Republican Party primaries in Kansas, 2018

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Republican Party primaries, 2018
Kansas Republican Party.jpg
Primary Date
August 7, 2018
Federal elections
Republican primaries for U.S. House
State elections
Republican primaries for Kansas legislature
Republican primary for governor
Republican primary for lieutenant governor
Republican primary for attorney general
Republican primary for secretary of state
State party
Republican Party of Kansas
State political party revenue

Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on the party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.

Heading into the 2018 election, the Republican Party's legislative record during Donald Trump’s presidency figured into several Republican primaries. This record included the passage of major tax legislation in December 2017 and the confirmation of federal judges. It also included a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill in March 2018, which Trump opposed, and unsuccessful efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.[1][2]

Trump, himself, also played a role in Republican primaries. His approval rating reached 90% in June among self-described Republicans, according to a Gallup survey.[3] Many Republican candidates campaigned on their support for Trump, and negative ads accusing opponents of criticizing the president were common.[4][5][6] A May report found Trump's name or image had appeared in 37% of all Republican campaign ads at that point in 2018.[7]

This page focuses on the Republican primaries that took place in Kansas on August 7, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.

Battleground primaries

Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.

Federal elections

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in Kansas (August 7, 2018 Republican primaries)
The 2018 U.S. House of Representatives elections in Kansas took place on November 6, 2018. Voters elected 4 candidates to serve in the U.S. House, one from each of the state's 4 congressional districts. To see a full list of candidates in the Republican primaries, click "Show more" below.
Show more

District 1

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 2

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 3

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

District 4

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

State elections

Kansas Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas  •  Sixteen years of Republican trifectas

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D
Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election

See also: Kansas gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 7 Republican primary)
See also: Kansas gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 7 Republican primary)

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

Attorney general election

See also: Kansas Attorney General election, 2018 (August 7 Republican primary)

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

Secretary of state election

See also: Kansas Secretary of State election, 2018 (August 7 Republican primary)

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

State legislative elections

Of the 31 contested Republican primaries in 2018, 19 featured challengers running against incumbents, 10 were open primaries in seats where a Republican incumbent retired, and two were for seats held by Democrats.

Factional conflicts in Kansas state House Republican primaries
District Incumbent Incumbent faction Incumbent running? Challenger(s) Challenger(s) faction
District 5 Kevin Jones Pro-Brownback No
Mark Samsel Approveda Anti-Brownback
Renee Slinkard Pro-Brownback
District 6 Jene Vickrey Approveda Pro-Brownback Yes
Clifford Blackmore Pro-Brownback
District 8 Patty Markley Anti-Brownback Yes
Chris Croft Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 11 Jim Kelly Approveda Anti-Brownback Yes
John Lowrance Pro-Brownback
District 12 Doug Blex Approveda Pro-Brownback Yes
Brad Hall Unclear faction
District 13 Larry Paul Hibbard Approveda Anti-Brownback Yes
Londa Tindle Pro-Brownback
District 14 Keith Esau Pro-Brownback No
Charlotte Esau Approveda Pro-Brownback
Aaron Young Anti-Brownback
Tom Stanion Anti-Brownback
District 17 Tom Cox Approveda Anti-Brownback Yes
Jim Eschrich Unclear faction
District 18 Cindy Neighbor Democratic Democratic seat (Yes)
Cathy Gordon Unclear faction
Eric Jenkins Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 27 Sean Tarwater Sr. Approveda Unclear faction Yes
Rochelle Bird Pro-Brownback
Karen Snyder Anti-Brownback
District 28 Joy Koesten Anti-Brownback Yes
Kellie Warren Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 29 Brett Parker Democratic Democratic seat (Yes)
Peggy Galvin Approveda Anti-Brownback
James Todd Anti-Brownback
District 30 Randy Powell Pro-Brownback No
Wendy Bingesser Approveda Pro-Brownback
Colleen Webster Anti-Brownback
District 38 Willie Dove Approveda Pro-Brownback Yes
Noel Hull Unclear faction
District 39 Shelee Brim Anti-Brownback No
Kristy Acree Anti-Brownback
Owen Donohoe Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 42 Jim Karleskint Approveda Anti-Brownback Yes
Lance Neelly Pro-Brownback
District 45 Thomas Sloan Anti-Brownback No
Cynthia Smith Approveda Anti-Brownback
Ronald Thacker Pro-Brownback
District 49 Scott Schwab Pro-Brownback No
Fsehazion Desalegn Anti-Brownback
Megan Lynn Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 59 Blaine Finch Approveda Unclear faction Yes
Shari Weber Unclear faction
District 64 Susie Swanson Anti-Brownback No
Susan Carlson Approveda Unclear faction
Kathy Martin Pro-Brownback
District 74 Don Schroeder Anti-Brownback Yes
Stephen Owens Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 75 Mary Martha Good Anti-Brownback Yes
Will Carpenter Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 80 Anita Judd-Jenkins Anti-Brownback Yes
Bill Rhiley Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 87 Roger Elliott Anti-Brownback No
Renee Erickson Approveda Pro-Brownback
Jeff Kennedy Anti-Brownback
District 93 John Whitmer Pro-Brownback Yes
J.C. Moore Approveda Anti-Brownback
District 97 Leslie Osterman Pro-Brownback No
Nick Hoheisel Approveda Anti-Brownback
Michael Walker Unclear faction
District 100 Daniel Hawkins Approveda Pro-Brownback Yes
James Breitenbach Unclear faction
District 104 Steven R. Becker Anti-Brownback Yes
Paul Waggoner Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 107 Susan Concannon Approveda Anti-Brownback Yes
Sam Sacco Pro-Brownback
District 113 Greg Lewis Approveda Anti-Brownback Yes
Brett Fairchild Pro-Brownback
District 124 J. Stephen Alford Anti-Brownback No
Jeffrey Locke Unclear faction
Martin Long Approveda Anti-Brownback

