by Rick Nichols
Registered voters in Jefferson County and others from across the United States will be going to the polls next week to cast ballots in what both some on the left and some on the right have called the “most consequential” election in American history … which is pretty much the same thing these same people said about the 2020 presidential election.
While the votes the candidates for president receive in Kansas, a so-called “red state,” won’t affect the outcome of the race for The White House, you can rest assured that the general election this coming Tuesday will produce a first.
Depending on how the two major party candidates fare in the “swing states” of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona, voters will be putting either a convicted felon or a woman — and a woman of color at that — in the Oval Office for the first time.
If Republican Donald Trump, who in May was found guilty on 34 charges of falsifying business records, is able to amass at least 270 electoral votes, he will be in a position to serve two non-consecutive terms as president — provided he can avoid a prison sentence — thus duplicating the feat of President Grover Cleveland. The 22nd president and the 24th president, Cleveland, a Democrat, occupied the highest office in the land from 1885 to 1889 and again from 1893 to 1897.
Trump is scheduled to be sentenced in a New York City courtroom on Nov. 26, three weeks after Election Day. Falsifying business records, the crime Trump was found guilty of by a jury of his peers, normally carries a four-year sentence, but because the former president has no criminal history he could conceivably avoid having to spend any time behind bars.
On the other hand, if Democrat Kamala Harris, the current vice president, gets the nod from enough voters in the right combination of states to reach or exceed the 270 mark, she will merit a promotion and break the ultimate “glass ceiling” in the process.
The ballot many Kansans will be eyeballing just five days from now also includes two more names, those of presidential candidate Chase Oliver, a Libertarian, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a nephew of America’s 35th president, who had been running for president as an independent candidate. Kennedy, whose father and uncle were staunch Democrats, officially withdrew from the race in late August and immediately threw his support in the direction of Trump, but he wasn’t able to remove his name from the ballot in Michigan and Wisconsin, meaning he could collect votes in those states either Trump or Harris may need to capture the electoral votes — 15 in Michigan and 10 in Wisconsin — in play.
Kennedy easily has more name recognition than Oliver, but the two men aren’t the only presidential candidates not named Trump or Harris who could siphon votes away from the major party candidates in one or more of the “swing states.” According to National Public Radio, Jill Stein of the Green Party will appear on the ballot in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia and Arizona. She was a presidential candidate in 2016.
Oliver’s name will show up on the ballot in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona, according to NPR.
Much closer to home, county voters will have a say in determining whether or not Tracey Mann, a Republican, continues to represent the huge 1st Congressional District on Capitol Hill. He is seeking a third term in office and has a challenger in Democrat Paul Buskirk.
Mann calls Salina home, while Buskirk resides in Lawrence.
Closer yet, these same voters will help pick two new state senators and help decide whether or not two state representatives should remain in office.
The only name voters will see on the ballot in connection with the 1st District Senate seat is that of a Republican, Craig Bowser of rural Holton. So barring a successful write-in campaign by a Democrat or someone else, he would appear to be a shoo-in for a chair in the upper chamber.
But both a Republican, Kenny Titus, who lives in the Manhattan area, and a Democrat, Matthew Robin of Wamego, are vying for the 18th District Senate seat.
Republican Dennis Pyle, who ran as an independent candidate for governor in 2022, has been representing the 1st District in Topeka, Kristen O’Shea the 18th District. She, too, is a Republican.
Lance Neelly of Tonganoxie, a Republican, is hoping to retain the 42nd District House of Representatives seat, but he faces an opponent in Democrat Eddy Martinez of Lawrence.
Likewise, Republican Ron Ellis of rural Meriden wants to keep his seat in the lower chamber, but to do so he must turn back his challenger, Democrat Mary Williams, a resident of the Meriden area. Ellis’ district is the 47th.
The six county offices up for grabs this year have attracted five incumbents, all Republicans, as candidates, and the lone candidate for the sixth office also is a Republican. None of the incumbents has an opponent, and only one of them had an opponent in the primary election.
Seeking another term as the County Commissioner for the 2nd District is David Christy, the current chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. His fellow commissioner, Richard Malm, who represents the 3rd District and is the vice chairman of the three-member body, also is hoping to earn another term in office.
County Clerk Julie Dunkle, who assumed her duties in early April following the retirement of Linda Buttron, is looking to lock up the job for the next four years.
The sole candidate for the position of County Treasurer is Douglas Bond. Barring the unexpected, he will be replacing Lisa Buerman, who is planning to retire when her current term expires in early January.
Register of Deeds Delia Heston is after another term in office, as is County Attorney Josh Ney. He also is the County Counselor, which is an appointed position, at this time.
The fifth and final incumbent is Sheriff Jeff Herrig, who faced a challenger in the August election in the form of John McMahan but easily prevailed over him.
There will be either a Republican candidate or a Democratic candidate on the ballot for 23 of the 24 township offices that need to be filled this year.
The unopposed Republican candidates and the positions they are pursuing are as follows: Jerry Franz, Kaw Township Trustee; Douglas Brumbaugh, Kaw Township Treasurer; Leon Bidinger, Kentucky Township Trustee; Lucy Patterson, Kentucky Township Treasurer; Richard Williams, Rural Township Treasurer; Kim Swearngin, Sarcoxie Township Trustee; Roberta Renz, Sarcoxie Township Treasurer; Kevin Gibson, Rock Creek Township Trustee; Gene Tarwater, Rock Creek Township Treasurer; Michelle Dillman, Fairview Township Trustee; James Durand, Fairview Township Treasurer; Roger Bostwick, Ozawkie Township Trustee; Amy Kramer, Ozawkie Township Treasurer; Kevin Fowler, Oskaloosa Township Trustee; Paul Shirey Jr., Union Township Trustee; Bill Hansen, Union Township Treasurer; Nelda Bodenheimer, Jefferson Township Trustee; Monte Moore, Jefferson Township Treasurer; Lee Welborn, Delaware Township Treasurer; and Ashlei Babcock, Norton Township Treasurer.
The unopposed Democratic candidates and the positions they want to occupy are as follows: Vinnie Southiere, Oskaloosa Township Treasurer; Philip Huffman, Delaware Township Trustee; and David Schneider, Norton Township Trustee.
There isn’t a candidate for the post of Rural Township Trustee.
Some of the county’s registered voters, they being patrons of Jefferson County North USD 339 or patrons of Jefferson West USD 340, will largely decide the fate of two bond issues. USD 339 is asking its patrons to pass a $5.5 million bond issue, while USD 340 wants its patrons to say “Yes” to a $21 million bond issue.
Finally, all of the county’s voters will have a chance to weigh in on the possible retention or possible rejection of seven of the 14 judges who constitute the Kansas Court of Appeals. Those judges are Chief Judge Karen Arnold-Burger, Judge Sarah E. Warner, Judge David E. Bruns, Judge G. Gordon Atcheson, Judge Rachel Pickering, Judge Angela D. Coble and Judge Kathryn A. Gardner.
The 13 polling places in Jefferson County will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
