2020 General Election Voters Guide (10-11-20)

SUNDAY, OCT. 11, 2020 • 1C

U.S. SENATE:

BARBARA BOLLIER vs. ROGER MARSHALL Both are Kansans, and both are physicians, but that’s where the similarities end.

Get to know their stances in what could be Kansas’ most impactful Senate race in decades.

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WHAT’S INSIDE: U.S. Senate •••••••••••••••••• 2C U.S. House District 2 ••••••••••• 3C County Commission District 2 ••• 4C County Commission District 3 •••••• 4C Kansas Senate District 3 ••••••••••••• 5C Uncontested races •••••••••••••••••••• 5C Judicial retention elections ••••••••••••••• 6C

Sylas May/Journal-World Illustration

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VOTERS GUIDE

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SUNDAY, OCT. 11, 2020

U.S.

SENATE DEMOCRAT

REPUBLICAN

ROGER

BARBARA

MARSHALL

BOLLIER Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle via AP

John Hanna/AP Photo

Senate hopefuls have different views of ‘Kansas values’

By Conner Mitchell lll

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cmitchell@ljworld.com

s Kansas prepares for its most consequential and closest Senate race in a generation — one that could elect a Democrat to the seat for the first time since 1932 — two medical doctors, Democrat Barbara Bollier and Republican Roger Marshall, are both running campaigns focused on what they call “Kansas values.”

That’s where the similarities end.

Bollier and Marshall are opposed on essentially every issue that’s been prevalent during the 2020 campaign. The two gave vastly different answers when asked about topics such as health care, the federal government’s response to COVID-19, President Donald Trump’s performance and the need for further federal stimulus relief to mitigate the economic effects of the pandemic.

Both candidates spoke to the Journal-World by phone for this story. Here’s where they stand in some key areas:

We desperately need a comprehensive, coordinated response (to COVID-19) from our federal government.

That has not occurred.”

— Democratic Senate candidate Barbara Bollier Kansans’ top priority Though both candidates emphasize “Kansas values” in campaign advertisements, they disagree about what Kansans’ top priorities are.

Bollier, who has been a member of the Kansas Legislature for roughly a decade as both a Republican and a Democrat, said the biggest issue she hears on the campaign trail is that Kansans want and need affordable access to health care.

Earlier this year, a proposal to expand the state’s Medicaid program failed despite

a bipartisan consensus in the state Legislature, and Bollier said Kansans are feeling the effects. “(This is) where I diverge clearly with my opponent,” Bollier said. “He’s voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act multiple times during the pandemic, meaning we wouldn’t even have the option to expand Medicaid and all of the people with pre-existing conditions could lose their coverage.”

Marshall, who has represented Kansas’ 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House since 2017, said that “Kansas values” center on protecting entrenched rights and restoring jobs and the economy in the wake of COVID-19. He said the top issue he hears about on the campaign trail is liability protections against COVID-19-related lawsuits for businesses and other organizations.

“I’m committed to getting our jobs back, and I’m committed to protecting Kansas values,” Marshall said. “I’m running for the Senate to make sure that every Kansan has the same shot at the American dream that I had.”

I’m committed to getting our jobs back, and I’m committed to protecting Kansas values.”

— Republican Senate candidate Roger Marshall

praise on the federal government’s response to COVID-19 when speaking with the Journal-World.

“I think we’ve done about everything possible that we could do,” he said. “We thought millions of people in this country would die, and certainly 200,000 is too many, but it’s certainly a lot less than the experts thought it would be.”

Marshall also said he thought the president’s comments and actions throughout the pandemic The federal response have been appropriate for to the COVID-19 pandemic the situation.

A staunch supporter of “Like me, every moment Trump, Marshall heaped of every day we think about

‘how can we keep Americans safe and healthy?’ I think that’s been his focus.

His actions (in the beginning) were absolutely engaged,” Marshall said. “I think his actions are absolutely in line with doing the right thing.

“I’m just not sure what else we could have done,” Marshall added.

The Journal-World interviewed Marshall a day before Trump revealed that he had contracted COVID-19.

