For those who were eager to see how Kurt Kobach, Secretary of State for Kansas, locked in a very tight race for the Republican nomination for the governor’s seat in the upcoming election, would do when presented with the moral crisis of having to preside over the recount in his own primary, well, I’m afraid we’re all disappointed because his opponent conceded.
Secretary of State Kris Kobach won the Republican nomination for Kansas governor Tuesday after Gov. Jeff Colyer conceded following a week of stunning twists in the razor-thin contest.
The concession came after Kobach widened his lead to more than 300 votes with the counting of provisional ballots in Johnson and Sedgwick counties. Johnson County had been seen as a bulwark in Colyer’s effort to overtake Kobach.
Colyer conceded in an evening news conference from the Statehouse, where he said he wouldn’t ask for a recount or challenge the election results in court. [The Wichita Eagle]
Steve Benen thinks Democrats should be ecstatic:
The question, of course, is whether Republicans will end up regretting it.
The reason that so many GOP officials urged the president not to endorse Kobach is that he’s a poor choice for the party. As we discussed last week, he’s earned a reputation as an anti-immigration and voter-suppression crusader, but Kobach has also been stung by a series of humiliating legal defeats.
What’s more, the Kansas secretary of state was also recently exposed for his role in a “sham” in which he traveled from town to town, persuaded local officials to pass anti-immigrant ordinances, defended the communities against lawsuits, and lined his pockets while the towns lost money on losing cases.
There’s also the matter of the white nationalists Kobach reportedly put on his campaign payroll.
All of which suggests Democrats, despite Kansas’ ruby-red status, may have a chance in this race. State Sen. Laura Kelly, the chamber’s Senate Minority Whip, will be the Democratic nominee, and will enjoy the party’s enthusiastic backing.
Steve points out there is a third party challenger as well, which is unfortunate for my thesis – this, much like the Minnesota contest for the same seat, makes Kansas a measuring stick with regards to President Trump’s staying power. Kobach, more than Johnson in Minnesota, is a Trumpist who believes in doing or saying anything to achieve his aims, as Steve has documented. How much of this will Kansas voters be willing to swallow, and at what point will the majority vote for the Democrat, instead?
I’m uncertain as to the future preferences of both states.
