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Kansas down ballot state executive elections, 2014
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August 15, 2014 |
November 4, 2014 |
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General Down Ballot Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner |
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Two down ballot state executive positions were up for election in the state of Kansas in 2014. The two down ballot offices on the ballot in 2014 were the Kansas Treasurer and the Kansas Commissioner of Insurance. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.
Incumbent Ron Estes (R) defeated challenger Carmen Alldritt (D) for another term in the treasurer's office.
Voters chose Ken Selzer (R) over Dennis Anderson (D) to replace Sandy Praeger (R), who did not run for re-election. Praeger crossed party lines to endorse Anderson for the general election, citing his support for expanding Medicaid coverage for low-income families.[1] Learn more about the insurance commissioner race by jumping to the race background section.
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).[2][3][4][5]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Treasurer
Candidates
General election
Ron Estes - Incumbent
Carmen Alldritt[6]
Results
| Treasurer of Kansas, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Ron Estes Incumbent |
67.5% | 570,110 | |
| Democratic | Carmen Alldritt | 32.5% | 274,257 | |
| Total Votes | 844,367 | |||
| Election results via Kansas Secretary of State | ||||
Duties
The office is separated into five areas: administration, bond services, cash management, Kansas learning quest and unclaimed property. The administration department cover the overall working of the office, the bond department issues money to schools or cities that have bonds, the cash department keeps track of allocated money and invests it as needed. Unclaimed property tracks down owners or heirs and the learning quest department provides funds for higher education to students in need.[7]
Campaign finance
Comprehensive donor information for this election has been collected by Follow the Money. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $150,401 during the election. This information was last updated on May 13, 2015.[8]
| Campaign Contribution Totals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| Ron Estes |
Kansas Treasurer | $137,794 | ||
| Carmen Alldritt |
Kansas Treasurer | $12,607 | ||
| Grand Total Raised | $150,401 | |||
Past elections
2010
| Kansas State Treasurer, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Ron Estes |
58.5% | 481,704 | |
| Democratic | Dennis McKinney | 41.5% | 341,324 | |
| Total Votes | 823,028 | |||
| Election results via Kansas Secretary of State | ||||
Insurance Commissioner
Candidates
General election
Dennis Anderson - Family business owner[9]
Ken Selzer
Retiring
Sandy Praeger Incumbent[11]
Lost in the primary
Beverly Gossage - Republican Party Activist, Businesswoman[12]
David Powell - Insurance Agent[13]
Clark Shultz - State Rep. and insurance auditor[10]
John Toplikar - 6th District Johnson County Commissioner[14]
Results
Primary election
Republican primary
| Kansas Insurance Commissioner, Republican Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Ken Selzer |
27.1% | 64,911 | ||
| Beverly Gossage | 23% | 55,306 | ||
| Clark Shultz | 22.7% | 54,565 | ||
| David Powell | 16.8% | 40,388 | ||
| John Toplikar | 10.3% | 24,773 | ||
| Total Votes | 239,943 | |||
| Election results via Kansas Secretary of State. | ||||
Democratic primary
- Uncontested
Results
| Insurance Commissioner of Kansas, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Ken Selzer |
61.5% | 512,679 | |
| Democratic | Dennis Anderson | 38.5% | 320,862 | |
| Total Votes | 833,541 | |||
| Election results via Kansas Secretary of State | ||||
Duties
The commissioner serves as the head of the Kansas Department of Insurance, which regulates and reviews companies for financial solvency and regulatory compliance, educates consumers, and helps license agents selling insurance products in the state.[15]
Campaign finance
Comprehensive donor information for this election has been collected by Follow the Money. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $946,100 during the election. This information was last updated on May 13, 2015.[16]
| Campaign Contribution Totals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| Ken Selzer |
Kansas Insurance Commissioner | $439,934 | ||
| Dennis Anderson |
Kansas Insurance Commissioner | $214,546 | ||
| Beverly Gossage |
Kansas Insurance Commissioner | $194,950 | ||
| Clark Shultz |
Kansas Insurance Commissioner | $55,140 | ||
| David Powell |
Kansas Insurance Commissioner | $28,682 | ||
| John Toplikar |
Kansas Insurance Commissioner | $12,848 | ||
| Grand Total Raised | $946,100 | |||
Race background
Incumbent Sandy Praeger, a Republican first elected in 2002, opted not to seek a fourth term as commissioner, leaving the seat open for the 2014 election.
