Primary election set for Tuesday
Staff writer
Residents of Marion County will go to the polls Tuesday to select their parties’ nominees for the Nov. 4 general election.
Voters must bring their driver’s licenses or other forms of identification. Voters also may cast their ballots in advance at the Marion County Courthouse until noon Monday. Mail-in voting also is available. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Unlike in previous large elections, Marion and Hillsboro will feature only one polling place apiece. Marion voters can vote at Marion Community Center and Hillsboro voters can vote at Hillsboro City Building.
Among contested nominations to be decided is the Republican nomination for U.S. representative. Incumbent Tim Huelskamp of Fowler and Alan LaPolice of Clyde square off in a clash of Tea Party candidates. On the Democratic side, James E. Sherow of Manhattan and Bryan R. Whitney of Wichita will seek nomination.
An uncontested race, officially, is that of the 1st District county commissioner in Hillsboro and northwest Marion County. While no candidates from either side will have their names on the ballot in the primary, Republicans Donald Ewert of Durham Park Township and Lori Lalouette-Crawford of Hillsboro have announced write-in campaigns. Should one of them receive at least 134 votes, he or she will face independent candidate Craig Dodd in November.
The Republican nomination for U.S. Senate will be a race between incumbent Pat Roberts of Dodge City and three other candidates. Among the challengers is Milton Wolf, who will speak Thursday at Marion Pharmacy. Other candidates are D.J. Smith of Osawatomie and Alvin E. Zahnter of Russell.
Chad Taylor of Topeka and Patrick Wiesner of Lawrence will seek the Democratic nomination for Senate.
The Republican gubernatorial nominee will be determined Tuesday as well. Incumbent Sam Brownback will run alongside incumbent Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer against Jennifer Winn and Robin R. Lais, both of whom are from Wichita.
Scott Morgan of Lawrence will challenge incumbent Kris Kobach of Piper for the Republican secretary of state nomination.
In the 70th District state representative race, in Marion and the north half of the county, incumbent John E. Barker of Abilene will run against Brian Huwiler of Chapman.
Two state positions that don’t have incumbents will be hotly contested: The 35th District seat in the State Senate and the commissioner of insurance both have five Republican nominees running in the primary.
The candidates for the senate seat are Marshall Christmann of Lyons, Donald Hobson of McPherson, Nick Reinecker of Inman, James E. Toews of Inman, and Richard Wilborn of McPherson.
The nominees for the Commissioner of Insurance position are Beverly Gossage of Eudora, David J. Powell of El Dorado, Ken Selzer of Leawood, Clark Shultz of Lindsborg, and John M. Toplikar of Olathe.