These are the 2021 Primary Election candidate ratings of MainPAC, the political action committee of the Mainstream Coalition, for the August 3rd races in Kansas. 

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Local elections are important!

Elected leaders on school boards, city councils, and local utility boards make the decisions that directly impact our everyday lives. These officials are often first-time candidates, which can make it difficult to find information about their positions on important issues. Additionally, local governing bodies often serve as incubators for aspiring politicians who go on to seek higher office. Remember Kris Kobach? He began his political career in 1999 when he was elected to the Overland Park City Council.

For these reasons, and in order to inform as many voters as possible, this year MainPAC decided to adjust our process for vetting candidates, including:

• Expanding our reach across the state by inviting candidate participation from Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee, and Wyandotte counties
• Using a consistent scoring system based only on multiple choice questions
• Transitioning from endorsements to ratings

If you’re interested in learning about our methodology and process, take a look at the FAQ section below.

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2021 MainPAC Primary Ratings

Download the printer-friendly candidate ratings here (.pdf) 

Download individual candidate responses with scoring matrix here (.pdf) *For the best viewing experience, we recommend opening this file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If it’s not already installed on your device, you can download it here.

 

Municipality	Office	District	Score	First Name	Last Name	Incumbent
Edgerton	Mayor	At-Large	94%	Brent	Carroll
Lawrence	City Commission	At-Large	100%	Amber	Sellers
Lawrence	City Commission	At-Large	94%	Milton	Scott
Lawrence	City Commission	At-Large	82%	Chris	Flowers
Lawrence	School Board	At-Large	100%	Kelly	Jones	X
Lawrence	School Board	At-Large	94%	GR	Gordon-Ross	X
Lawrence	School Board	At-Large	94%	Nate	Morsches
Lawrence	School Board	At-Large	94%	Melissa	Clissold
Lawrence	School Board	At-Large	94%	Myranda	Zarlengo
Lawrence	School Board	At-Large	88%	Kay	Emerson
Lawrence	School Board	At-Large	88%	Travis	Tozer
Lenexa	City Council	3	100%	Melanie	Arroyo
Lenexa	City Council	4	65%	Scott	Callaway
Merriam	City Council	2	71%	Nancy	Hammond
Olathe	City Council	3	82%	LeEtta	Felter
Olathe	City Council	3	41%	Luciana	Ortega-Garcia
Olathe	City Council	At-Large	100%	Dean	Vakas
Olathe	City Council	At-Large	82%	David	Laughter
Olathe	School Board	3	94%	Tiffany	Seaman
Olathe	School Board	3	94%	Julie	Steele
Olathe	School Board	3	53%	J. Ryan	Campbell
Overland Park	City Council	1	100%	Logan	Heley	X
Overland Park	City Council	1	59%	Carol	Merritt
Overland Park	City Council	2	94%	Melissa	Cheatham
Overland Park	City Council	2	88%	Tony	Medina
Overland Park	City Council	4	100%	Ty	Gardner
Overland Park	City Council	4	76%	Stacie	Gram	X
Overland Park	City Council	5	94%	Sam	Passer
Overland Park	City Council	5	94%	Shelia	Rodriguez
Overland Park	Mayor	At-Large	100%	Clay	Norkey
Overland Park	Mayor	At-Large	100%	Faris	Farassati
Overland Park	Mayor	At-Large	88%	Curt	Skoog
Topeka	City Council	3	94%	Regina	Platt
Topeka	City Council	3	82%	Lana	Kombacher
Topeka	City Council	3	59%	William J.	Hendrix
Unified Government of WyCo/Kansas City KS	Commission	1	100%	Lisa	Walker Yeager
Unified Government of WyCo/Kansas City KS	Commission	8	94%	Andrew	Davis
Unified Government of WyCo/Kansas City KS	Commission	8	94%	Geoffrey	Kump
Unified Government of WyCo/Kansas City KS	Commission	At-Large	100%	Claudine	Sanders
Unified Government of WyCo/Kansas City KS	Mayor	At-Large	100%	Tyrone	Garner
Unified Government of WyCo/Kansas City KS	Mayor	At-Large	88%	Janice	Witt
Wichita	City Council	3	100%	Jason	Carmichael
Wichita	City Council	3	100%	Ian M.	Demory
Wichita	City Council	3	82%	Cindy	Miles
Wichita	City Council	3	76%	Jared	Cerullo	X
Wichita	City Council	6	94%	Dereck	Reynolds
Wichita	City Council	6	88%	Martin	Garcia
Wichita	City Council	6	82%	Andy	Speck

 

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FAQ

 

Why did you rate instead of endorse?

Historically, MainPAC endorsements were decided by a nonpartisan volunteer committee that deliberated over candidate surveys, available voting records, candidate interviews when needed, and other factors to determine how closely a candidate is aligned with the values of Mainstream Coalition, and how well their fundraising, organization, and messaging would contribute to their success. The committee then either endorsed the candidate or did not - a result that didn’t provide a lot of additional information about the candidate for you, the voter.

This year, MainPAC worked to provide a more engaging way for you to interact with candidate positions and priorities. Instead of a straight endorsement, the committee published their ratings based directly on candidate answers to multiple choice questions. This allows you to make more informed decisions as you head to the polls this August.

How were the ratings calculated?

Candidates were provided the opportunity to fill out a survey with questions to determine how closely they aligned with Mainstream values. Ratings were then calculated using a consistent scoring matrix designed by the nonpartisan committee. The higher the rating, the greater the probability the candidate aligns with these values. 

MainPAC also wants you to have access to your candidates full response, especially in those cases where a rating is better understood through the more nuanced context of their full answers. That’s why, for the first time, we published the candidates' complete surveys with scoring matrix.

Why are some candidates missing?

MainPAC actively solicited surveys from candidates in city and school board races in Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee, and Wyandotte counties. An invitation for all candidates to participate was also posted on our social media platforms. The most likely reason your primary candidates or race is not listed above is that the candidates did not return a survey. 

Where can I find more information about the election? 

Mainstream’s affiliate, The Voter Network, offers a suite of nonpartisan resources to make voting easier, including KSBallot.org where you can view your sample ballot, learn more about your candidates, and make a plan to vote.