Kansas Secretary of State election, 2010

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Candidates for Secretary of State, 2010

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Primary election dates
Statewide elections, 2010
November 2nd General Election results

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State Executive Official news headlines

## Contents

* 1 General Election campaign
* 1.1 Results
* 1.2 Candidate forum
* 1.3 Endorsements
* 1.4 Finances
* 1.5 Polling
* 1.5.1 Survey USA 1st poll
* 1.5.2 Survey USA 2nd poll
* 2 August 3, 2010 primaries
* 2.1 Democratic primary
* 2.1.1 Candidates
* 2.1.2 Electoral results
* 2.1.3 Endorsements
* 2.1.4 Finances
* 2.2 Republican primary
* 2.2.1 Candidates
* 2.2.2 Electoral results
* 2.2.3 Endorsements
* 2.2.4 Finances
* 3 Noteworthy events
* 3.1 Arizona SB1070
* 3.2 "Illegal is Illegal" Rally
* 3.2.1 Birther joke
* 3.2.2 Campaign treasurer
* 3.2.3 Election errors
* 3.2.4 Ethics complaints
* 4 See also
* 5 External links
* 5.1 General Election candidates
* 5.2 Former candidates
* 6 Footnotes

The Kansas Secretary of State election of 2010 was held on November 2, 2010. The incumbent, former Kansas Securities Commissioner Chris Biggs (Democrat), was appointed to office by Democratic Governor Mark Parkinson on March 17, 2010 - less than five months before the primary elections. Biggs' appointment was prompted by the resignation of Republican Ron Thornburgh, who had served in the office for nearly sixteen years.[1][2]

On August 3, Biggs faced Chris Steineger in the primary election and won the Democratic Party nomination with 60.2% of the vote. At the same time, three Republican candidates vied for their party's seat on the ballot. Kris Kobach won 50.6% of the vote, dashing the election hopes of Shawnee County Election Commissioner Elizabeth Ensley and J.R. Claeys, former President and CEO of the National Association of Government Contractors.

In the general election in November, Kobach and Biggs were met by Libertarian Phillip Horatio Lucas and Reform Party candidate Derek Langseth. With 59% of the vote, Kobach unseated Biggs, who received 37.2% of the vote, while Lucas and Langseth claimed 2.0% and 1.6%, respectively.

## General Election campaign[edit]

### Results[edit]

Kansas Secretary of State, General Election, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Kris Kobach | 59% | 489,640
| Democratic  |  Chris Biggs | 37.2% | 308,641
| Libertarian  |  Phillip Horatio Lucas  | 2.1% | 17,336
| Reform Party  |  Derek Langseth  | 1.7% | 13,896
Total Votes | 829,513
Election results via Kansas Secretary of State

### Candidate forum[edit]

Part 4. Biggs-Kobach Forum. Initiatives; Caucus; Internet

Biggs faced his opponent, Kris Kobach, in a candidate forum on October 12, 2010. The moderator picked many questions from the audience, such as:

* Voter fraud?
* Upgrade of how Kansans vote?
* Increasing voter turnout? Weekend ballots?
* Outside legal work?
* Initiatives and referendums like Missouri?
* Replace caucus with presidential primary?
* Voting on the Internet?
* Management experience?
* How to streamline office?

Kansas Watchdog captured video from the forum, including this video about their initiatives, caucus and the Internet.[3]

### Endorsements[edit]

Chris Biggs

* Communications Workers of America (CWA)[4]
* Kansas AFL-CIO[5]
* Wichita Eagle, local newspaper[6]

Kris Kobach

* Can-Do Conservatives of America[7]
* J.R. Claeys, former Republican candidate for Secretary of State[8][9]
* Elizabeth Ensley, former Republican candidate for Secretary of State[9][10]
* Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts and presidential candidate[11][12]

### Finances[edit]

According to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, as of October 27, 2010, the following was the breakdown of campaign finances for each of the candidates:

Chris Biggs Campaign Finance Reports

Report  | Date Filed  | Beginning Balance  | Contributions  | In-Kind [13] | Other Sources  | Expenditures  | Cash on Hand
July 23 - October 21, 2010[14] | October 25, 2010  | $34,173.32  | $218,142.00  | $412.50  | $31,000.00  | $241,199.48  | $10,714.16
Kris Kobach Campaign Finance Reports

Report  | Date Filed  | Beginning Balance  | Contributions  | In-Kind [13] | Other Sources  | Expenditures  | Cash on Hand
July 23 - October 22, 2010[15] | October 25, 2010  | $89,342.63  | $136,810.39  | $550.00  | $0.00  | $95,490.49  | $130,662.53

### Polling[edit]

#### Survey USA 1st poll[edit]

Survey USA, under contract with a local news station in Kansas, surveyed 882 registered voters about all the statewide races on the ballot in November; of these, 588 were deemed to be likely voters. Survey USA did not use live call center employees, but rather an automated system in which taped questions were asked via a professional announcer; the respondent was then invited to press a button on their phone or record a message indicating their selections.

