The Star Editorial Board’s endorsement for Kansas Senate 5th District GOP primary | Opinion

Two very conservative candidates are running for the Republican nomination for the Kansas Senate 5th District seat, which includes parts of northwestern Wyandotte County and much of Leavenworth County.

We think Jeff Klemp is the better choice for Republicans in this district.

Klemp promises to stand up for “commonsense conservative values,” which is typical of most GOP candidates. Those values include property tax relief for seniors and general tax help for disabled veterans. He also supports education reform and term limits.

Like most other Republicans this year, Klemp has made an issue of immigration enforcement on the border with Mexico. “Securing the border will stem the flow of dangerous drugs, human trafficking, and the inflow of illegals affecting all states,” he said on X.

Klemp has been endorsed by the Kansas Chamber PAC and Americans for Prosperity, two influential conservative groups in the state. Republicans in the 5th District should not doubt that Klemp would be a reliably conservative vote in Topeka.

Echo Van Meteren might merit similar consideration, since her views roughly seem aligned with Klemp’s, and the GOP’s. In a questionnaire sent to both candidates by The Leavenworth Times, Van Meteren said “safety” was her highest priority.

“With the rise of fentanyl on the streets, budget issues facing police, fire and corrections, the state needs to find a solution to ensure citizen and officer safety,” she told the newspaper.

But the mystery surrounding her eventual presence in this race should give Republicans pause.

In June, Kris Van Meteren — Echo’s husband — created the No Labels Party of Kansas, Inc. It appeared to mirror the national No Labels party that has long billed itself as a supposed middle-of-the-road alternative to Republicans and Democrats.

Kris Van Meteren, a well-known political consultant, then called a “meeting” of his party, and nominated his spouse, Echo, as the No Labels candidate in the race. Had the filing been confirmed, she would have been a candidate in November, presumably without primary opposition.

But two days later, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab invalidated the nomination, claiming Kris Van Meteren was not the chairman of No Labels. One election lawyer called it “clown car stuff.”

The apparent attempt to hijack No Labels’ ballot access should worry every Republican. While one spouse should not be held responsible for the mischief of another (and Kris claims Echo Van Meteren was unaware of his gambit), we think Republicans should be wary of any subterfuge in elections, or interference with the ballot.

The winner of the GOP primary will face Jeff Pittman, the Democratic incumbent.

This story was originally published July 31, 2024 at 5:02 AM.