Don’t sit on the sidelines; vote

The national political conventions the past two weeks have put the spotlight on the November elections. But don’t overlook Tuesday’s primary, which could have a bigger impact on state and local governments than the general election.

All of the seats in the Legislature are up this year, and many of the key races are in the primary, particularly for Republicans. Lawmakers who have supported Gov. Sam Brownback’s tax policies are on the ballot, and several of them have strong challengers. There are also several open seats being contested by candidates who either support Brownback’s policies and direction or who want to shift course.

Well-heeled groups such as the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Americans for Prosperity and Kansas Club for Growth are flooding homes with campaign mailers aimed at protecting conservative incumbents and portraying challengers as sinister liberal extremists. Other dark-money groups are targeting conservatives with misleading mailers.

A better source on how the candidates stand on issues is The Eagle’s online Voters Guide at Kansas.com/politics. Also, a grid published in the July 17 Eagle (that also can be found online at goo.gl/D7PLqi) listed how south-central Kansas lawmakers voted on key issues, including the 2012 tax cuts, the 2015 sales tax increase, and block grant school funding. Eagle editorial board endorsements are available online at Kansas.com/opinion/editorials.

One of the biggest races is the GOP primary in the “Big First” Congressional District between Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler/Hutchinson, and Roger Marshall. Recent polling showed the race a dead heat, and it is attracting large amounts of outside spending – much of it on negative advertising.

A consequential local race is the GOP primary for Sedgwick County Commission, District 3, between incumbent Karl Peterjohn and challenger David Dennis. The ideological balance of the commission could shift if Dennis prevails. Support for the Sedgwick County Zoo and the county’s budget priorities are two issues in the race.

Tuesday’s GOP primary also is the only chance to vote for judges for Sedgwick County District Court, as no Democrats are running for the positions.

Thanks to a Shawnee County District Court ruling Friday, people who registered to vote at DMV offices without providing proof of citizenship will be allowed to vote in all elections, not just federal races as Secretary of State Kris Kobach wanted. But this victory for voting rights will go to waste unless these potential voters go to the polls along with other registered voters.

If you haven’t voted already, be sure to do so Tuesday. These elections are too important to sit on the sidelines.

This story was originally published July 31, 2016 at 12:07 AM with the headline "Don’t sit on the sidelines; vote."