For Sedgwick County’s District 3, The Eagle endorses a leader who values cooperation

Four years ago, David Dennis toppled a stalwart conservative in the Republican primary for the District 3 seat on the Sedgwick County Commission.

He did it then — as he did again this year — by advocating for reason and cooperation over political ideology.

With few exceptions, Dennis has lived up to his word, shunning political loyalties, listening to all sides, and leaning toward rationality and logic during his time on the County Commission.

For that reason, he deserves another term.

Both Dennis and his opponent, retired journalist Mike Iuen, offered thoughtful, clearheaded views on important issues facing the county during a joint Zoom interview with The Eagle editorial board.

Both said the COVID-19 pandemic is the most serious issue facing the county, and that leaders had to respond without a clear understanding, at least early on, of how the virus would behave or its widespread impact on health and the economy.

Iuen rightly notes that early on, Dennis voted with conservatives on the commission, rejecting Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide mask order and reopening businesses with no rules or restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.

At a meeting in April, Dennis even floated the idea of herd immunity and letting the virus “run its course” — a concept health officials promptly shot down as dangerous and irresponsible.

But Dennis, a former Air Force colonel and retired teacher who served on the Kansas State Board of Education, did his research and acknowledged those missteps. Recently he has pointed to skyrocketing cases of COVID-19 and said the county’s strong recommendations on masks — as opposed to a clear mandate — didn’t work as he’d hoped.

“We thought people would comply, and they didn’t,” Dennis said. “I fully anticipate that we will continue the mask mandate.”

Dennis takes a pragmatic approach to his role on the commission, focusing on behavioral health, public safety and core services such as roads, bridges and the airport.

He notes that his mostly rural district, which includes Andale, Bentley, Cheney, Colwich, Goddard, Garden Plain, Mount Hope and Viola, along with a small part of far west Wichita, has a wide array of needs and priorities. And Dennis has served those constituents well.

Iuen, who spent four decades covering city, county and state government as a broadcast journalist, says he’s adept at sifting through information and considering both sides of an issue.

He said the county should do more for vulnerable populations such as senior citizens, people of color and the economically disadvantaged. He also favors a tougher stance to curb the spread of COVID-19, including tighter restrictions on bars, nightclubs and other industries where people gather without masks.

“We may need to put some restrictions in that aren’t going to make people happy,” Iuen said. “But that’s simply what we have to do to save lives.”

While both candidates are moderate and would be excellent leaders, Dennis is the best choice based on his experience and his vast public- and private-sector resume.

His rational approach is a welcome addition to the Sedgwick County Commission, and voters should grant him another term.

This story was originally published October 29, 2020 at 5:02 AM.