Wichita Eagle endorsements for Sedgwick County Commission’s Republican primary

Over the past several months, as Wichita has faced a public health emergency and economic woes brought on by COVID-19, it’s never been more clear that Sedgwick County’s elected leaders drive our community’s response.

Sedgwick County Commissioners will decide how to spend nearly $100 million in federal aid to combat the coronavirus, and they’ll continue to tackle issues including public health, taxes, economic development, quality-of-life initiatives and more.

In the Aug. 4 primary, voters in two Sedgwick County Commission districts will decide whether seated commissioners will advance to the general election and potential second terms. Here are the Eagle editorial board’s recommendations for those primary races:

District 2: Cindy Miles

The issue at stake in the District 2 race isn’t just which candidate will make wise decisions for Sedgwick County moving forward, but how elected leaders should conduct themselves and the county’s business.

The candidate we endorse in the Aug. 4 primary — Cindy Miles — has leadership experience and a sincere commitment to the community, and she is Republicans’ best bet in the district that includes Haysville, Clearwater and parts of southwest Wichita.

A longtime volunteer and member of the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, which makes zoning recommendations, Miles’ civic resume is varied and extensive, and she understands how government policies affect residents, families and businesses.

As a member of the Wichita Coalition for Child Abuse Prevention, the Mental Health & Substance Abuse Coalition, the Crime Stoppers Advisory Board and other organizations, her priorities include economic development and community mental health.

“We cannot build big enough jails or prisons to hold the populations that continue to go into those facilities because of mental health issues,” Miles said. “We have to do something different.”

Miles believes in a collaborative approach and said she favors potentially consolidating some city and county services to save money. She said Sedgwick County should try harder to attract young people, not just businesses or industries, and should focus on housing, public transit, bike paths and walkability.

She also supports more open discussions about race relations and police reform in response to recent protests over the death of George Floyd.

Miles hesitated criticizing the commission’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic — “it’s all a learning process,” she said — but said measures such as face masks are key to protecting public health.

“I don’t want to serve a particular group. I don’t want to serve a particular party. . . . I believe serving in a public office is about serving the people and representing everybody,” she said.

Kathleen Garrison, a data analyst, venue owner and mother of eight from Clearwater, is running for public office for the first time after getting degrees in political science and diplomacy from Newman University. She said shutting down businesses during the coronavirus pandemic was a bad move, and she decried riots in Wichita and elsewhere over the death of George Floyd.

“If they do try to do anything else . . . I hope that they come up against a hard force here, because I definitely would not stand for that,” she said. “I feel like that’s negotiating with terrorists.”

Commissioner Michael O’Donnell, an incumbent running for his second term on the board, has served his constituents and the county well on a number of issues, including infrastructure projects, flood control, business-friendly initiatives and hiring County Manager Tom Stolz.

But during the COVID-19 pandemic, O’Donnell opposed several common-sense measures aimed at slowing the spread of the disease. He brazenly defied the county’s mask recommendation, and called a coronavirus tip line a “Gestapo” tactic.

More troubling, though, is O’Donnell’s pattern of questionable behavior and ethical missteps. Most recently, a Wichita Eagle investigation revealed that O’Donnell used a charity to collect money for third-party political attack ads during the Wichita mayor’s race — a practice one expert in political ethics called “sleaze with a capital S.”

“Do I wish I was less controversial? Yes, I do,” O’Donnell told the Eagle editorial board. “Do I wish I hadn’t made some of the mistakes that I did? Yes. But at the end of the day . . . I’ve done a good job.”

We believe the ends don’t justify O’Donnell’s long streak of improprieties, however, and District 2 residents deserve new leadership on the Commission. Miles is the best candidate in this primary field.

District 3: David Dennis

The District 3 Republican primary offers a choice between a 73-year-old incumbent and a 21-year-old political upstart who says he’d be a more conservative voice on the County Commission.

While both candidates offered thoughtful, passionate and reasoned views on key issues facing the county, the candidate we endorse in the District 3 primary is David Dennis.

After a 29-year career in the U.S. Air Force, Dennis became a high school teacher and later served on the Kansas State Board of Education. He also served on the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission before being elected to the County Commission in 2016 to represent his mostly rural district, which includes Andale, Bentley, Cheney, Colwich, Goddard, Garden Plain, Mount Hope and Viola as well as a small part of far west Wichita.

Although the GOP owns a 4-1 majority on the commission, Dennis and Commission Chairman Pete Meitzner often take more moderate stances and have been key votes in recent decisions on the COVID-19 response, including an order to shut down nonessential businesses in Sedgwick County during the early weeks of the pandemic.

Hunter Larkin questioned that decision, as well as Dennis’ vote to allow a mask mandate and other restrictions recommended by health officer Dr. Gerald Minns.

But Dennis rightly points to skyrocketing cases of the coronavirus across Kansas and said the county’s strong recommendations on face masks — as opposed to a Minns-backed mandate — didn’t work as he’d hoped.

“Things kept getting worse and worse, and we’re in this situation today,” Dennis said.

Dennis said behavioral health, public safety and core services are his priorities, and that he will continue to push for a mental health facility closer to Wichita that could ease the strain on the state’s hospital system.

Larkin, a real estate agent and head of finance and human resources for an oil pipeline manufacturer, forcefully argues on behalf of conservative ideals and will be one to watch in Kansas politics. He favors lowering taxes, reducing regulations and supporting first responders.

“I’m pretty tired of government telling people what they can and cannot do,” Larkin said. “I think the people of Sedgwick County are going to make the right decisions for their families and for themselves.”

Over the next four years, as Sedgwick County deals with the health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s crucial to have fair, experienced decision-makers at the helm. Dennis works hard, talks to constituents and considers all sides of the issues, and he’s the best choice in the District 3 primary.

This story was originally published July 26, 2020 at 4:30 AM.