Category: Election 2022

Kansas recount affirms early trend: Johnson narrowly defeats Tyson in GOP treasurer’s race

Voters cast 431,000 Republican ballots in contest with gap of less than 500

by Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — State Sen. Caryn Tyson conceded the Republican Party’s nomination for state treasurer amid a recount she sought in six counties that barely nudged the needle in an extremely close primary.

Tyson, a GOP senator from Parker in eastern Kansas, sent a message Thursday to supporters of her campaign who provided donations, walked door-to-door, put up yard signs and prayed on her behalf. She lost by less than 500 votes out of 431,000 cast statewide.

“While our campaign is over,” she said, “I will continue to work to protect our freedoms and to make Kansas a shining state in the nation. Over the course of the campaign, I have been blessed to meet and get to know so many amazing Kansans.”

Unofficial returns from the Aug. 2 primary and additional ballots processed by counties during the canvassing showed state Rep. Steven Johnson, of Assaria in central Kansas, with a lead of 475 votes.

Tyson sought a recount in Barton, Cloud, Dickinson, Harvey, McPherson and Ottawa counties. The secretary of state’s office said the recount in four of those counties shaved five votes from Johnson’s lead. The recount in McPherson and Cloud counties remained unofficial, but Johnson’s campaign said results in those two counties wouldn’t flip outcome of the primary.

Johnson has turned his attention to the November contest against Treasurer Lynn Rogers, a Democrat appointed to the position by Gov. Laura Kelly following resignation of Republican Jake LaTurner, who now serves in the U.S. House.

“We didn’t lose any ground while we waited for all the legally cast ballots to be counted,” Johnson said. “Our team hit the ground running knowing this process could take weeks to complete.”

Johnson raised about $100,000 in days following the primary election, and his campaign manager urged Republicans to unify behind the GOP nominee.

“I want to thank my opponent for her willingness to run and for her continued service to this great state,” Johnson said. “I also want to thank my many volunteers and supporters who have been critical in winning a close race where every voter contact mattered. With our base of support we are well-positioned to win the general election.”

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/19/kansas-recount-affirms-early-trend-johnson-narrowly-defeats-tyson-in-gop-treasurers-race/

Tyson scales back recount request in GOP race for Kansas treasurer

Johnson leads by 452 votes. Rogers ‘full steam ahead’ for Democrats.

by Sherman Smith, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — State Sen. Caryn Tyson on Monday dramatically scaled back her request to recount votes for the GOP nomination for state treasurer, targeting just six counties for a review of ballots by hand.

State Rep. Steven Johnson led Tyson by 452 votes as of 5 p.m. Monday with 102 out of 105 counties having certified their results, the Secretary of State’s Office said. There were 836 provisional ballots left to be reviewed.

Johnson, from Assaria, said he hoped to learn the final numbers late Monday and begin work on the general election campaign.

“We’ll hit the ground running as soon as we’re able to take that step and make sure the nominee is clear,” Johnson said.

Tyson had requested a hand recount of ballots in 55 rural counties, which would have cost an estimated $46,000. On Monday, she narrowed her request to a full recount in Cloud, Harvey, McPherson and Ottawa counties, as well as a hand recount of advanced in Dickinson and Barton Counties and the city of Great Bend.

The Secretary of State’s Office said Tyson posted a bond of $2,570.54 and that counties could begin their hand recount. Tyson didn’t immediately respond to a call Monday seeking comment on the status of the race.

Monday was the deadline for counties to canvass and certify results in the Aug. 2 election. Johnson, Sedgwick and Shawnee counties were among those that canvassed Monday, a process the includes the review of provisional ballots. Johnson leads by a vote count of 219,363 to 218,911.

On Saturday, the Secretary of State’s Office said 74 of the 105 counties had certified election results as of 5 p.m. Friday. At that time, Johnson led Tyson by 324 votes.

If Johnson’s lead holds, he will face Democratic state Treasurer Lynn Rogers in the general election. Gov. Laura Kelly appointed Rogers, formerly her lieutenant governor, to fill the vacant office in January 2021.

“We’re moving full steam ahead as the nominee for the Democratic Party,” Rogers said in a phone interview. “We’re excited that we can be talking to people and visiting with people. We do get the question of who I’m running against. I guess we’ll wait to see.”