Survey USA Poll - August 12 – 15, 2010[16]

Candidates  | Percentage
Kris Kobach (R) | 62%
Chris Biggs (D)  | 30%
Phillip Horatio Lucas (Libertarian)  | 2%
Derek Langseth (Reform)  | 2%
Undecided  | 4%
Total voters | 588

#### Survey USA 2nd poll[edit]

Survey USA, under contract with a local news station in Kansas, surveyed 602 likely voters about all the statewide races on the ballot in November. Survey USA did not use live call center employees, but rather an automated system in which taped questions were asked via a professional announcer; the respondent was then invited to press a button on their phone or record a message indicating their selections.

Survey USA Poll - September 12 – 15, 2010[17]

Candidates  | Percentage
Kris Kobach (R) | 53%
Chris Biggs (D)  | 36%
Phillip Horatio Lucas (Libertarian)  | 3%
Derek Langseth (Reform)  | 3%
Undecided  | 4%
Total voters | 602

## August 3, 2010 primaries[edit]

See also: Kansas gubernatorial election, 2010; Kansas Attorney General election, 2010

###  Democratic primary[edit]

#### Candidates[edit]

* Incumbent Secretary of State Chris Biggs[18]
* State Senator Chris Steineger[19]

#### Electoral results[edit]

2010 Race for Secretary of State - Democratic Primary[20]

Party  | Candidate  | Vote Percentage
| Democratic Party | a Chris Biggs | 60.3%
| Democratic Party | Chris Steineger | 39.7%
Total Votes  | 80,872

#### Endorsements[edit]

Chris Biggs

* Kansas National Education Association (KNEA)[21]
* State Representative Paul Davis[22] (House Minority Leader)
* State Senator Anthony Hensley[22][23] (Senate Majority Leader)

#### Finances[edit]

According to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, as of July 28, 2010, the following was the breakdown of campaign finances for each of the candidates:

Chris Biggs Campaign Finance Reports

Report  | Date Filed  | Beginning Balance  | Contributions  | In-Kind [13] | Other Sources  | Expenditures  | Cash on Hand
January 1 - July 22, 2010[24] | July 29, 2010  | $922.01  | $76,636.00  | $1,899.23  | $6,000.00  | $43,384.69  | $34,173.32
January 1 - December 31, 2009[25] | January 10, 2010  | $0.00  | $1,454.00  | $155.88  | $1,000.00  | $531.99  | $922.01
Chris Steineger Campaign Finance Reports

Report  | Date Filed  | Beginning Balance  | Contributions  | In-Kind [13] | Other Sources  | Expenditures  | Cash on Hand
January 1 - July 22, 2010[26] | July 26, 2010  | $0.00  | $107,835.00  | $2,763.90  | $50,000.00  | $81,575.15  | $26,259.85

###  Republican primary[edit]

#### Candidates[edit]

* Former Chairman of Kansas Republican Party Kris Kobach[27]
* Former Salina resident J.R. Claeys[28]
* Shawnee County election commissioner Elizabeth Ensley[29]

#### Electoral results[edit]

2010 Race for Secretary of State - Republican Primary[20]

Party  | Candidate  | Vote Percentage
| Republican Party | a Kris Kobach | 50.7%
| Republican Party | Elizabeth Ensley | 27.0%
| Republican Party | J.R. Claeys | 22.3%
Total Votes  | 308,776

#### Endorsements[edit]

Elizabeth Ensley

* Jack Brier, former Kansas Secretary of State[30]
* Bill Graves, former Kansas Secretary of State and Governor of Kansas[30]
* Johnson County Sun, local newspaper[31]
* Ron Thornburgh, former Kansas Secretary of State[32]

Kris Kobach

* Gun Owners of America[33]
* Kansans for Government Reform PAC[34][35]
* Kansans for Life Political Action Committee[36][37]
* Michelle Malkin, conservative author and activist[38]
* Fred Thompson, actor and former United States Senator[39]

