The suspensions however had no effect on the night’s election.

Two main groups of candidates had surfaced – one group of candidates backed by conservative Republicans, while the other group gained endorsement from a group of Republicans with more liberal views.

But when the votes were counted, the liberals won handily.

The conservative Kansas Republican Assembly was promoting Arlene Krings, who currently serves as the vice-chair of the JoCo Republican Party, for the chair position, Jacob Swisher for vice-chair, Kathy Kist for secretary and Glenn Darrow for treasurer. 

The Krings group of candidates was also being backed by the Kansans for Life PAC,  according to executive director for Kansans for Life Mary Kay Culp. 

“These are Republicans who are known to support pro-life agendas, whereas there may be people on the other slate who are not,” Culp told Kansas Liberty. “It is concerning that there are some people on that slate whose views are not well known - but what is more concerning is who is backing these candidates.” 

The other group of candidates was being promoted by Rep. Terrie Huntington, Rep. Pat Colloton, and Andy Wollen, a former chair of the Johnson County Republican Party.  

The three are known for backing liberal causes and candidates and for their sometimes extremist tactics. Wollen, for example is also a board member for the Kansas Traditional Republican Majority, a group that tried to link pro-life advocate Phill Kline and Republican Jim Ryun to the Ku Klux Klan through an association with a third-party's mailing list. The KRTM claimed the other group, the Family Research Council, had ties to the Klan. The group denied the charge.  

The liberal group was supporting Ronnie Metsker for chairman, Cathy Nugent for vice-chair, Marearl Denning for secretary and Mike Kuckelman for treasurer. 

The endorsement for these candidates, signed by Huntington, Colloton and Wollen said, “This group has been put together after extensive discussions with people representing all of us who are Republicans and offers us our best chance to move forward. They are committed to representing all members of the Party.” 

Culp said she disagreed this particular group of candidates would serve as a representation of the Republican Party. 

“I do think this election is more important than usual but there is always a rush for control between the conservatives and the so-called moderates which I would call liberals,” Culp said. “They don’t seem to have much of a difference in views on social issues than the Democrats and it’s important to have Republican leadership that is conservative as that’s where the heart of the party is.” 

Before the vote, Metsker said he had been endorsed by Kansans for Life while running for a position as a state representative.  

Although Metsker may have been endorsed at one time by the conservative group during his time as a state representative, Metsker has voted against conservative interests several times, including three votes against the expanded Holcomb power plant and against an immigration reform bill supported by conservative leaders.  

Metsker said he felt that the slate of candidates supported by Colloton, Wollen and Huntington represented a broad group of Republicans. 

“Our group is broadly based in gender, geography and ideology,” Metsker told Kansas Liberty.

“This is not an attack on the past but an attempt to look forward to building a grassroots group to promote a strong candidate group for 2010. I am optimistic about the elections as I was asked to run by a large, broad group of people, and I think there is a very good chance I will wind up with this position,” he had said.

And he was right. But not in a way the conservatives could appreciate.

- Holly Smith

The week in Review