Methodology

Determining incumbents' factions
Incumbents' factions were determined by their votes on legislation related to the Brownback tax cuts in Kansas' 2017 legislative session. This spreadsheet contains information on how members voted and shows our methodology for designating their faction.

Click on the boxes below to see the factions for members who were in the legislature when the 2017 tax cuts were repealed.[8]



Determining challengers' factions
Challengers' factions were determined by how they addressed tax and budget policy as well as education spending. Anti-Brownback Republicans said the tax cuts needed to be repealed to address inadequate spending on public education and a state supreme court order to increase education funding. Pro-Brownback Republicans said the government needed to spend existing school funding more effectively, especially on teacher salaries and classroom expenses, rather than attempting to increase revenue by repealing the tax cuts.[9]

We looked at challenger's campaign websites, their statements to media outlets, and their responses to a survey conducted by the organization Women for Kansas that asked about their position on the Brownback tax cuts. Additionally, supporters of Brownback's tax policies were identified based on endorsements by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, which supported the Brownback tax cuts in 2012 and opposed their repeal in 2017, and endorsements by retiring incumbents.[10][11] We also used endorsements by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the MainStream Coalition, which endorsed candidates opposed to the tax cuts.[12]

Read the sections below to see the statements and endorsements that we used to designate the candidates' factions.

State party overview

See also: Republican Party of Kansas
Kansas Republican Party.jpg


State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Republican Party of Kansas' revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.

Republican Party of Kansas revenue, 2011 to 2016[13][14]
Year Federal account State account(s) Total
2011 $226,363.34 $207,266.91 $433,630.25
2012 $163,887.69 $1,152,444.20 $1,316,331.89
2013 $62,667.64 $243,533.09 $306,200.73
2014 $1,746,662.43 $1,655,805.33 $3,402,467.76
2015 $153,481.19 $216,099.51 $369,580.70
2016 $1,821,849.91 $809,475.27 $2,631,325.18

Kansas compared to other states

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:

Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016

Primary election scheduling

Kansas was one of four states to hold a primary election on August 7, 2018.

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Kansas utilizes a semi-closed primary process, in which previously unaffiliated voters can participate in the partisan primary of their choice (a voter who is already affiliated with a party can only vote in that party's primary).[15][16][17][18]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

Unless otherwise set by the county, polls in Kansas open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Central time (6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Mountain time). Counties are given the discretion to open polls as early as 6 a.m. and close polls as late as 8 p.m. Central time (5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain time). Polls must be open for a minimum of 12 consecutive hours and may not close before 7 p.m. Central time (6 p.m. Mountain time).[19] An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[20]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Kansas, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Kansas. In order to register, an individual must be least 18 years old before the next election. Voters must register at least 21 days prior to Election Day. Registration can be done by completing and returning an application, either in person or by mail. Registration may also be completed online.[21]

On June 18, 2018, a federal judge struck down a Kansas law requiring citizens to present proof of citizenship when registering to vote. A federal appeals court subsequently affirmed that decision. For more information, see below.

Automatic registration

Kansas does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Kansas has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Kansas does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Kansas, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Kansas does not require voters to provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, an applicant who provides false information "may be convicted and sentenced to up to 17 months in prison."[22]

A Kansas state law that went into effect in 2013 required voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. However, the provision was challenged in court and on June 18, 2018, Judge Julie Robinson, of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, struck down the proof of crequirement and ordered Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) to stop enforcing the rule. On June 20, 2018, Kobach’s office advised county clerks to comply with Robinson’s order. Kobach appealed the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which heard oral arguments on March 18, 2019. On April 29, 2020, a Tenth Circuit panel affirmed the district court's ruling.[23][24][25][26]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[27] As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The site Voter View, run by the Kansas Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Kansas requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[28]

Voters can present the following forms of identification:

  • Driver's license or nondriver's identification card issued by Kansas or by another state or district of the United States
  • Concealed carry of handgun license issued by Kansas or a concealed carry of handgun or weapon license issued by another state or district of the United States
  • United States passport
  • Employee badge or identification document issued by a municipal, county, state, or federal government office
  • Military identification document issued by the United States
  • Student identification card issued by an accredited postsecondary institution of education in the state of Kansas
  • Public assistance identification card issued by a municipal, county, state, or federal government office
  • Identification card issued by an Indian tribe

A photo ID does not need to have an expiration date, but, if it does have an expiration date, it must not have expired at the time of voting. If the voter is over the age of 65, he or she can use an expired ID.[28]

The following voters are exempt from providing photo ID:[28]

  • Military and overseas citizens who vote under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA)
  • Voters who vote in mail ballot elections, which are limited to local jurisdictions holding special question-submitted elections
  • Voters who are accepted to the permanent advance voting list
  • Any voter who objects to having his or her photo taken because of his or her religious beliefs. The voter can complete and sign the Declaration of Religious Objection form.