Bollier, meanwhile, blasted the federal government’s response to the novel respiratory virus, saying that the lack of a cohesive plan led not only to tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths, but to an economy that is struggling mightily to recover.

“We desperately need a comprehensive, coordinated response from our federal government. That has not occurred,” she said. “The only way we are going to get our economy back on track … is to follow public health guidelines.”

It is imperative, Bollier said, that members of Congress work together — and soon — to pass another stimulus package to provide economic relief.

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VOTERS GUIDE

SUNDAY, OCT. 11, 2020

3C

U.S. HOUSE

2nd DISTRICT DEMOCRAT

MICHELLE DE LA ISLA

REPUBLICAN

JAKE LATURNER

City of Topeka

Journal-World File Photo

Topeka mayor, state treasurer vying for seat in Congress

By Conner Mitchell lll

T

cmitchell@ljworld.com opeka mayor Michelle De La Isla and Kansas Treasurer Jake LaTurner will be facing off this

year in Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District — a seat that was decided by less than 1% of the vote in the 2018 midterms.

De La Isla, a Democrat, and LaTurner, a Republican, are vying for the U.S. House seat currently held by Republican Rep. Steve Watkins. Watkins, whom LaTurner unseated in the Republican primary in

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“People are hurting, we need help, and this is the time,” she said.

Marshall, when asked about future stimulus efforts, said that the U.S. is “winning the battle against COVID” and blamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for the lack of additional relief since Congress passed the $2.2 trillion CARES Act stimulus bill in March.

That said, he acknowledged that more help is needed for many in Kansas and across the

August, faced several scandals in his first and only term in Congress, including allegations of voter fraud that led to his being charged with three felonies.

LaTurner, at 32, is the youngest statewide elected official in the United States. He served in the Kansas Senate for several years before his election as state treasurer in 2016. De La

nation, and he supports future stimulus legislation proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “We still need help. But we’ve already borrowed $3.5 trillion from our grandkids and less than half of that, I think, has actually hit Main Street,” Marshall said. “This unemployment benefit was so rich people didn’t want to come back to work … I want to make sure future funds are appropriated to the right places.”

Advance mail ballots can be sent in Kansas beginning Wednesday, and the general election takes place on Nov. 3.

— Reporter Conner Mitchell can be reached at 8326388. Follow him on Twitter: @connermitchell0

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Isla, 44, served for several years on the Topeka City Council before being elected mayor of Kansas’ capital city in 2018.

The only public poll profiling the race thus far, conducted in August shortly after the primary, showed De La Isla within the margin of error against LaTurner, trailing by only four percentage points.

Neither the De La Isla campaign nor the LaTurner campaign returned inquiries from the Journal-World seeking an interview for this story. However, an examination of the candidates’ campaign websites shows stark differences in where they stand on key issues:

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SUNDAY, OCT. 11, 2020

COUNTY COMMISSION

3rd

DISTRICT DEMOCRAT

REPUBLICAN

SHANNON PORTILLO

PAM MCDERMOTT

Contributed Photo

Contributed Photo

Candidates share their thoughts on budget, criminal justice

By Dylan Lysen lll

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dlysen@ljworld.com

wo Douglas County Commission candidates who opposed the county’s plan to expand its jail will face off in the upcoming general election.

The two candidates — Pam McDermott, a Republican, and Shannon Portillo, a Democrat — come from different political parties, but their views on serving the community, and particularly their focus on criminal justice reform, are rather similar.

However, there are some differences between them as they compete for a seat that has been held by Republicans for several decades.

... our country has begun to realize that the things activists have been saying for decades (are) true ...”

— Democratic candidate Shannon Portillo While both McDermott and Portillo have worked with the faith-based advocacy group Justice Matters — which has long opposed the county’s recently abandoned $29.6 million jail expansion project and called for establishing more alternatives to

incarceration — the candidates have slightly different views on what the county should do next to address the issue.

Additionally, they also offered slightly different views of the county budget, as McDermott said rising property taxes may need to be addressed, while Portillo said she views the budget as a “values document.”

