The Star endorses this moderate in Johnson County race for the Kansas Senate
Kansas Sen. Dinah Sykes was a stay-at-home mom, personal chef and Lenexa PTA president before she first ran for office in 2016. Back then, she was one of those moderate Republicans opposed to the Sam Brownback tax experiment and the devastating impact of its funding cuts on the state’s once excellent public schools.
“In my first term,” Sykes often says, “I learned that the voice of a frustrated parent is just as effective on legislators as it is on my own children.” Not many parents can claim that their frustration has that effect on their children. And Sykes did not find that her frustration with her own party was changing many minds among her GOP colleagues.
In December of 2018, she announced that, “I feel like I can either fight to change the Republican Party or fight for the state I love and the people I serve. I think I can better serve my state and constituents as a member of the Democratic Party.”
Now, she’s running as a Democrat for reelection in state Senate District 21, which is itself trending increasingly Democratic. Her opponent in the race is Republican homebuilder Tom Bickimer, also of Lenexa.
He says that by switching parties, Sykes put politics ahead of people. “Me, I’d rather fight than switch,” he says, evoking those old cigarette commercials in which smokers with a black eye used to declare, “Us Tareyton smokers would rather fight than switch.”
Beyond his opposition to abortion rights and his support for Medicaid expansion, which Sykes is for, too, what Bickimer is fighting for isn’t clear. He declined to meet with The Star Editorial Board to answer questions, and his public pronouncements are a string of platitudes like this one: “Speaking of my opponent,” he says in a Facebook video, “she claims she wants the old Kansas back. I don’t. Kansans don’t settle. It’s time to move forward, not backwards. I’m a builder, not a divider. Let’s build something special together.”
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWho decides the endorsements?
Members of The Kansas City Star Editorial Board interview political candidates, as well as advocates and opponents of ballot measures. The editorial board is comprised of seasoned opinion journalists and is separate from The Star’s newsroom. The board’s members are editorial writers Toriano Porter and Mara’ Rose Williams — all veteran journalists with decades of experience. Editors Derek Donovan is also a member, and editor David Tarrant, while not a member of the board, reads and often improves each editorial we publish. Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
What does the endorsement process entail?
The Star Editorial Board invites candidates in each race to meet with the board in an on-the-record discussion, the purpose of which is more fully understand what distinguishes one candidate from another. Board members do additional reporting and research to learn as much as possible about the candidates. The editorial board then convenes to discuss the candidates in each race. Board members seek to reach a consensus on the endorsements, but not every decision is unanimous..
Is the editorial board partisan?
No. In making endorsements, members of the editorial board consider which candidates are well prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they agree with us or belong to a particular political party. We do weigh heavily their stances on issues we consider basic tests of judgment and candor, such as whether they even acknowledge climate change as real, or if they continue to deny the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. We weigh these factors against many others, and state clearly what our conclusions are. Primarily, we evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, their readiness for office, their depth of knowledge of key issues and their understanding of public policy. We’re seeking candidates who are thoughtful and who offer more than just party-line talking points. The editorial board will endorse both Republicans and Democrats, making recommendations about who the best-qualified candidate for each job is.
Why are endorsements unsigned?
Endorsements reflect the collective views of The Star’s editorial board — not just the opinion of one writer. Board members all discuss and contribute ideas to each endorsement editorial.
Sykes can also lack specificity, for instance noting in our interview that constituents don’t necessarily expect her to solve anything, but want to be listened to. Listening is important, but so are solutions, and she had none in mind when asked what structural changes might encourage lawmakers in Topeka to get more accomplished.
Yet she will be a much-needed moderate voice in Topeka as Kansas attempts to dig out from this recession, and she will be guided by science and data as lawmakers navigate the coronavirus pandemic. Plus, she is both clear and correct in her opposition to school vouchers that divert money from public education and her support for Medicaid expansion.
“I’ve always thought that it was short-sighted,” she said, to fail to expand Medicaid to cover the some 150,000 Kansans, most of them working people, who still lack access to health care. “And in the middle of a pandemic, it’s reprehensible.”
Sykes, whose views line up with the Johnson County district she represents, has earned The Star Editorial Board’s endorsement and deserves the support of voters in Senate District 21.
This story was originally published October 12, 2020 at 5:00 AM.