Kansas Equality Coalition Endorses candidates who support LGBT equality

Kansas Equality Coalition endorses candidates based solely on their positions on issues relating to LGBT equality. While many in our community care deeply about other issues, such as a reproductive rights, economic and social justice, and so on, we do not take a candidate’s positions on those topics into account.

Our political action committee ranks candidates by four prioritized criteria: First, we consider active membership in KEC, then an incumbent’s previous voting record, followed by responses on a challenger’s questionnaire, and finally, public statements by candidates. We do not rely on private assurances of support. Some districts have no endorsed candidate - either we don’t know enough about the candidates to make an endorsement, or all of the candidates in that specific race have anti-equality records.

Endorsements are non-partisan. We endorse candidates who support equality, without regard to Democratic or Republican party membership.

For US President, we recommend Barack Obama. The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the signing of the Mathew Sheppard Hate Crimes Act, and his full endorsement of marriage equality make him the clear choice in that contest.

We received no questionnaire responses from any candidates for United States Congress, and none of the Congressional incumbents on the ballot this year have LGBT-friendly voting records. Some readers will recall that we endorsed Kevin Yoder (R-3rd Congressional District) in 2010. Sadly, once Mr. Yoder was elected to Congress, he failed to live up to the pro-equality voting record he established during his years in the Kansas statehouse.

What follows are our endorsements for Kansas State Board of Education, and Kansas Legislative (House and Senate) races. If you are unsure of your districts, or would like to create a sample ballot specific to your locale, go to https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/

Kansas BOE 2: Cindy Neighbor
Kansas BOE 4: Carolyn Campbell

KS House 2: Robert Grant
KS House 3: Julie Menghini
KS House 7: Richard Proehl
KS House 10: John Wilson
KS House 14: Roberta Eveslage
KS House 17: Larry Meeker
KS House 18: Milack Talia
KS House 19: Stephanie Clayton
KS House 21: Barbara Bollier
KS House 24: Emily Perry
KS House 25: Megan England
KS House 30: Liz Dickinson
KS House 31: Louis Ruiz
KS House 33: Tom Burroughs
KS House 34: Valdenia Winn
KS House 35: Broderick Henderson
KS House 36: Kathy Moore
KS House 37: Stan Frownfelter
KS House 44: Barbara Ballard
KS House 45: Tom Sloan
KS House 46: Paul Davis
KS House 50: Sean Gatewood
KS House 53: Annie Tietze
KS House 54: Ann Mah
KS House 55: Annie Kuether
KS House 58: Harold Lane
KS House 60: Don Hill
KS House 65: Melody Saxton
KS House 66: Sydney Carlin
KS House 79: Ed Trimmer
KS House 83: Carolyn Bridges
KS House 84: Gail Finney
KS House 86: Jim Ward
KS House 88: Patricia Sloop
KS House 91: Katelyn Delvaux
KS House 92: Nile Dillmore
KS House 93: Sammy Flaharty
KS House 95: Tom Sawyer
KS House 96: Brandon Whipple
KS House 97: Dale Swenson
KS House 98: Geraldine Flaharty
KS House 102: Dakota Bass
KS House 103: Ponka-We Victors
KS House 104: Steven Becker
KS House 105: Liz Hicks
KS House 108: Steven Johnson
KS House 117: Dennis McKinney
KS House 118: Don Hineman

KS Senate 2: Marci Francisco
KS Senate 3: Tom Holland
KS Senate 4: David Haley
KS Senate 5: Kelly Kultala
KS Senate 6: Chris Steineger
KS Senate 7: Kyle Russell
KS Senate 14: Eden Fuson
KS Senate 18: Laura Kelly
KS Senate 19: Anthony Hensley
KS Senate 20: Vicki Schmidt
KS Senate 22: Tom Hawk
KS Senate 24: Janice Norlin
KS Senate 25: Timothy Snow
KS Senate 29: Oletha Faust-Goudeau
KS Senate 35: Jay Emler
KS Senate 38: Johnny Dunlap

You can view this on the KEC website at:
http://www.kansasequalitycoalition.org/viewevent.php?e=4599