The Star Editorial Board’s endorsement for US Congress, Kansas House in GOP primaries | Opinion

Editor’s note: Here are the candidates we endorse for Kansas House Districts 3, 33 and 48 in the Aug. 6 primary. Read more here to learn about which races the editorial board is making endorsements in, and check out The Star’s Voter Guide.

Republicans in Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District have two choices this August in picking a candidate to face incumbent Sharice Davids: Karen Crnkovich and Prasanth Reddy.

We narrowly recommend Crnkovich over Reddy in the race.

It’s a difficult choice. Reddy, a physician and researcher, is qualified for the post, and has the support of the national Republican establishment. He’s been endorsed by Mike Pompeo, former secretary of state, and other leaders in the U.S. House.

He is, on most issues, a mainstream Republican candidate. He says he is opposed to a federal ban on abortion: He believes the states should decide the issue. He says he will support “where the voters have landed” in Kansas on abortion rights.

Like many Republicans, he wants to “secure the border” with Mexico. But Reddy is himself an immigrant; we think he could be an important (and stronger) voice in explaining why America needs comprehensive and workable immigration reform, not just an ineffective wall and an armed presence on the southern border.

Crnkovich is a business owner. She appears more focused on a traditional Republican approach to fiscal issues — low taxes, spending cuts, deregulation — than on cultural issues such as guns and abortion.

“I am a commonsense conservative,” she told us in our pre-primary survey. “I believe in listening with an open heart and mind.”

Republicans in the 3rd District in Kansas, particularly those in Johnson County, have abandoned the party in droves over the past decade, largely because GOP candidates have centered their arguments on cultural concerns.

It’s refreshing, we think, for a candidate to return to fiscal policy as a campaign theme. It’s a reminder of a time when Republicans were more worried about the federal deficit than Christian nationalism or dismantling public education.

Make no mistake: The deficit will be front and center in the next Congress, when extending current tax policy will be a central issue. In the coming campaign, we hope candidates for the U.S. House and Senate make their views on tax policy and the deficit clear and unmistakable.

We believe both primary candidates could provide an interesting contrast with Davids in the fall. Both have kept Donald Trump at arm’s length, which makes sense in this district.

We think Crnkovich is the best choice for Republicans.

In other races, there is a handful of competitive primaries for seats in the Kansas Legislature. Here are our choices in two important GOP primaries.

Kansas House District 33

We endorse incumbent state Rep. Mike Thompson for this seat. Thompson has represented his district well. He’s a veteran, and understands the challenges in western Wyandotte County.

He’ll be an important voice as Kansas considers aid for the Chiefs and the Royals, as the teams contemplate moving across the state line.

To be clear, Thompson is conservative. He has pushed a gun rights amendment to the Kansas Constitution and wants congressional term limits. (Thompson, by the way, should not be confused with state Sen. Mike Thompson, the former weather forecaster.)

Thompson’s opponent, Clifton Boje, calls himself a “Christian abolitionist.” Religion and faith appear to be the central theme in his campaign.

No one should be disqualified for office because of their beliefs. At the same time, Kansas faces secular problems, too. The Legislature does not need another culture warrior.

Kansas House District 48

The winner of this Republican primary will face incumbent Dan Osman, a Democrat.

Randy Ross and Debbie Paulbeck are the GOP candidates. Of the two, we think Ross deserves Republican support.

It’s a close call. Ross is a business consultant with a relatively traditional Republican approach. He says he supports fully funding Kansas schools, which is important in his suburban district.

Significantly, Ross told us he wants to improve transparency in the Kansas Legislature. “Too much goes on behind the scenes now, and then is spun,” he said. We agree.

State legislators should all support more openness in state government.

Paulbeck calls herself a political “outsider,” and promises to unite Kansans. “We need more people to listen and work to find things we agree upon,” she told us in our candidate survey.

We don’t disagree with that. Taken as a whole, however, we think Ross is a more thoughtful candidate for the Republican Party.