Chris Mann is the crystal clear choice for Kansas attorney general | Editorial
Chris Mann knows how to put criminals behind bars and how to practice law in court.
Kris Kobach is a politician who occasionally attempts to practice law, poorly.
That’s why Mann deserves your vote for Kansas attorney general in the upcoming Nov. 8 election.
If you’ve never heard of Chris Mann, that’s easily forgiven.
This is his first run for public office and he lacks the flamboyant “look at me” egotism that comes so naturally to his opponent, former Secretary of State Kris Kobach.
But Mann has a compelling backstory of public service that most Kansans haven’t gotten a chance to hear. As with anything Kobach-related, the noise drowns out the signal.
Mann came from a police family and was a 25-year-old officer and KU student in 2002, when he got hit by a drunk driver while making a routine traffic stop.
Injuries from the crash left him with disabilities that ended his police career. But he finished his KU degree and earned a Koch scholarship to Washburn University School of Law.
After law school, he worked as a full-time assistant district attorney in Wyandotte County, where he prosecuted crimes up to and including murder. From there, he went to the Kansas Securities Commission and prosecuted white-collar criminals.
Since 2016, he’s been in private practice, representing low-income Kansans and handling civil suits on behalf of victims of drunk drivers and their families.
He served as the national board president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and he led the push for the Kansas law requiring first-time DUI offenders to equip their cars with mobile breathalyzers that keep the car from starting when the driver’s drunk.
That’s the kind of resume we’re looking for in an attorney general. And you should too.
Mann’s goals for the attorney general’s office are what they should be — putting criminals behind bars, consumer protection, advising state agencies on legal matters and defending state laws when they’re challenged in court.
Humble, unassuming and competent, Mann’s the polar opposite of his opponent, Kris Kobach.
Kobach has various degrees from Harvard, Oxford and Yale Law School. But despite that stellar education, he’s just not a very good lawyer.
His litigation record on behalf of Kansas would be a joke, if he hadn’t cost the state millions of dollars along the way.
His endless, pointless, evidence-free crusades against voter fraud and illegal immigrants have gotten him on Fox News, but have never benefited Kansans in any measurable way.
As secretary of state, he got the Legislature to give him extraordinary authority to investigate and prosecute election crimes. But his claims of hordes of illegal-alien voters ran into the wall of reality and he never caught even one.
He “won” less than two dozen cases, mostly confused citizens who pleaded out and paid a fine.
Kobach wrote the SAFE Act, a draconian obstacle course to voting that required people to present their birth certificate to even register to vote. The direct result was at least 35,000 legitimate voters disenfranchised.
When Kobach tried defending the law in court, not only did he lose, he got slapped with contempt of court and an order to take remedial classes on evidence and procedures. That would embarrass a first-year associate lawyer, but Kobach’s pretty much beyond shame. His go-to line every time he loses is “liberal judges.”
Also, he kept bad company, serving until recently as chief counsel for “We Build The Wall,” a shady group of immigration Armageddonists run by political strategist Steve Bannon. Bannon and the organization are currently under indictment in New York on charges of fraud and money laundering, because money was diverted from wall-building to personal use.
Kobach really only wants to be attorney general so he can use the state to sue the federal government over his pet causes, and draw the attention to himself that he can’t seem to live without.
Kansas deserves better.
Fortunately, you can get it by voting for Chris Mann on Nov. 8.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWho decides the endorsements?
Members of The Wichita Eagle editorial board interview political candidates. The editorial board is separate from The Eagle’s news department. Members of The Eagle editorial board are: opinion editor Dion Lefler, publisher Tony Berg and executive editor Michael Roehrman. Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
What does the endorsement process entail?
The Eagle editorial board meets with political candidates. The interviews are largely focused on public policy, and each lasts about an hour. Board members do additional reporting and research to learn as much as possible about the candidates. The editorial board then convenes to discuss the candidates in each race. Board members seek to reach a consensus on the endorsements, but not every decision is unanimous.
Is the editorial board partisan?
No. In making endorsements, members of the editorial board consider which candidates are well prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they agree with us or belong to a particular political party. We evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, their readiness for office, their knowledge of key issues and their understanding of public policy.
Why are endorsements unsigned?
Endorsements reflect the collective views of The Eagle’s editorial board — not just the opinion of one writer. Board members all discuss and contribute ideas to each endorsement editorial.
This story was originally published October 30, 2022 at 5:00 AM.