In September, Praeger endorsed Democrat Dennis Anderson over Ken Selzer, the nominee from her own party. Praeger cited Anderson's like-minded dedication to the causes of expanding Medicaid and opposing the Medicare Compact as reasons to take her support across party lines.[17]
Selzer defeated four opponents in the GOP primary, while Anderson was uncontested for the Democratic nomination. Selzer won the general election on November 4, 2014.
Debate over Health Care Compact
- See also: Health Care Compact
During the campaign, Ken Selzer and Dennis Anderson expressed contrasting views on the Health Care Compact, an interstate agreement among nine states designed to shift healthcare policy from federal agencies to state governments. Participating states would administer Medicare programs but still receive federal Medicare funding. The compact still required congressional approval to take effect, but the issue became a centerpiece of the race for Kansas Insurance Commissioner.[18]
Selzer supported the compact, citing the need to "bring decision-making closer to home where it belongs and do it more efficiently than the federal government."[18] Anderson opposed implementation of the compact, arguing that state-run health programs could exceed federal funding and create future budget issues. The candidates were also divided over expansion of Medicaid programs for low-income families, with Selzer opposing expansion and Anderson supporting broader coverage.[18]
Past elections
2010
| Kansas Commissioner of Insurance, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Sandy Praeger Incumbent |
99.6% | 674,573 | |
| Write-in | David J. Powell | 0.4% | 2,570 | |
| Total Votes | 677,143 | |||
| Election results via Kansas Secretary of State | ||||
Key deadlines
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| June 2, 2014 | Filing deadline (Party Candidates) |
| August 4, 2014 | Filing deadline (Independents) |
| August 5, 2014 | Primary election |
| November 4, 2014 | General election |
| December 1, 2014 | Deadline for State Board of Canvassers to meet |
| January 12, 2015 | Inauguration day for state executive officials elected in November |
Recent news
Treasurer
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Kansas + State + Treasurer + Election"
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Insurance Commissioner
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Kansas + Insurance + Commissioner + Election"
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Kansas Health Institute, "Praeger favors Democrat to succeed her as insurance commissioner," September 16, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," February 6, 2024
- ↑ FairVote, "Open and closed primaries," accessed July 25, 2024
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ Scott Schwab Kansas Secretary of State, "Voter information," accessed July 25, 2024
- ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "2014 Primary Candidates List," accessed June 18, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedkstreas - ↑ Follow the Money, "Overview of Kansas 2014 elections," accessed May 13, 2015
- ↑ Dennis Anderson for Insurance Commissioner 2014 Official campaign website, "Homepage," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Kansas.com, "Former budget chief Anderson joins Selzer campaign for Insurance Commissioner," September 12, 2013
- ↑ The Topeka Capitol-Journal, "Robust GOP primary likely for insurance commissioner," April 12, 2013
- ↑ Beverly Gossage for Insurance Commissioner 2014 Official Campaign Website, "Homepage," accessed September 23, 2013
- ↑ David Powell for Insurance Commissioner 2014 Official campaign website, "Homepage," accessed September 23, 2013
- ↑ John Toplikar, Kansas, "Timeline," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ Kansas Insurance Commission, "About us," accessed December 17, 2012
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Overview of Kansas 2014 elections," accessed May 13, 2015
- ↑ Winfield Daily Courier, "Praeger endorses Anderson for insurance commissioner," September 18, 2014
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 The Wichita Eagle, "Candidate for insurance commissioner slams plan giving Kansas control over Medicare," October 17, 2014
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