Republicans dominate in races across state

Kansas voters painted the state a more blazing hue of red Tuesday by filling state, national and local offices with Republicans. The results weren't entirely unexpected, but the sheer number of Republican candidates new and old who were voted into office caused GOP jubilation.

"Are you ready for one of the biggest wins in Kansas Republican history?" U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts asked a crowd in Topeka, which quickly transformed into a pep rally when the Associated Press called the Governor's race for Republican Sam Brownback at 8:20 p.m. "Tonight we win again and we win big time!" "With Kansas leading the way, tonight we are going to get our America back," Roberts told the cheering crowd.

Brownback defeated Democrat Tom Holland to reclaim the governor's mansion for the GOP after eight years of Democrats Kathleen Sebelius and Mark Parkinson.

The state's first conservative governor in 50 years, Brownback led a conservative GOP sweep of state offices that brought Kris Kobach as secretary of state, Derek Schmidt as attorney general, and Ron Estes as treasurer.

Voter turnout was heavy across the state. In Sedgwick County, 51 percent of registered voters cast ballots, approaching an all-time high for participation in a midterm election.

In the races for national office, Republican Jerry Moran defeated little-known Democrat Lisa Johnston for Brownback's former U.S. Senate seat, and Republican Mike Pompeo defeated Raj Goyle for the 4th District Congressional seat.

Pompeo declared victory to a roaring crowd of more than 700 supporters in a hangar at Col. James Jabara Airport. He said that the nation is broken and that the government can't continue to spend the next generation's money.

"Tomorrow we'll wake up and we'll have the possibility of a real change in our nation," he said.

At a banquet hall in south Wichita, Goyle thanked his supporters for their hard work and told them that no pundit or analyst would have predicted they could make as competitive a race as they did.

"In a different year, when the winds weren't blowing so strong against us, we might have been smiling tonight" Goyle said. "I'm sorry I didn't get you over the top."

Republicans swamped Democrats in the other U.S. congressional races. Tim Huelskamp won the 1st District seat, Kevin Yoder the 3rd District, and Lynn Jenkins the 2nd District.

Previously safe Democratic state House incumbents in Wichita were either falling or threatened. Democratic Reps. Melany Barnes and Dale Swenson lost, and Ed Trimmer was trailing.

Democrat Judith Loganbill, who won re-election, said state races were affected by the national Republican trend. Asked what it will be like in the Statehouse with a Republican governor and diminished Democratic caucus, she said, "Woooo, it's going to be interesting, to say the least."

The Republican wave also washed over the Sedgwick County Commission races as incumbent Dave Unruh, City Council member Jim Skelton and political newcomer Richard Ranzau defeated Democratic opponents. Skelton ousted incumbent Gwen Welshimer.

Thousands of Kansas voters went into the booth thinking like Rosemary Daves, 82, of Wichita, as she cast her ballot at Reformation Lutheran Church at 7601 E. 13th St.

Daves voted a straight Republican ticket.

"Most of the time, I don't," she said. "But I did this time."

Daves was unhappy with Democrats and "terrified to think where our country's going — the socialist bent, the way they're spending money. In two years, we've gone further down a path than ... any of us could even fathom," she said.

But at least one voter who voted a straight Republican ticket, with the exception of one unopposed judge, was worried.

Eric George, 18, of Wichita, said a Republican sweep of state races could make things "too one-sided."

First conservative governor in decades

Brownback is the first Kansas governor to come out of the conservative wing of the GOP, and many Republicans have been waiting for that since the conservative movement began in the 1980s under the Reagan administration, said Joe Aistrup, political science professor at Kansas State University.

"There's going to be a lot of pent-up frustration that's going to be released. I would think we'll see many laws passed this year that have been waiting for a while," he said.

Look for efforts to repeal the 1-cent sales tax lawmakers passed last year, freeze or cut the state budget, particularly K-12 education, and more aggressive laws dealing with abortion, Aistrup said.

"They've been lying in wait," Aistrup said. "Now it looks as if the Republicans are going to get their wish."

The election also continues a historic trend for Democrats in Kansas. The party tends to lose power after doing well in state offices for a period of time.

"As soon as they hit their pinnacle, it seems like two years later they hit a crushing defeat and go back to where they began, a fairly small minority party in a state ruled by Republicans," Aistrup said.

But in the past, Republicans in the governor's mansion and Statehouse were more moderate.

"This time around, the Democrats don't even have that," Aistrup said. "It has to be very frustrating for the Democrats to come out of the Sebelius era in worse position than when they started."

He isn't sure Parkinson would have withstood the Republican gale had he chosen to run. But Parkinson might have drawn support for other Democrats on the ballot like Steve Six, Dennis McKinney and Chris Biggs to give them more of a chance, he said.

What voters think

Although some credited Brownback for helping other Republican candidates, Brownback said he had little to do with the outcome of other state races.

He credited the Republican's success statewide to a nationwide change in the mood of voters and a reaction against the Democratic agenda in Washington.

Among those voting for a Republican sweep was Reneene Wenzel, 44, of Wichita.

"We definitely need a change," she said after casting her ballot at Westlink Church of Christ, 10025 W. Central.

Democrats who turned out were seeking to thwart a GOP sweep.

"All they say is no. That's not an idea. Nothing gets done," said Amy Herd, 53, of Wichita, after voting at Grace Presbyterian Church, 5002 E. Douglas. "Come up with some ideas, because it's tough out there now."

Jack Silvers, 61, said he turned out at Sharon Baptist Church, 2221 S. Oliver, to vote against Brownback.

"He's too much like Phill Kline to me. I don't like what he stands for. He will probably win, but I'm hoping he'll be controlled by the legislature and won't do too much damage."

For many voters, Election Day came as a relief after a long siege of political bickering and nasty campaign attack ads.

"I think it's scandalous the way some of these candidates have conducted their campaigns," said Cookie Cookson, 88, of Wichita, who votes with his wife, Joyce, at Grace Presbyterian Church for candidates who are positive, no matter the party. "I don't like to hear a candidate talk about another candidate, period."

They hoped the state and country would heal from the campaign wounds and politicians would remember why they were put in office.

"I'm really tired of them not working together," said Aldona Carney, 48, of Wichita, who voted for candidates of both parties at Westwood Presbyterian Church.

"My whole thing is that if we're going to elect people, I want them to be able to work together to do what's best for Kansas as well as the country."

Contributing: Brent Wistrom, Rick Plumlee, Tim Potter, Dion Lefler, Ron Sylvester and Jeannine Koranda, all of The Eagle]