I'm stuck at work, and have a bunch of time to kill, so I thought I would update Kossacks on the results for the Kansas primary, which occurred today. (Or, yesterday, I suppose, but since I have not slept, it still feels like today.)
Up for grabs this year are: Gov/Lt. Gov, Sec. of State, Insurance Commissioner, and four Congressional Districts, as well as all the State Rep races. For primary results, and November match-ups, follow me below the fold.
Gov./Lt. Gov.: The Republicans were involved in a 7 way race for the gubernatorial nomination. From the earliest moments, however, this was truly a three way race between Jim Barnett, Robin Jennison, and Ken Canfield. Barnett won 36% of the vote, while Jennison and Canfield picked up 22% and 27% respectively. Barnett's Lt. Governor is Susan Wagle of Wichita.
(as an aside, this ticket manages to encompass both of the places I call home: Emporia and Wichita.) Barnett was a relative unknown, while Wagle has become infamous for her attacks on post secondary education.
This race will be an interesting one to watch. Rasmussen has Sebelius polling 51%-34% against Barnett. While not bad numbers, Barnett is a relative unknown, so this race could be much tighter than previously expected.
Sec. of State: Ron Thornburgh handily defeated Kay "I don't think women should vote" O'Connor for the Republican nomination. On the Democratic side, Robert Beattie and David Haley ran a tight race, only separated by 600 votes, with 6 precincts to go. The winner takes on Ron Thornburgh, who has been Kansas' Sec. of State since 1994.
Commissioner of Insurance: This is a race that could have interesting repercussions on Kansas' gubernatorial future, as the Commissioner of Insurance has become on of the prime stepping stones to the Governor's mansion. Sandy Praeger, the incumbent, defeated conservative challenger Eric Carter. In November, she'll face Bonnie Sharp, a Democrat who has served on the Insurance Committee while a State Rep. She's a true progressive, and will do great things for Kansas if she's elected. The only sad part about her becoming the next Insurance Commissioner is that Kansas will lose a dynamic leader in the State House of Reps. If you've got a few extra dollars lying around, I'm sure Bonnie would love the support. (She's pledged to take no money from Insurance Companies, as she sees this as an obvious conflict of interest-- thank God.)
CD-01: In November, John Doll will take on Rep. Jerry Moran. After having met and talked to John at the Lyon County Fair, I've got to admit: He's the real deal. I was more than a little incredulous of his campaign early on, but I was definitely wrong. Oh, and did I mention he blogs? Head over to his site, and give him some love.
CD-02: Nancy Boyda will give Jim Ryun a run for his money in November. In 2004, she lost to Ryun 56%-41%, but has learned from the loss, and continued to build up her support. This year, she's ready, and will be a fantastic progressive voice in DC.
CD-03: There were 4 Republicans vying for a chance to face Dennis Moore in the general election. Of these, Chuck Ahner won with 52% of the vote. This could be a tough seat to hold onto, as Moore is a Democratic incumbent from one of the most Republican, albeit moderate, parts of the state. However, Moore has faced stiff opposition in the past, and has always managed to win.
CD-04: Republican incumbent Todd Tiahrt doesn't know who will challenge him in November just yet. Democrats Garth McGinn and Ronald Voth fought themselves into a recount. Only 38 votes separate the two candidates, so it appears that we'll have to wait and see on the results for this one.
I have fantastically killed an hour of my shift, so yay for that. Double yay, if you read this and find it interesting.
Update: As it seems most of you are interested in the State BOE races, I've added the following (check comments for links to articles):
BOE District 3: John Bacon (conservative) wins with 49% of the vote.
BOE District 5: Sally Cauble (moderate) wins with 54% of the vote.
BOE District 7: Ken Willard (conservative) wins with 54% of the vote.
BOE District 9: Jana Shaver (moderate) wins with 58% of the vote.
All four Republicans will face Democratic challenges in November. Finally, in BOE District 1, Janet Waugh beat fellow Democrat Jesse Hall with 63% of the vote. She'll be unopposed in November.