The Star endorses a Kansas centrist who would make history in the US Senate race
Kansas hasn’t elected a Democratic U.S. senator since 1932, a streak that has damaged the state’s interests over time and one that should finally come to an end in the Nov. 3 election.
Kansas voters should send Democrat Barbara Bollier to the U.S. Senate.
Bollier’s Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall, has wildly caricatured the centrist state senator as a radical leftist. His party, backed by millions of dollars in outside spending, has joined the chorus.
It’s balderdash. Before changing her party affiliation in 2018, Bollier was a mainstream Kansas Republican, which meant supporting a sensible government focused on balanced budgets and a pro-business agenda. Former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, one of many Republicans who have endorsed Bollier, is a like-minded ally.
But Kassebaum’s Republican Party has disappeared, replaced by a hyper-conservative GOP that is blindly loyal to President Donald Trump. Nowhere is that contrast more apparent than in the Senate candidates’ approach to the coronavirus.
Bollier responsible about COVID-19 response
Both Bollier and Marshall are doctors. Bollier has campaigned at a distance, with masks, limiting the exposure of supporters and other Kansans. “A job for a leader is to lead,” she said.
Marshall has repeatedly campaigned indoors and in crowds without a mask. He said he has taken hydroxychloroquine, an unproven treatment, just like the president. A member of Marshall’s campaign team just tested positive for COVID-19.
Bollier has been responsible and cautious when it comes to COVID-19. Marshall has not.
Bollier hasn’t been a perfect candidate. She has occasionally stumbled in speeches and debates. She sometimes seems too rehearsed. When asked if she wants to end the Senate filibuster, Bollier told The Kansas City Star Editorial Board, “I don’t know.”
Someone who wants to serve in the Senate should be able to answer that question.
But Kansans should look beyond those few hiccups to consider precisely what Bollier would do in the Senate. Her priorities are clear, and her commonsense approach aligns with Kansas voters’ views:
▪ She supports a buy-in public option for health insurance and the expansion of Medicaid in Kansas. Both would provide coverage for those who lack it, a particularly urgent need in the middle of a devastating pandemic.
☆Bollier supports another COVID-19 stimulus bill, which will be essential for steadying our coronavirus-ravaged economy.
▪ She does not support the Green New Deal, the package of environmental reforms aimed at mitigating climate change. At the same time, Bollier understands the need for action to reduce the damage a warming planet will cause in Kansas.
▪ Bollier has endorsed the Equality Act, which would bar discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. Given the current makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court, that protection will be vital.
▪ She stands for justice under the law, which means increased support for federal public defenders, decriminalizing the nation’s contradictory marijuana laws and ending the militarization of the nation’s police departments.
Roger Marshall’s views are quite different.
Marshall wrong on coronavirus, health care
In the midst of a pandemic, “each community has to solve this one community at a time,” Marshall told the Wichita Eagle’s editorial board. Coronavirus cases are reaching record levels in part because of that kind of inconsistent, unfocused response.
He claims a vaccine should be available in limited quantities in the next five weeks. There is virtually no evidence to support that kind of optimism.
Marshall says the nation’s debt remains a top concern. “This country’s going to have to go on a diet,” he told the Eagle. For the record, when Marshall took office, the nation’s debt was just short of $20 trillion. Today, it’s $27 trillion and growing, in part because he supported ill-advised tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.
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.
Marshall wants the Affordable Care Act to fail. He promises to protect coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, yet he works to kill the law that does just that — while offering no viable alternative. It’s an empty promise.
Marshall declined to interview with The Star Editorial Board this fall, and during the primary campaign, he told us, “If you would give me your endorsement, I would decline it.”
Some Kansans think Roger Marshall is the moderate alternative to Kris Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state who lost in the Republican primary for this Senate seat. Don’t be fooled. Marshall is every bit as conservative as Kobach.
Bollier is far better prepared to meet this moment. And after nearly a century of GOP clean sweeps, electing a Democrat to the Senate would send a signal to Kansas Republicans that hyper-conservative nominees don’t have majority support in this state.
If Marshall prevails, on the other hand, the GOP will have no reason to work back toward the middle, where Kansans want to be.
Bollier has highlighted her willingness to reject bad bills and extreme measures, regardless of which party backs them. “I am not a sheep,” she said. “I am one tough woman.”
Kansas was among the first states to give women the vote, and voters have consistently supported strong, pragmatic women for statewide office for decades.
Barbara Bollier is emblematic of that tradition, and she has earned The Star’s endorsement.
This story was originally published October 28, 2020 at 9:21 AM.