July 12, 2008 06:52 pm
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By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
There are Republican primary races in Kansas Senate districts 13 and 14, but no primary contests in Kansas House districts 1, 2 and 3.
Kansas Senate, 13th District
A 50-year age difference separates the Republican hopefuls for the 13th District Kansas Senate position. Jacob LaTurner and Bob Marshall are vying for the nomination. The winner will face Democrat Patty Horgan in November. Incumbent Democratic state Sen. Jim Barone didn’t seek re-election.
Both LaTurner and Marshall said they favor the building of a coal-fired power plant at Holcomb and both favor restrictions on abortion rights. Both also said it’s important to make U.S. Highway 69 a four-lane highway for the remaining 65 miles from north of Fort Scott to Interstate 44.
LaTurner, 20, of Pittsburg, has lived in the Senate district his entire life. He graduated from Galena High School and is a student at Pittsburg State University. This is his first run for an elected office. He has served as chairman of the Cherokee County Republican Party.
“I think we need to address illegal immigration,” LaTurner said. “It’s an important issue.”
He said education also is important, and he wants to place pupils in Southeast Kansas on a level playing field with those in the rest of the state and the nation.
“I think we have to have a senator who’s working on these problems for the long haul,” LaTurner said. “These problems aren’t going to be solved in one term. I’m making a lifelong commitment.”
Marshall, 70, of Fort Scott, has lived in the Senate district since 1990. He has a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Kansas, Lawrence. He recently resigned as athletic director at Fort Scott Community College. This is his first run for an elected office.
Marshall worked as an airline pilot for 33 years.
“My primary issue is economic development,” Marshall said. “We need more, better paying jobs.”
He said besides the completion of the four-lane Highway 69, there needs to be better railway access to industrial parks and better aviation assets in small towns.
Marshall said he is chairman of the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce and is executive director of the Bourbon County Economic Development Inc. He was a commanding officer of a Marine infantry battalion.
Marshall said his main differences with his primary opponent were maturity, leadership and experience.
Kansas Senate, 14th District
Iris VanMeter, a former Kansas State Board of Education member, is challenging incumbent state Sen. Dwayne Umbarger for the Republican nomination for the 14th District Kansas Senate position. The winner will face Parsons Democrat David Miller in November.
Both said they favor allowing the coal-fired power plant at Holcomb to be built. Both said they favor restriction of abortion rights, though VanMeter has the endorsement of abortion opposition group Kansans for Life.
VanMeter, 73, of Thayer, has a fruit orchard with her husband. They have lived there for 20 years. She has an associate’s degree from Kentucky Mountain Bible College, VanCleave, Ky.
When she was on the Kansas State Board of Education, she and other conservative members succeeded for a time in removing the theory of evolution from state science education standards.
“My main issue would be lower taxes,” VanMeter said. “My opponent has raised taxes.”
She said the state debt also is increasing under Umbarger’s leadership.
“I don’t think anyone can look at the financial mess that our state is in and ignore the role he has played in creating that mess,” she said in a June news release. “When he took office 12 years ago, state general-fund spending stood at $3.4 billion. Today, with Dwayne as chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, total state spending stands at $6.4 billion.”
Umbarger, 55, of Thayer, is a farmer and rancher. He has lived in Thayer all his life. He has an associate’s degree from Neosho County Community College. He formerly served on the board of education for what was then the Thayer-Erie-St.Paul-Galesburg School District. He was first elected to the Kansas Senate in 1996.
As VanMeter mentioned, he is chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
Umbarger said his main goal is seeing a new comprehensive highway plan through the Legislature. He said there are continuing health-care concerns, with the state’s high percentage of low-income families and children.
“Those are issues we’ve been continuing to address,” Umbarger said.
Disputing VanMeter’s charges, Umbarger said he has voted 83 times to reduce taxes, which is two-and-a-half times as many votes he has made to increase taxes. He said some taxes are needed to keep state government operating.
“Where does my opponent want to make the cuts?” he said.
He said he has the respect of his constituents and his colleagues.
“I think my record will indicate I’ve been a good legislator,” he said. “I climbed the ladder of success to the chairmanship of the Senate Ways and Means Committee by showing leadership, not by making deals.”
Districts’ territories
The 13th Kansas Senate District takes in Bourbon and Crawford counties and part of Cherokee County. The 14th Kansas Senate District takes in Labette and Neosho counties, and parts of Cherokee and Montgomery counties.
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