In Kansas governor’s debate, 2 of the 3 candidates said exactly what they’d do
There were no moments of high drama, or even particularly good political theater, during the first Kansas gubernatorial debate featuring Democrat Laura Kelly, Republican Kris Kobach and independent Greg Orman. But two of the three left no doubt about what they’d do as governor.
State Sen. Laura Kelly was fully herself, which is to say that she unsheathed no knives and scorched no earth. But then, that’s in keeping with Kelly’s goal, which is to restore the state.
The longtime Topeka lawmaker hopes to repair the damage done by former Gov. Sam Brownback’s tax cuts by investing in public schools and infrastructure and expanding Medicaid. “I think it’s time we slammed the door once and for all on the misery” of the Brownback years, she said in her final remarks at the Wednesday debate.
Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who talks faster than either of his rivals, promised just the opposite — still more Brownback-style tax cuts, only paired with the even deeper spending cuts that he’s sure would make the experiment work this time around.
In answer to a question on election law, Kobach claimed to have rid Kansas of the supposed scourge of voter fraud perpetrated by undocumented immigrants, though his proof-of-citizenship law was struck down by a federal judge in June.
He raised the specter of “non-citizens” voting just recently, when it looked like he could lose his primary race to Gov. Jeff Colyer. After his victory by 350 votes, however, he reconsidered, and said it was “highly unlikely that voter fraud changed the outcome.”
“We have achieved something great,” Kobach said at the debate. “We have solved the problems” of “non-citizens getting on the rolls” as voters. To the extent that a non-problem can be said to have been solved, he deserves full credit.
Entrepreneur Greg Orman blamed both parties for most problems. Though far vaguer about what he’d do than Kelly or Kobach — sure, he wants to grow the economy, but how? — he by no means came across as content-free. And he was stronger in taking on both of his rivals than either was in challenging the other.
“I almost think the idea, Kris, that you think that we need to get rid of all immigrants in Kansas, all illegal immigrants in Kansas, just disqualifies you to be governor,” Orman told Kobach. “It’s clearly a red meat issue for your base.” Without undocumented immigrants, Orman said, “two out of three feedlots would close...You don’t understand how our ag economy works.”
Orman agreed more often with Kelly but also said he was “a little confused” by her criticism of Kobach’s voter ID law since she voted for it. Given her mixed record of gun votes, too, he said, “you can’t take credit for solving a problem you created.” In both cases, her rebuttals needed work.
Kobach called his opponents “two tax-and-spend liberals,” while Kelly’s most successful jab was at President Donald Trump. She won the only chuckle of the debate when, asked to come up with what she liked best about the president, she awarded him credit for giving golf “the support it desperately needed.”
We hope Saturday’s debate at the Kansas State Fair will be more spirited. But even now, there are few mysteries left to solve about who these candidates are.