Voters who do not have a photo ID can obtain one for free through the Division of Vehicles, Kansas Department of Revenue. The voter must provide proof of identity and proof of residence. The voter must also sign an affidavit. Voters can access the Certification Requesting Fee Waiver for Nondriver Identification Card form at all driver's license offices, county election offices, and on the secretary of state's website. If a voter does not have the proper documents to obtain a nondriver ID card, he or she can obtain a Kansas birth certificate from the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics for free. Voters can also apply for a free State Voter Identification Document. Voters should contact the election division of the secretary of state's office at election@sos.ks.gov or (800) 262-VOTE to apply.[28]

Early voting

Kansas permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Kansas. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee. An absentee ballot application must be received by the Tuesday prior to the election. Kansas refers to absentee voting as "advance voting."[29]


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

There are no Pivot Counties in Kansas. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Kansas with 56.7 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 36.1 percent. In presidential elections between 1864 and 2016, Kansas voted Republican 84.21 percent of the time and Democratic 15.78 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Kansas voted Republican all five times.[30]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Kansas. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[31][32]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 29 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 21.8 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 34 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 20.9 points. Clinton won six districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 96 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 32.8 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 91 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 35.5 points. Trump won 11 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

See also

Federal primaries in Kansas State primaries in Kansas Kansas state party apparatus Kansas voter information
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Footnotes

  1. ↑ ‘’National Review’’, “Trump Is Not Blameless in the Spending-Bill Disaster,” March 28, 2018
  2. ↑ The New York Times, "A New Guide to the Republican Herd," August 26, 2012
  3. ↑ Gallup, "Trump Job Approval Slips Back to 41%," June 25, 2018
  4. ↑ Daily Commercial, "Trump hurdle looms large in Florida GOP governor primary," July 30, 2018
  5. ↑ Daily Commercial, "These 2018 Primaries Are Worth Watching," July 25, 2018
  6. ↑ Washington Post, "Republican primary candidates have one goal: Securing Trump’s endorsement or denying it to an opponent," July 25, 2018
  7. ↑ USA Today, "Donald Trump once divided Republicans; ads for midterms signal that's no longer true," May 17, 2018
  8. ↑ Emil Bergquist, who joined the legislature after the 2017 legislative session and replaced pro-Brownback Republican Greg Lakin, is considered a member without a clear faction.
  9. ↑ Kansas City Star, "Legislature rolls back Brownback tax cuts after midnight; he immediately says he’ll veto," June 5, 2018
  10. ↑ USA Today, "Kansas tax cuts produced strong results," June 25, 2017
  11. ↑ Kansas City Star, "Education spending in Kansas: Both sides ‘are telling the truth,’" August 25, 2014
  12. ↑ Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, "KC BizPAC," accessed July 31, 2018
  13. ↑ Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, "View Submitted Forms & Reports," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Kansas Republican Party and Kansas Democratic Party)
  14. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Kansas Republican Party and Kansas Democratic Party)
  15. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," February 6, 2024
  16. ↑ FairVote, "Open and closed primaries," accessed July 25, 2024
  17. ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
  18. ↑ Scott Schwab Kansas Secretary of State, "Voter information," accessed July 25, 2024
  19. ↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, "25-106. Hours of voting; change of hours, how made; rules and regulations," accessed November 4, 2024
  20. ↑ State of Kansas Secretary of State, “Frequently Asked Questions” accessed July 25, 2024
  21. ↑ Kansas Office of the Secretary of State, "Kansas Voter Registration Instructions," accessed July 25, 2024
  22. ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "Kansas Voter Registration Application," accessed November 1, 2024
  23. ↑ United States District Court for the District of Kansas, "Fish v. Kobach and Bednasek v. Kobach: Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law," June 18, 2018
  24. ↑ The Topeka Capital-Journal, "Kobach's office tells counties to stop asking for proof of citizenship," June 20, 2018
  25. ↑ AP News, "Kansas hopes to resurrect proof-of-citizenship voting law," March 18, 2019
  26. ↑ United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, "Fish v. Schwab: Opinion and Order," April 29, 2020
  27. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 Kansas Secretary of State, "Elections - FAQ," accessed July 25, 2024
  29. ↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, “K.S.A. 25-1122” accessed July 25, 2024
  30. ↑ 270towin.com, "Kansas," accessed June 1, 2017
  31. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  32. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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Party primaries by state, 2018
Republican primaries, 2018
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