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/15/tyson-scales-back-recount-request-in-gop-race-for-kansas-treasurer/

Kansas anti-abortion activists secure $119K for nine-county recount on abortion amendment

Colby resident falls short of $229K needed for a statewide hand recount

by Tim Carpenter and Sherman Smith, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — Anti-abortion activists incredulous about defeat of a Kansas constitutional amendment Monday dropped plans for a statewide recount of votes by earmarking $119,600 for a ballot-by-ballot review in populous Sedgwick, Johnson, Shawnee and Douglas counties and five others.

The campaign to raise $229,300 for a hand count in all 105 counties didn’t succeed by the 5 p.m. deadline, but sufficient resources were gathered to proceed with a nine-county recount that also included Crawford, Harvey, Jefferson, Lyon and Thomas counties.

The Kansas secretary of state’s office said the required bond from challengers of the Aug. 2 vote had been accepted. The nine counties were instructed to begin a hand recount of votes cast on the Value Them Both amendment, said Whitney Tempel, spokeswoman for Secretary of State Scott Schwab.

In the August primary election, the proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution declaring women didn’t have a constitutional right to abortion in Kansas was rejected 59% to 41% with 920,000 votes cast statewide. Prior to the election, limited polling indicated the vote would be close with opponents of abortion likely winning a majority.

Colby resident Melissa Leavitt, who initiated the recount effort, said she appreciated the “awesome donor who backed us” with funding required by the secretary of state to proceed with the limited recount.

“My nerves have been on end, but you know what, we’ve had tons of prayers and tons of people fighting with us,” Leavitt said. “America: Kansas is in this to win it. We are just praying for exposure of anything that might have been nefarious and just some answers to put the voters of Kansas at peace.”

Through an online fundraiser, Leavitt received commitments of $40,000 from 600 donors. The contributor making up the $80,000 difference wasn’t identified by Leavitt.

Brian Caskey, director of elections for Secretary of State Scott Schwab, said an amount equal to the cost of a limited or full recount had to be presented to the office by 5 p.m. Monday. That bond could be posted in the form of cash, check or credit card with a sufficient line of credit.

“Failure to do so will result in the recount request being canceled,” Caskey said in a notice to Leavitt.

Ashley All, spokeswoman for the amendment opponent organization Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, said justification for the recount was a mystery.

“Kansans across the political spectrum voted overwhelmingly against this amendment,” All said. “In fact, 165,000 more Kansans voted ‘no.’ They sent a clear message that they want to protect the constitutional rights of women to make private medical decisions for themselves.”

In the nine counties targeted by the recount, a majority in eight counties voted against the abortion amendment. The strength of opposition ranged from 53% in Harvey County to 81% in Douglas County. Thomas County, with 68% supporting the amendment, was the lone county in the recount that voted to approve it.

Early Monday, Kansas Coalition for Life chairman Mark Gietzen of Wichita pledged to identify the $229,600 sought by Leavitt. He offered to put up his home to secure the bond required to order a statewide recount, but Schwab’s office said the offer of such property didn’t comply within guidelines of state law.

Gietzen had said a recount of all 105 counties would be conducted “unless we get screwed over” by the secretary of state’s office. By end of the day, Gietzen dipped into a retirement account to support the recount effort.

“The truth is,” he said, “who knows who won the vote.”

Gietzen tangled with the secretary of state’s office in the past. He alleged — without evidence — the Kansas election earlier this month was distorted by “massive” election fraud through “ballot harvesting.” He asserted people illegally obtained, filled out and deposited ballots in drop boxes.

He also filed a lawsuit in Sedgwick County before the August primary to stop use of drop boxes, but it was tossed by a judge.

Leavitt said she prayed a miracle occurred in terms of procuring resources to allow for a recount. She said she received “a lot of hate messages” since going public last week with her appeal.

“What else can you do when you take a leap of faith?” she said on social media. “There was no reason to go into this with a hateful energy against those who voted one way or another. Whichever way you chose to vote, it matters that it is properly counted.”

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/15/kansas-anti-abortion-activists-secure-119k-for-nine-county-recount-on-abortion-amendment/.