Here is our wrap-up of Kansas state and local endorsements for the Nov. 5 election | Opinion

Here is a summary of our recommendations for candidates in the general election in Kansas. For more information about the Nov. 5 election, check out our Voter Guide, a collaboration between The Kansas City Star and the KC Media Collective. See all our published endorsements on our Elections Recommendations page.

3rd District U.S. House: Sharice Davids. Sharice Davids is the best option for 3rd District voters, and it isn’t close. She brings intelligence and thoughtfulness to governing. She’s a moderate whose politics are well-matched for the evolving 3rd District.

Davids backed the recent bipartisan immigration bill rejected by Republicans. “Securing our borders,” she told us, is a “key part of being a sovereign nation.” At the same time, she voted against extreme GOP immigration proposals.

Davids’ opponent is Prasanth Reddy, a doctor and researcher. His biography is impressive: He came to the United States as a child, with his Indian parents. He is obviously smart and well-intentioned.

But he’s been fuzzy on reproductive rights, which Kansans support. Davids remains the better choice.

2nd District U.S. House: Nancy Boyda. Nancy Boyda’s centrist politics can frustrate left-leaning Democrats who prefer a full-throated progressive, but she’s a pretty good fit for this conservative district. To be sure, Boyda isn’t a conservative. She vows to vote for national legislation to restore protections for reproductive rights, for example.

On other issues, though, Boyda is on the right of her party’s mainstream. She said transgender athletes should be blocked from taking part in women’s sports. She seems skeptical of climate change remediation.

Boyda’s opponent is Republican Derek Schmidt. We once thought of Schmidt as a moderating force in his party. Sadly, he has joined much of the GOP base in a lurch to the Trumpian right. As attorney general, he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election in other states. That’s disqualifying. It’s also ridiculous.

We did not support Boyda in the Democratic primary, but she’s the better choice for this open seat.

Johnson County Sheriff: Doug Bedford. Our endorsement comes after careful consideration and by the thinnest of margins. We recommend Republican Bedford over Democrat Byron Roberson.

Bedford is former undersheriff to outgoing Sheriff Calvin Hayden. We could not ignore the fact these two came up in the ranks together. But Bedford made a convincing case for why he should lead Hayden’s troubled office, calling for more transparency in officer-involved shooting investigations and to aggressively address the metropolitan area-wide fentanyl crisis with more collaboration among law enforcement agencies.

Roberson, Prairie Village police chief, also shared concerns about fentanyl, and a local mental health crisis. He also candidly addressed concerns about a deadly use-of-force incident he was involved in. However, since Roberson became deputy police chief in 2019, two Prairie Village police officers have lost their certification because of untoward behavior with members of the public. Bedford is the choice at this time.

Johnson County Prosecutor: Vanessa Riebli. We think Riebli would bring a fresh voice to the prosecutor’s office, which badly needs an update.

Steve Howe, the current prosecutor, has held the position for 16 years. “I have made this a career and I have a passion for it,”he told us. But his record is spotty. We’ve questioned Howe’s analysis in the tragic fatal shooting of 17-year-old John Albers by police in 2018. He was cautioned by Kansas’ Office of the Disciplinary Administrator for misleading and inaccurate statements regarding the teen’s death.

Riebli has experience in the office, and promises a fresh approach. She wants to reestablish specialized units and hire a chief of staff. “Being a prosecutor is something I am 100% committed to,” she said. She’s the better choice for this difficult job.

Douglas County Prosecutor: Mike Warner. Warner, the Republican candidate, is the clear choice for voters in Douglas County. He is highly experienced, serving 15 years as a Kansas prosecutor and another 15 years a federal prosecutor.

Warner has spoken out against problem prosecutors and has criticized the disciplinary system for those who cheat to get convictions. “I don’t like prosecutors that hide the ball with evidence, prosecutors that demonize defendants or demonize defense attorneys,” he told us.

Warner would get our endorsement simply on his record, and his positions. In this case, though, opponent Dakota Loomis is unqualified and unprepared for the job.

Loomis has never prosecuted a felony case. After all Douglas County has been through in recent years, the last thing it needs is another underprepared DA. We endorse Warner.