as he is the Majority Leader of the Kansas House of Representatives. This week the Topeka Capital-Journal published his op-ed Rep. Don Hineman: Why tax reform was necessary. It deserves comment. Hineman wrote: "This return to common sense tax policy resulted from legislators listening to their constituents and fulfilling the promises they made during 2016 campaigns." There may have been…
From the Wichita Pachyderm Club this week: A panel discussion on the results of the 2016 general election. Panelists were: Mark Kahrs, Member of Kansas House of Representatives and Kansas Republican National Committeeman Clayton Barker, Executive Director, Kansas Republican Party Mark Dugan, Dugan Consulting Group This audio presentation was recorded on November 11, 2016.
Attacks on Tim Huelskamp reveal the worst in political campaigning. When the campaign of Roger Marshall accuses Tim Huelskamp of being in favor of abortion, you know his campaign is spiraling out of control. Either that, or the Marshall campaign is deliberately lying about a politician's record. Beyond this issue, the Marshall campaign and its surrogates are making arguments that simply have no basis in reality. An example is one radio ad, placed by an independent spending group, that uses the term "Washing-Tim." The ad tries to persuade voters that Huelskamp has sold out to the Washington establishment. That is…