Endorsements: Secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, insurance commissioner

The following are The Eagle editorial board’s recommendations for the Nov. 4 general election for Kansas secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer and insurance commissioner. We offer these recommendations as information to consider as you make up your own mind about the candidates and issues.

Secretary of state

This contest is the easiest call on any Kansas ballot this year: Vote for Democrat Jean Schodorf. Please.

Formerly a respected state senator and Wichita school board president, Schodorf was a Republican until after the 2012 election, when she fell victim to Gov. Sam Brownback’s purge of legislative moderates. Now she is the state’s only hope of getting rid of Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the well-known national crusader against illegal immigration who has dangerously politicized the job of Kansas’ top record keeper and elections officer over the past four years.

Fortunately, Schodorf also happens to be someone with a record of dedicated public service who could return the office to its proper role of overseeing elections in a nonpartisan manner and handling business filings as efficiently, quickly and quietly as possible. Schodorf also could be trusted to work to improve voter participation.

Kobach’s tenure has been all about promoting himself, as well as what appears to be a national GOP agenda of trying to win elections by suppressing registration and turnout. Though Schodorf voted for the 2011 legislation that newly requires voters to show photo ID and those registering to vote to prove citizenship, she is rightly appalled by the consequences – including more than 22,000 people who’ve tried to register since 2013 but can’t vote Nov. 4 unless they get over the burdensome paperwork hurdle, which can mean tracking down and paying for birth, marriage and divorce records in other states. Then there is Kobach’s ridiculous two-tiered voting system, under which those Kansans who used the federal voter registration form will see their votes for state and local offices thrown out. “We’ve got to fix it,” Schodorf says of the state’s voting mess.

Sedgwick County has a particular interest in this statewide race, because of the election problems and erosion of trust that have surrounded the tenure of Election Commissioner Tabitha Lehman, a Kobach appointee. Meanwhile, there remains little credible evidence to support Kobach’s fearmongering about illegal immigrants voting.

What’s undeniable, though, is that Kansas needs a secretary of state who will focus on the important work of the office, rather than constantly inject himself into legislative debates and federal fights that have nothing to do with the job.

Attorney general

One-term Republican Derek Schmidt is the best choice in this race, having provided good leadership in criminal prosecutions around the state; targeted consumer and Medicaid fraud; and promoted public safety by pushing for new laws on human trafficking and drug and gang violence, a “Hard 50” repair and a new KBI lab. In a second term, Schmidt needs to be less eager to sue the federal government and less shy about steering his fellow Republicans in the Legislature away from bills that will invite lawsuits and big legal costs. His $8 million-plus in costs for outside counsel seem excessive, and Kansas media view his office as unresponsive and uncooperative – unacceptable for the chief enforcer of Kansas’ open government laws.

Topeka employment attorney A.J. Kotich brings decades of relevant experience in state government and some fresh ideas to the challenge, but no issue that justifies ousting Schmidt. Where the Democrat comes closest is in Schmidt’s liberal use of outside counsel and reluctance to step in when the Legislature is about to pass something unconstitutional (“I won’t be a lapdog,” Kotich says). Kotich is also right about the need for more transparency in the office, including regarding tobacco settlement money, and consistent speed in processing concealed-carry permits.

State treasurer

Republican Ron Estes, a former two-term Sedgwick County treasurer who was elected to the statewide job in 2010, has earned four more years. He takes pride in being part of improving the state employee pension system, which now looks to be on a solid (though long) path to solvency, and making changes to get more unclaimed property into Kansans’ hands. Estes is at the mercy of the misguided income tax cuts that have been part of the reason for the downgrades in Kansas’ credit ratings – and he is too certain of their ability to deliver the promised economic growth. But he has worthy ideas for how to make the office more efficient and the state’s college savings plan better used by Kansas families. Kansans should re-elect Estes.

Though there is no pressing need to replace the incumbent, Democrats have a strong and qualified candidate in Carmen Alldritt, formerly director of vehicles in the Kansas Department of Revenue and longtime Harper County treasurer. She would like to “take the Treasurer’s Office to the people,” evaluate the college savings program’s earnings performance, and advocate for repealing the unnecessary new law requiring that local school property tax revenues be rerouted through the state treasurer.

Insurance commissioner

Both candidates running to replace Sandy Praeger as the state’s insurance regulator are uncommonly qualified and knowledgeable about the industry, but Democrat Dennis Anderson is the best choice for his commitments to protecting consumers, maintaining a wide range of carriers in Kansas, and keeping politics out of the office. Anderson has a family business based in Overland Park that trains prospective insurance agents across the country on licensing and regulations. He wants to keep the department and staff strong and provide a “good, predictable regulatory environment.” He shares the belief of Praeger (and the editorial board) that Kansas should help the uninsured and hospitals by expanding Medicaid and that the health care compact bill, which could turn Medicare into a state-run program, is bad legislation that should be repealed. Rather than joining the GOP chorus of “repeal” regarding the Affordable Care Act, Anderson advocates that it be repaired and improved.

The Republican is Ken Selzer of Leawood. A certified public accountant, he is executive managing director of insurance brokerage firm Aon Benfield. His background in business and insurance would benefit the office, as would his goal of ensuring the regulatory environment is balanced and predictable. But his views seem more political than productive on issues where the insurance commissioner can be an effective advocate, including Medicaid expansion, implementing the ACA and fighting the health care compact.

Thursday: Kansas House

Friday: Sedgwick County Commission, District Court, Kansas appellate courts, Wichita sales tax, constitutional amendment

Saturday: Kansas secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, insurance commissioner

Sunday: Kansas governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House

Endorsements can be read online at Kansas.com/opinion.

This story was originally published October 24, 2014 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Endorsements: Secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, insurance commissioner."