#### Finances[edit]

According to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, as of July 28, 2010, the following was the breakdown of campaign finances for each of the candidates:

J.R. Claeys Campaign Finance Reports

Report  | Date Filed  | Beginning Balance  | Contributions  | In-Kind [13] | Other Sources  | Expenditures  | Cash on Hand
January 1 - July 22, 2010[40] | July 26, 2010  | $287,644.28  | $300.00  | $0.00  | $30,000.00  | $282,003.30  | $5,940.98
January 1 - December 31, 2009[41] | July 22, 2010  | $213,642.19  | $110,166.70  | $50.00  | $30,000.00  | $36,164.61  | $287,644.28
Elizabeth Ensley Campaign Finance Reports

Report  | Date Filed  | Beginning Balance  | Contributions  | In-Kind [13] | Other Sources  | Expenditures  | Cash on Hand
January 1 - July 22, 2010[42] | July 26, 2010  | $0.00  | $74,360.69  | $2,462.79  | $0.00  | $61,263.52  | $13,097.17
Kris Kobach Campaign Finance Reports

Report  | Date Filed  | Beginning Balance  | Contributions  | In-Kind [13] | Other Sources  | Expenditures  | Cash on Hand
January 1 - July 22, 2010[43] | July 25, 2010  | $127,854.80  | $10,192.50  | $902.66  | $0.00  | $99,933.26  | $38,114.04
January 1 - December 31, 2009[44] | January 13, 2010  | $60,000.00  | $92,607.00  | $3,024.57  | $0.00  | $24,752.20  | $127,854.80

## Noteworthy events[edit]

### Arizona SB1070[edit]

Several days after Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) signed into law Senate Bill 1070 – The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, commonly known as Arizona SB 1070, the Lawrence Journal-World & News reported that law professor and Kansas Secretary of State candidate Kris Kobach had contributed to drafting the legislation.[45][46] The Act made it a state misdemeanor for an individual to be in Arizona without carrying the citizenship or immigration documents required by federal law, authorized state and local enforcement of federal immigration laws, and imposed penalties on those who shelter, hire, or transport unauthorized immigrants. Kobach stated that he assisted Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce voluntarily and did not believe it would affect his campaign for secretary of state. He also said he would be willing to draft a similar measure in Kansas if requested by a state legislator.

Civil rights groups that opposed the immigration law petitioned the University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) to take action against Kobach, who had been teaching there since 1996. His most vocal critic, J.D. Rios, an assistant superintendent for Kansas City, Kansas schools, stated that Kobach "violated the general UMKC policy to promote diversity."[47]

Despite criticism from some alumni who said they would discourage Hispanic students from enrolling, UMKC supported Kobach, stating that the university upholds academic freedom for all faculty members.[48]

### "Illegal is Illegal" Rally[edit]

On July 14, 2010, supporters of Kobach held an “Illegal is Illegal” rally at the Ritz Charles convention center after permission to use MidAmerica Nazarene University was withdrawn. Sheriff Joe Arpaio from Maricopa County, Arizona, attended the standing-room-only rally in support of Kobach. Several hundred people participated in a mostly silent “Love Conquers Hate” protest along the sidewalk surrounding the convention center. More than 50 attendees from the NAACP Convention in Kansas City joined, expressing concerns about racial profiling and chanting “hope, not hate” as they arrived in a small parade.[49]

#### Birther joke[edit]

At a Leavenworth County Republican Party BBQ in Tonganoxie shortly after the Fourth of July in 2009, Kobach made a joke about President Barack Obama, saying that the only thing the former Illinois senator and God had in common was that neither of them had a birth certificate.[50] The State Democratic Party criticized Kobach over his remarks, stating that "his latest attempt at humor has gone too far."[51] Kobach replied that it was just a joke and that Democratic critics should lighten up.