Pam McDermott Historically speaking, McDermott may have the upper hand as a Republican aiming to fill the 3rd District seat.

According to the Douglas County Clerk’s Office, since 1928, Democrats have only served in the 3rd District seat for three terms. The last Democratic commissioner for the 3rd District was I.J. Stoneback, who served from 1972 to 1976.

But McDermott, 54, did

I have shaped my entire adult life around helping people and adding value to their lives.”

— Republican candidate Pam McDermott not strongly attach herself to the political party, recently telling the Journal-World she does not want to be tied down by labels and is “not an ideologue.”

When asked whether she identifies as conservative, she said she doesn’t know

where the political lines of parties are at the moment and she has rarely considered herself in political terms. She said what matters to her are people, and making sure she and others are kind and generous.

“I have shaped my entire adult life around helping people and adding value to their lives,” said McDermott, who works as community life director at Morning Star Church. “They are the ultimate resource and are capable of solving complex problems. Strong communities are built by people caring for other people.”

She said the local government exists to serve people, and it should be simple and make sense to those people.

While her opposition to the jail project was the driver behind her decision to run for

> 3RD, 6C

Democrat Shannon Reid appears likely to win in 2nd District

By Dylan Lysen dlysen@ljworld.com

Reid

After a long and drawnout count of the votes in the Democratic primary election, candidate Shannon Reid appears likely to fill the 2nd District seat

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GOP candidate previously withdrew; his current status isn’t clear for the Douglas County Commission.

However, her name won’t be the only one on the ballot when voters take to the polls on Nov. 3.

Reid, 35, defeated incumbent Commissioner Nancy Thellman and challenger Sara Taliaferro in the Democratic primary election, but it

took weeks for all the votes to be counted and recounted to know the final result.

Reid’s opposition to the county’s plan to

expand its jail facility was what inspired her to run.

Thellman, who was challenged by two candidates

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KANSAS

SENATE

3rd

DISTRICT

DEMOCRAT

TOM HOLLAND

REPUBLICAN

WILLIE DOVE

AP File Photo

AP File Photo

Longtime incumbent faces off against state House member

By Conner Mitchell lll

O

cmitchell@ljworld.com

ne of the only contested races in the Douglas County area for the Kansas Legislature will pit longtime incumbent Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, against current Rep. Willie Dove, R-Bonner Springs, for the state’s 3rd District Senate seat.

Holland, a moderate Democrat who lost a 2010 bid to become the state’s governor, said that 2020 has been one of the most interesting election cycles he has been a part of, especially because of the divisiveness on the national level.

Dove did not return requests from the newspaper to be interviewed for this article.

Holland said he decided — because of ever-increasing focus on the presidential election — that it was crucial to get his message across to voters early. He started his campaign last June, he said, by contrasting his voting record with that of Dove, whom he described as “extremely far right.”

In an increasingly polarized period in politics, Holland said one of his most important attributes was his ability to garner support among the majority-Republican Senate.

“I have a (demonstrated) record of reaching across the aisle, working in a bipartisan fashion and getting major pieces of legislation not only introduced but incredibly close to the finish line,” he said.

A prime example of this, Holland said, came at the end of the 2019-20 legislative session with a bill he

introduced that would freeze homestead taxes on Kansas seniors. It passed the Senate on the final day of the session in May, but it was ultimately defeated in the Republicanled House.

Holland also cited an effort to legalize medical cannabis that he introduced with a Republican co-sponsor as an example of generating bipartisan support on legislation, and he said that he would continue to prioritize both pieces of legislation if reelected.

“I have a track record of ... working on meaningful legislation and bringing good things for Kansas citizens,” he said. “That’s why I’m coming back, is because Kansas citizens are hurting right now and I think I can help them move the state forward in a number of areas.”

Dove, a conservative Republican who has served in the Legislature since 2013, is

a small-business owner and Army veteran who, according to his campaign website, believes that “people and their needs should always be at the forefront of any decision making process rather than petty politics.”

