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GOP candidates for Kansas treasurer will have to decide on recount before votes are certified
TOPEKA — The Republican race for state treasurer may be unresolved for at least another week, when three of the state’s largest counties certify results from the primary election and decide whether to count or discard an unknown number of provisional ballots. But state law requires the candidates, who were separated by just 505 votes […]
High-profile Kansas trial hinges on ‘jealousy, rage and obsession’ — without physical evidence
TOPEKA — A Shawnee County prosecutor on Friday told jurors to forget about science as he laid out the circumstantial evidence connecting Dana Chandler to the 20-year-old killings of her ex-husband and his fiancee. All of the physical evidence in the case, including DNA collected from the crime scene, excludes Chandler, the defense countered. Chandler is […]
Kansas GOP sends text message asking voters to withdraw support for Dennis Pyle
TOPEKA — The Kansas Republican Party instructed voters via text message Thursday to remove their names from the signatures gathered by state Sen. Dennis Pyle in his independent campaign for governor. Pyle, who thinks Republican nominee Derek Schmidt isn’t conservative enough, denounced the “evil path” taken by “left-wing” Republicans to keep Pyle off the November […]
Kansas abortion-rights activists emphasized attack on personal rights to defeat amendment
TOPEKA — For Ashley All, the effort to defeat a constitutional amendment that would have eliminated abortion rights is the most consequential campaign the Kansas political veteran has worked on. The issue is personal, All told news reporters during a conference call Wednesday morning. “I have four daughters, and this” — All paused. “I don’t […]
Kansas voters defeat abortion amendment in unexpected landslide
OVERLAND PARK — Kansas voters in a landslide Tuesday defeated a constitutional amendment that would have stripped residents of abortion rights, defying polling and political observers who expected a close result. The ballot measure was failing by a 60-40 margin late Tuesday after voters responded to an intense and costly campaign marked by dubious claims […]
Former U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp connected to false text about Kansas abortion amendment
TOPEKA — Former U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp is behind the false text message about the constitutional amendment that enraged Democrats on Monday, the Washington Post reports. The newspaper traced the unsolicited text messages to a political tech firm called Alliance Forge and identified Huelskamp’s Do Right PAC as the client behind the campaign. Huelskamp, a […]
Kansas voters diving into first statewide referendum on abortion since Roe overturned
Kansans have until 7 p.m. Tuesday to vote on a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution striking the right to abortion in the state.
Kansas state senator delivers signatures needed to enter governor’s race as independent
TOPEKA — Kansas Sen. Dennis Pyle delivered 8,894 signatures Monday to the Secretary of State’s Office, clearing the 5,000 threshold needed to secure a place as an independent candidate for governor on the November ballot. Pyle’s entry into the race is expected to benefit Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly by siphoning votes from Republican Derek Schmidt. […]
Kansas secretary of state refuses to provide provisional ballot records despite court ruling
TOPEKA — Secretary of State Scott Schwab is refusing to turn over provisional ballot records in advance of the primary election, despite an appeals court ruling that says he is violating state open records law. Voting rights advocate Davis Hammet renewed his request for the records in hopes of helping voters ensure their ballots are […]
Kansas veteran unimpressed with U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall’s ‘lame’ flip on burn pits legislation
LAWRENCE — Brooklynne Mosley says U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall should stop using veterans as political props if he isn’t willing to support federal legislation providing health care coverage for the toxins they were exposed to during deployments. Marshall, a Kansas Republican, last week flipped his position on the bill to block it from moving forward in […]
Kansas abortion vote inspires arrest threat, personal lobbying, clergy letter, legal analysis
TOPEKA — Dickinson County officials threatened to arrest Democrats who were protesting near the county courthouse in Abilene in opposition of the constitutional amendment on abortion. The dispute is indicative of tensions over the abortion amendment on the Aug. 2 ballot. The Kansas election has attracted national attention — along with millions in advertising and […]
ACLU of Kansas intervenes on behalf of voters in multiple counties ahead of primary election
TOPEKA — The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has helped resolve election-related concerns in counties around the state in advance of next week’s primary. The organization runs a nonpartisan “election protection” hotline to ensure safe and accessible voting, and it will deploy trained poll observers next week. “We’ve intervened in four or five different matters […]