#### Campaign treasurer[edit]

At the same time that he faced accusations of violating state campaign finance laws, the liberal-leaning news website Forward Kansas published a story questioning whether Mike Sager, Campaign Finance Director for the Steineger secretary of state campaign, was the same individual who had previously been "indicted for a felony count of stealing from his campaign funds and, also, a misdemeanor count of filing false campaign finance reports in order to subsequently cover up the theft."[52][53]

Steineger told the Kansas City Star that he was not aware of Sager’s past when he initially hired him. After learning about it, he removed Sager from his position as campaign treasurer.[54][55]

#### Election errors[edit]

Prior to the 2008 state primary election, Ensley’s office placed forty-three federal service ballots in the wrong column, preventing the optical scanning voting machines from recording the results correctly. Ensley attributed the issue to human error, which led to approximately 4,000 ballots not being counted.[56]

Three months later, during the general election, an election board worker from Ensley’s office accidentally left fourteen provisional ballots in the trunk of her car.[57] Ensley acknowledged the error and stated that it should not have occurred.[58]

#### Ethics complaints[edit]

Shortly after launching his campaign for secretary of state, State Senator Chris Steineger was accused by the Kansas State Ethics Commission of allegedly violating the state’s campaign finance laws on at least two occasions.[59] In addition to allegations that he used funds from his state senate campaign to pay for a poll conducted for his secretary of state committee, he faced potential charges for violating a state law that "prohibits [state] politicians from seeking contributions from lobbyists, corporations, unions and political action committees while the Legislature is convened from January to May."[60] Several days after the allegations were reported, Steineger acknowledged that "a preliminary review of emails sent on behalf of his campaign for secretary of state indicated requests for donations went to several registered lobbyists" and stated that he would take full responsibility for his campaign’s actions.[61]

On Tuesday, May 18, 2010, the Kansas State Ethics Commission ruled that Steineger "improperly used his Senate campaign fund to pay for polls testing his name recognition ahead of a possible run for statewide office."[62] At the same time, the commission concluded that there was insufficient evidence to determine that Steineger knowingly violated state campaign finance laws by requesting contributions from lobbyists while the State Legislature was in session. He was subsequently ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.[63]

## See also[edit]

* Kansas Secretary of State 2010, commercials

## External links[edit]

* List of candidates qualified for the Kansas August 3 Secretary of State primary
* Green Paper's list of candidates for Kansas Secretary of State, 2010

### General Election candidates[edit]

* Chris Biggs for Secretary of State Campaign website
* Kris Kobach for Secretary of State Campaign website

### Former candidates[edit]

* Chris Steineger for Kansas Secretary of State Campaign website
* J.R. Claeys for Kansas Secretary of State Campaign website
* Elizabeth Ensley for Kansas Secretary of State Campaign website