Dove, in the issues section of his website, lays out many of the same points that Republicans around the country have pushed for during this election cycle. First, Dove said, he’s a candidate who supports law and order and has been an advocate for law enforcement issues during his tenure as a representative.

“I support our law enforcement. The destructive riots and violent protests that are taking place in our country are not justifiable,” he writes.

“We must be diligent in ensuring that our law enforcement officers are well-trained, wellequipped, and well-rounded.”

He also champions small businesses as the backbone

of Kansas’ economy, and decried the issuance of stay-athome orders during the COVID-19 pandemic and what he viewed as the hampering of the economy.

Also on his website, Dove touts his support for gun rights and his opposition to abortion.

Holland claimed that Dove has not been a friend to public education, saying that as a representative he voted in favor of drastic tax cuts implemented by former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.

“It’s one of the majorly crucial differences between the two candidates,” Holland said. “He voted for the Brownback tax cuts and then to increase the sales tax to fill the hole that the income tax cut left. It really hurt our schools and the services we provide to Kansans.”

Advance mail ballots can be sent in Kansas beginning Wednesday, and the general election takes place on Nov. 3.

Many area candidates won’t face challengers in November’s election Staff Report news@ljworld.com

While the 2020 general election will decide many major political races, a lot of local candidates won’t face challengers on Nov. 3.

In Douglas County, 11 state and county races on the ballot will be uncontested — either those races were decided between candidates during the primary election in August, or only one candidate filed to run for the seat. In addition, one Democratic lawmaker won’t face any Republican opponent, but he will face a challenger from another party.

Even if a candidate has no opponent listed on the ballot for their race, it is possible they could be challenged through a write-in campaign.

Here’s a quick rundown of these races:

Haswood State

Neelly

Christina Haswood, House District 10: Haswood won a three-candidate Democratic primary election in August. She is a registered member of the Navajo Nation and received her associate degree in community health from Haskell Indian Nations University. She currently works as a research assistant with the National Council of Urban Indian Health and the Center for American Indian Community Health. l Lance Neelly, House District 42: Neelly, a security and corrections worker, l

Ballard

Amyx

defeated incumbent Rep. Jim Karleskint in the Republican primary election.

Neelly’s recent victory reversed the result of the 2018 primary election, in which he was defeated by Karleskint. l Barbara Ballard, House District 44: Ballard, a longserving state representative of Lawrence, was not challenged in the Democratic primary election in August and she will go unchallenged again in the general election.

She has served in the Kansas House since 1993 and will serve her 15th term as the

Francisco

Highberger

44th District representative.

Ballard also serves as an administrator at the University of Kansas’ Dole Institute of Politics. l Mike Amyx, Kansas House District 45: Amyx, who was first elected to represent the 45th District in 2018, did not face a Democratic challenger in the 2020 primary election. He will serve his second term in the Kansas Statehouse. Amyx previously served on the Lawrence City Commission, including six terms as mayor, and on the Douglas County Commission.

l Marci Francisco, Senate District 2: Francisco, who was first elected to represent District 2 in 2004, did not face a challenger in the Democratic primary election. She will serve her fifth term in the state Senate. Francisco previously served on the Lawrence City Commission and as the city’s mayor for two terms. l Dennis “Boog” Highberger, House District 46: Highberger, of Lawrence, was unopposed in the Democratic primary election, and he will not face a Republican challenger in the general election.

However, he will face a Lawrence Libertarian candidate, Dante Javaheri. If Highberger is reelected, he will serve his fourth term as the 46th District representative. He was first elected in 2014 and previously served on the Lawrence City Commission and as the city’s mayor.

> UNOPPOSED, 6C

VOTERS GUIDE

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SUNDAY, OCT. 11, 2020

3 judges in Douglas County are on the ballot for retention

By Mackenzie Clark mclark@ljworld.com

Three judges on the bench in Douglas County District Court will be on the ballot for retention in the Nov. 3 general election.

