District 5 — Democrat Kelly Kultala knocked out veteran lawmaker Mark Gilstrap in the primary and would be a dynamic asset for the Wyandotte County delegation. She worked hard for her constituents as a former Unified Government commissioner and is executive director of the Community Foundation of Wyandotte County. Her Republican opponent is Steve Fitzgerald.
District 7 — Republican David Wysong, the incumbent from Mission Hills, should return to Topeka and lead the charge for a statewide smoking ban. He is the founder of a capital management firm. His Democratic challenger, Susan Myers, shows potential, but Wysong is a good senator.
District 8 — Republican Thomas C. (Tim) Owens has served in the Kansas House for seven years and deserves to move up to the Senate seat that Barbara Allen is vacating. A lawyer and former Overland Park councilman, Owens is a moderate who weighs issues as they come up. His Democratic opponent, Judy Macy, served two terms in the House in the 1990s.
District 9 — Voters in this Olathe district have a golden opportunity this year, with retired Olathe School District Superintendent Ron Wimmer running on the Democratic ticket. He is strong on the issues and would be good for schools, his Senate district and the state. Republican Julia Lynn was seated after Kay O’Connor resigned her seat mid-term. Lynn has continued in O’Connor’s unhelpful mode, including her opposition to properly funding public schools.
District 10 — Democrat Pete Roman, a management and technology consultant, is by far the better choice to fill the seat that Nick Jordan is vacating to run for U.S. Congress. His work experience enables him to quickly identify problems and work on solutions. Republican Mary Pilcher Cook has served in the House, and showed little interest in issues beyond limiting abortion and stem-cell research.
District 11 — Republican incumbent John Vratil, a lawyer, has clout in Topeka and is a huge asset to the Johnson County delegation. He should be re-elected over Democrat Robert MacFarland.
District 23 — Stop the presses. While we have disagreed with veteran Republican Karin Brownlee on many issues, we recommend her in this race. Brownlee is a fighter for the region, and has thrown her clout behind the proposed Johnson County Education and Research Triangle. Her Democratic opponent, Bill Jackson, has not made much of an impact.
District 37 — Bond Faulwell entered the race late, after another Democratic nominee withdrew because of illness, but the adjunct college professor is up to the task. Faulwell, a former deputy regional administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration, has strong stands on the issues. He is a better choice to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Dennis Wilson than Republican Jeff Colyer or Libertarian candidate Rob Hodgkinson.
Coming Monday: Area Kansas House recommendations.
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