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Kansas City Star, "Kansas secretary of state resigns" 8 Feb. 2010 (dead link)
2. ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Parkinson names Biggs as secretary of state" 17 March, 2010
3. ↑ "Biggs-Kobach Candidate Forum," Kansas Watchdog, October 13, 2010
4. ↑ Communication Workers of America - Endorsements
5. ↑ AFL-CIO - 2010 Endorsements
6. ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Endorsements: U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer" 24 Oct. 2010
7. ↑ Can-Do Conservatives of America - Endorsements
8. ↑ KHGI-TV "Ex-GOP rival backs Kobach for Kan. sec of state" 4 Aug. 2010
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Red State, "Primary opponents Claeys and Ensley endorse nominee Kris Kobach for Kansas Secretary of State" 17 Aug. 2010
10. ↑ Red County, "JR Claeys and Elizabeth Ensley endorse Kris Kobach for Kansas Secretary of State" 17 Aug. 2010
11. ↑ WIBW "Romney Endorses Kobach In KS SOS Race" 17 Sept. 2010 (dead link)
12. ↑ Prairie Politics, "Romney makes Kansas endorsements" 22 Sept. 2010
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 As these are not cash contributions, they are not reflected in the reported ending balance.
14. ↑ Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission - Chris Biggs 2010 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
15. ↑ Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission - Kris Kobach 2010 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
16. ↑ KWCH - Channel 12 "Republicans hold solid lead in all statewide races" 17 Aug. 2010 (dead link)
17. ↑ Survey USA "Results of SurveyUSA Election Poll #17081" 17 Sept. 2010
18. ↑ Kansas Jackass, "KS-SoS: Chris Biggs to run for Secretary of State" 4 June, 2009 (dead link)
19. ↑ El Dorado Times, "Chris Steineger Announces Candidacy for Kansas Secretary of State" 22 Jan. 2010
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Kansas Secretary of State - 2010 Primary Election Results
21. ↑ The Hutchinson News, "Reno officials among KNEA's House picks" 1 July, 2010
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 The Topeka Capital-Journal, "Davis, Hensley endorsing Biggs" 29 July, 2010
23. ↑ The Kansas Free Press, "Leader Hensley Endorses Biggs for Sec'y of State, Calls on Steineger to Withdraw" 26 June, 2010
24. ↑ Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission - Chris Biggs 2010 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
25. ↑ Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission - Chris Biggs 2009 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
26. ↑ Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission - Chris Steineger 2010 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
27. ↑ The Topeka Capital-Journal, "GOP primary assured" 26 May, 2009
28. ↑ Salina Journal, "Claeys makes progress on statewide election" 20 April, 2009
29. ↑ Kansas City Star, "Republican Elizabeth Ensley announces candidacy for Kansas secretary of state" 19 Jan. 2010 (dead link)
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Lawrence Journal-World & News, "Republican secretary of state candidate picks up endorsements" 25 March, 2010
31. ↑ Sun Publications, "Sun endorsements for the Aug. 3 primary election" 14 July, 2010
32. ↑ The Topeka Capital-Journal, "Thornburgh endorses Ensley" 22 Jan. 2010
33. ↑ The Kansas Progress, "Gun Owners of America on Kris Kobach - Pro-gun Stalwart Running for Secretary of State in Kansas" 23 July, 2010
34. ↑ Red State, "Kansas Gov’t Reform PAC endorses Patricia Lightner in Kansas’ Third District" 14 July, 2010 (dead link)
35. ↑ Kansans for Government Reform PAC - Our Candidates (dead link)
36. ↑ Kansans for Life PAC - Kansas Secretary of State endorsement
37. ↑ Kansas Progress, "Sen. Fred Thompson endorses Kris Kobach for Secretary of State" 26 Oct. 2009
38. ↑ The Pitch, "Michelle Malkin stumping for Kris Kobach" 5 Nov. 2009
39. ↑ Kansas City Political Buzz Examiner, "Sen. Fred Thompson formally endorsed Kris Kobach for Secretary of State" 26 Oct. 2009 (dead link)
40. ↑ Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission - J.R. Claeys 2010 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
41. ↑ Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission - J.R. Claeys 2009 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
42. ↑ Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission - Elizabeth Ensley 2010 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
43. ↑ Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission - Kris Kobach 2010 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
44. ↑ Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission - Kris Kobach 2009 Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report Summary
45. ↑ Lawrence Journal-World & News, "Kansan Kris Kobach helped write controversial Arizona immigration law" 27 April, 2010
46. ↑ New York Times, "Why Arizona Drew a Line" 28 April, 2010
47. ↑ KMBC 9 News, "Kobach's Immigration Role Leads To Questions" 3 May, 2010
48. ↑ Red State, "Let’s Burn Kris Kobach at the Stake" 4 May, 2010
49. ↑ "Illegal Immigration Rally: Kris Kobach and Sheriff Joe Arpaio," Watchdog.org, July 15, 2010
50. ↑ Everyday Citizen, "Kobach's 'birther' joke is no laughing matter" 16 July, 2009
51. ↑ Lawrence Journal-World & News, "Kobach says statement about Obama ‘just a joke’" July 14, 2009
52. ↑ South Missourian, "Former Missouri House member accused of theft, false report" 28 April, 2006
53. ↑ Forward Kansas, "Updated: Sen. Steineger, Please Have the Real Mike Sager Stand Up" 13 May, 2010
54. ↑ Kansas City Star, "Steineger often takes the road less traveled" 15 May, 2010
55. ↑ The Pitch, "Chris Steineger won't confirm whether he hired disgraced Missouri lawmaker Mike Sager (updated)" 17 May, 2010
56. ↑ Kansas Kid Conservative, "Claeys campaign comes out Strong against Elizabeth Ensley" 20 Jan. 2010 (dead link)
57. ↑ The Topeka Capital-Journal, "Worker finds ballots in trunk" 25 Nov. 2008
58. ↑ Kansas Progress, "JR Claeys for Secretary of State: Can Elizabeth Ensley be Trusted to Protect our Votes?" 5 Feb. 2010
59. ↑ Forward Kansas, "Which Chris Steineger Will Show Before the Governmental Ethics Commission?" 17 May, 2010
60. ↑ Topeka Capital-Journal, "Questions cloud Steineger campaign" 26 Feb. 2010
61. ↑ Topeka Capital-Journal, "Steineger admits finance miscue" 1 March, 2010
62. ↑ Lawrence Journal-World & News, "Secretary of State candidate fined $5,000 for violating campaign finance laws" 18 May, 2010
63. ↑ Kansas Watchdog, "State Senator Steineger fined $5000 at Ethics Hearing" 19 May, 2010

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