Chief Judge James McCabria, Judge Kay Huff and Judge

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the seat, McDermott said her concerns also include a lack of transparency and a disregard for residents’ opinions — two things she said the current County Commission showed when it approved the jail project in January.

But the project has since been discontinued. To further address criminal justice and the jail’s overcrowding issues, McDermott said she wants to conduct a comprehensive study on what drives the crowding issue.

She also wants to establish further alternatives to incarceration like the current behavioral health and drug courts and find ways to increase efficiency in the local court system.

Another big issue for the next County Commission will be crafting the county’s next budget, which will likely be affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

McDermott said she has noticed the county budget has grown significantly in

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who opposed the project, had voted to approve the plan in January.

After it was clear Reid had won the Democratic primary, Brett LaRue, Republican candidate for the seat, would not commit to staying out of the race. In June, LaRue said he was “withdrawing” from the race and endorsed Thellman. He said

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Immigration LaTurner’s campaign website offers little information about his immigration views, but it does appear to endorse one of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement proposals — the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The section of the website titled “Protect Our County, Build The Wall” doesn’t offer any specifics beyond the mention of the wall in the title.

“The safety and security of our nation will be among my top priorities,” LaTurner’s website says, adding that “Protecting American interests abroad and at our borders is critical to a free and prosperous society.”

According to the Kansas News Service, LaTurner

Mark Simpson, all of Lawrence, only need a simple majority of “yes” votes to retain their seats, County Clerk Jamie Shew said.

The same applies to the state court judges up for retention this year.

Justice Eric Rosen, of Topeka, is the only Kansas Supreme Court justice on the ballot this

year. Several Kansas Court of Appeals judges face retention votes, though: Chief Judge Karen Arnold-Burger, of Overland Park; Judge Sarah Warner, of Lenexa; Judge David Bruns, of Olathe; Judge G. Gordon Atcheson, of Overland Park; and Judge Kathryn Gardner, of Topeka.

Shew said that in some parts of the state, judges are elected.

However, that does not apply to Douglas County or state judges, who can only campaign for retention if there is an effort to remove them from the bench.

Gov. Mark Parkinson appointed Huff to the bench

the past 10 years, and she wants to know why. She said it may need to be adjusted in the future, but she did not commit to any specific cuts.

“Every family and business has had to alter their budget in this season, and it’s unreasonable to think that our government would not have to do the same,” she said.

She also said she doesn’t believe the

Shannon Portillo Portillo, 35, a University of Kansas associate professor and administrator who has extensively studied criminal justice, identifies herself as a progressive candidate.

When asked to explain what it means to her to be a progressive, she said that means she’s running a campaign that aims to make sure the community feels heard, especially those in the community who have been discriminated against.

“Over the past few months, our country has

begun to realize that the things activists have been saying for decades (are) true — the way our systems were built actually (doesn’t) work for a lot of people, and certainly (doesn’t) reflect the things we say we believe in,” she said, noting that she would work to hold the local government accountable to its constituents.

Portillo said she was “thrilled” that the county chose to abandon the jail expansion project, but she said there is still more work to be done on criminal justice. She said she too wants the county to conduct a study into the causes of overcrowding in the jail. She also said she wants the Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, which includes County Commission representation, to work with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office on bail reform.

Portillo is also a cochair of Gov. Laura Kelly’s commission on racial equity and justice, the Journal-World has reported. She said the

group would be releasing recommendations to local governments in the near future that she thinks will be useful for addressing these issues in Douglas County.

As for dealing with a budget during an ongoing pandemic, Portillo said the vast majority of the county’s revenue comes from property taxes, which will not be greatly affected immediately by a recession like sales taxes might be. She said that the county might need to adjust its tax rates in the future, but she did not directly respond to the

Journal-World’s questions about what she would change or cut.

“My general philosophy is that budgets are values documents. You invest in what’s important to you,” she said.

“However, our current economic situation may eventually impact property tax collection, and it will mean that we need to be cautious in how we plan moving forward.”

Portillo is the assistant vice chancellor of academic affairs at KU’s Edwards Campus in Overland Park and an associate professor for the university’s school of public affairs and administration in Lawrence.

She moved to Lawrence when she was 16 to attend KU, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a doctorate in public administration from the university.

Portillo’s first position in academia was at George Mason University, located in Fairfax, Va. She returned to Lawrence in 2013 to work for KU, earning tenure in 2015.

She now lives in western Lawrence with her partner, Jevan Bremby.

at the time he joined the race to oppose the jail expansion as well.

But it’s unclear what LaRue’s status is now.

While state law requires his name to appear on the ballot, he would not respond to the Journal-World’s repeated requests to clarify whether he was actively campaigning. Reid said LaRue had not responded to her requests either.

Despite the confusion, Reid said she is prepared to fill the seat and work toward a more equitable

community. While her opposition to the jail project was what inspired her to run for office, she said she believes her experience as an advocate translates well to representing the voters who elected her. She currently works for the Willow Domestic Violence Center, where she serves as the coordinator for the organization’s court advocacy program.

“My goals as a Commissioner are focused on listening actively to vulnerable voices

and addressing the gaps in equity that exist for marginalized folks across Douglas County,” she said in an email. “Now is the time to stay focused on issues of more justice for more people.”

Reid identifies herself as a progressive candidate. She was one of three candidates for county positions who formed a coalition called the “Justice Ticket” — which also included Shannon Portillo, the Democratic candidate for the commission’s 3rd

District seat, and Cooper Overstreet, who lost a three-way Democratic primary race for Douglas County district attorney.

The group’s platform focused on issues related to criminal justice, housing and climate change.

Reid said being a progressive candidate means she believes it is necessary to constantly work on evolving what she knows, what she thinks and how she acts.

“Progressivism to me is about centering systematically oppressed

voices in all discourse, acknowledging the harm done, then moving forward toward equitable change,” she said. “(And) also having the humility to acknowledge we know better now (than) we did before, (and) therefore we must do better now.”

Reid has spent most of her life in Lawrence. She graduated from Lawrence High School in 2003.

She currently lives in Lawrence’s Prairie Park neighborhood with her partner, Bobbi Henson.

believes that guest worker programs can provide enough legal immigrants to meet America’s labor needs, and that the nation should still work to block illegal immigration.

De La Isla, on her website, says she views immigration reform as a way to help the economy and enrich American culture.

While her website says that “Our border must be secured,” she is against a border wall and opposes family separations at the border.

Her website also says that any immigration reform proposals should include a path to U.S. citizenship for undocumented immigrants who are already in the U.S. “Every county in Kansas relies on hard-working immigrants who not only grow our local economies, but also make our communities stronger and more vibrant,” her website says.

“We should simultaneously work on securing our borders, while providing fair and efficient pathways to

citizenship, and access to of future generations to work programs for migrants farm and meet the needs of their communities.” without criminal records.”

LaTurner, meanwhile, Agriculture says he’ll fight for Kansas Agriculture is one of to always have representhe most important issues tation on congressional for many Kansas voters, agricultural committees. given its prevailing influ“Agriculture is a critical ence on the state’s econo- part of the history and fumy and job market. ture of Kansas. It is imporDe La Isla offers a three- tant for us to protect our pronged plan for represent- farmers and ranchers by ing the state’s agricultural keeping regulations low, interests: more financial finding new markets for relief to farmers than was trade, and promoting inprovided in a short-term vestment in precision Ag bailout in July; diversifying and (unmanned aerial veKansas’ portfolio for export- hicle) technology,” he says ing crops after recent trade on his website. “I will fight and tariff wars with China; for the best interests of Kanand investing in industrial sas agriculture in Congress. hemp production.

Our farmers and ranchers “In Congress, I will ad- will know they have a voice vocate for sustainable eco- in Washington.” nomic, social, and environmental solutions that will COVID-19 De La Isla and LaTurnsupport farmers, food processors, and manufactur- er have strikingly differers,” De La Isla says on her ent views on the federal website. “We must con- government’s response to tinue to meet the world’s the COVID-19 pandemic, need for food without according to reporting by compromising the ability the Kansas News Service.

LaTurner said the federal government responded well to the pandemic early on by limiting travel to China. But De La Isla said the federal response didn’t go far enough. She said the U.S. should have closed its borders sooner and made more of an effort to secure personal protective equipment, and she also said the government didn’t do a good job of communicating with the public about the crisis.

Moving forward, LaTurner told the Kansas News Service he wanted to see tax cuts and less federal regulation to help the economy recover from the pandemic. De La Isla, meanwhile, called for increasing access to health care and virus testing. LaTurner opposes mask mandates, while De La Isla supports them.

held accountable for their actions, the Kansas News Service reported. LaTurner added that while people have the right to protest, he opposes violent protests and looting.

And De La Isla said that it’s possible to support both police and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Neither candidate delves too deeply into social issues on the campaign websites, but De La Isla does call for widely increasing access to affordable health care, while LaTurner says he wants to overhaul the welfare system by enforcing work requirements for those receiving benefits. LaTurner’s website also says that he supports setting term limits for members of Congress.

Advance mail ballots can be sent beginning Wednesday, and the general election takes place on Nov. 3.

Every family and business has had to alter their budget in this season, and it’s unreasonable to think that our government would not have to do the same.”

— Republican candidate Pam McDermott

county should consider increasing any taxes as a solution to a pandemic recession, and she would like to see the state consider “property tax reform” that would make sure those taxes “cannot continue to climb.”

McDermott is originally from Massachusetts. She moved to Lawrence to attend the University of Kansas in 1983. She and her husband, John, raised five children in Lawrence and are now grandparents to four children who all live in Lawrence, she said.

Unopposed CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5C l Ann Mah, State Board of Education District 4: Mah, of Topeka, is seeking her second term on the Kansas State Board of Education, which she was first elected to in 2016.

She did not face a challenger in the Democratic primary election. Mah served in the state House of Representatives for eight years prior to running for the board.

in 2010, and Gov. Laura Kelly appointed Simpson last year. Gov. Sam Brownback appointed McCabria in 2014, and the Kansas Supreme Court in November 2019 announced McCabria’s appointment to chief judge, effective Jan. 1 of this year through Dec. 31, 2021.

Mah

Armbrister

County l Lt. Jay Armbrister, Douglas County sheriff: Armbrister, of Baldwin City, won a three-candidate race in the Democratic primary election. He has worked for the sheriff’s office for 22 years, since August 1998, and currently serves as

Valdez

Shew

lieutenant in corrections, where he works full-time at the Douglas County Jail. l Suzanne Valdez, Douglas County district attorney: Valdez, of Lawrence, won a three-candidate race in the Democratic primary election, which included knocking off

Rains

Brown

incumbent District Attorney Charles Branson. She currently teaches prosecutorial ethics as a full-time professor at the University of Kansas School of Law. She is also a special prosecutor for the Wyandotte County DA’s office, handling cases that involve

My general philosophy is that budgets are values documents.

You invest in what’s important to you.”

— Democratic candidate Shannon Portillo

Other issues to note On the issue of race relations and policing, the candidates both said police officers needed to be conflicts of interest for that office’s staff. l Jamie Shew, Douglas County clerk: Shew went unchallenged in the Democratic primary election. He was first elected as the county’s top elections officer in 2004. l Adam Rains, Douglas County treasurer: Rains, who served as deputy county treasurer from 2015 until September, defeated challenger Timothy Morland in the Democratic primary election. Rains and Morland were both aiming to fill the seat that was held by Treasurer Paula

— The Kansas News Service, ksnewsservice.org, contributed to this story.

Gilchrist, who retired in August. Rains has also been appointed to finish out Gilchrist’s term — he was officially sworn into the position on Sept. 22, Shew said. l Kent Brown, Douglas County register of deeds: Brown, who is currently the deputy register of deeds, defeated challenger Kim Murphree in the Democratic primary election. They were aiming to fill the seat that will be left by current Register of Deeds Kay Pesnell, who plans to retire. Brown has served as the deputy of the office since 2015.