Our questions for federal, state and local candidates on JoCo’s Nov. 5 ballot

Last month, we asked readers what you wanted to hear local candidates talk about as they vie for your vote on Nov. 5.

We received hundreds of responses, and based on that input, we’ve developed five-item questionnaires for candidates running in federal, state and county offices in this fall’s general election.

You can see those questions for all the races the Post is covering below.

Our approach to election coverage, which is designed to center the interests of average voters over political parties and power brokers, follows the “Citizens Agenda” model used by some other media outlets around the country.

“As we’ve done for more than a decade now, we’re working to get the candidates on record about the issues Johnson County residents care about most,” Post founder and publisher Jay Senter said. “Our goal is to help voters find the candidate who best reflects their own views before they cast their ballots.”

We have distributed these questionnaires to the candidates. We’ll begin publishing their responses on the Post’s site on Monday, Oct. 14, publishing a response to one question per day through Oct. 18, right before early in-person voting begins in Johnson County on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Also, we are hosting eight nights of live, in-person candidate forums in the coming weeks to give voters another chance to see where candidates stand on the important issues. Those events promise to get candidates’ stances on the record for the issues asked about in these questionnaires and more.

Our candidate questionnaires

U.S. House

1. Immigration is a key issue in this year’s presidential race and promises to be a topic of much debate in the next Congress. Readers want to know where you stand on policies impacting both legal and illegal immigration. Do you support enforcing current immigration laws, and do you back current efforts to limit crossings at the U.S. southern border? In turn, do you support creating a legal pathway to citizenship for those who have entered the country illegally, and how should this be done?
2. Residents of Johnson County have been lodging complaints for months about slow mail delivery times. The problem, in some cases, has impacted the delivery of prescription drugs and also led to some mail-in ballots for August’s primary elections being tossed. What will you do to hold the U.S. Postal Service accountable and ensure Kansans start getting their mail in a timely manner once again?
3. Many readers express concern over former President Trump’s continued baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him and the violence that rhetoric engendered as rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, attempting to thwart the certification of Joe Biden as the winner. Do you believe President Biden was elected fair and square in 2020? If not, what evidence do you use to support that he wasn’t? If elected, are there any measures you’d support at the federal level to protect Americans’ right to vote?
4. Abortion has been a salient issue for voters ever since the overturning of Roe v. Wade two years ago. In a much-watched vote in 2022, Kansans voted to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. At the federal level, some Republicans have pressed for a national ban on abortions starting as early as 15 weeks. If elected, would you support or oppose a federal ban on abortion? Why or why not?
5. “Climate change is here,” as one reader put it, and several others mentioned their desire to see candidates articulate how they’d address climate change. Still others want to know if candidates accept or deny the science that shows a link between human activity and increasing global temperatures. Do you believe that human-caused climate change is a reality? What, if any, measures would you support in Congress to help address it?

Kansas House and Senate

1. Earlier this summer, lawmakers passed and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed into law a tax cut package that slashes roughly $2.4 billion in property and income taxes over the next three years. The law reduces state income tax brackets from three tiers to two and eliminates the state tax on Social Security benefits, among other things. Do you think the most recent tax cut bill provides enough relief for Kansans? Why or why not? If elected, would you seek more tax cuts and, if so, what would that look like?
2. The top issue for many Post readers remains candidates’ stances on the 2020 election, which former President Trump continues to claim without evidence was stolen from him. That has played out in Johnson County with a years-long and ultimately fruitless investigation by the current sheriff into local election procedures. Many of our readers express concern that that investigation has sown distrust in local elections. Do you believe President Biden won the 2020 election fair and square? Do you trust and have confidence in county and state election systems? If elected, would you support legislation that, in any way, would modify or place new restrictions on voting in Kansas?
3. Kansas voters in 2022 rejected the “Value Them Both” amendment that, if enacted, would have declared that the state constitution does not include a right to abortion. In the two legislative sessions since, lawmakers have tried to pass new restrictions on abortion, some of which have been blocked by judicial rulings. Are you satisfied with the current laws and restrictions on abortion in Kansas? Do you think access should be expanded in any way? Do you support new restrictions on abortion? And if so, what kind?
4. Kansas lawmakers in recent years have passed legislation that allows for open enrollment in public schools, as well as pushed measures that would expand a system of tax credits for families who send their children to private schools. Supporters of such moves say they give more freedom to families in making decisions about their child’s education. Opponents see them as threats that place new and unfair burdens on public schools. Where do you stand on such measures? Do you support moves like open enrollment and school vouchers? Why or why not?
5. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Kansas is one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid in the more than a decade since the Affordable Care Act took effect, and it has remained one of our readers’ top issues every election cycle since. Projections suggest expanding Medicaid would allow roughly 150,000 Kansans who can’t currently afford health coverage to be insured. Do you support expanding Medicaid in Kansas? Why or why not?

Kansas State Board of Education

1. State reading and math scores improved last year for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, but many readers remain worried that public schools’ academic performance remains well below levels achieved before the pandemic. Do you think Kansas public schools’ performance is acceptable? As a member of the state board, how will you use state testing data to assess the districts you oversee?
2. One of the primary jobs of the state board of education is to help set educational standards across subjects and grade levels. What skills and experiences should Kansas K-12 schools be providing students to prepare them for an uncertain and rapidly changing future? How can the state board encourage that?
3. Kansas lawmakers in recent years have passed legislation that allows for open enrollment, as well as pushed measures that would expand a system of tax credits for families who send their children to private schools. Supporters of such moves say they give more freedom to families in making decisions about their child’s education. Opponents see these as threats to a public education system meant to serve all students. As a member of the board overseeing public schools in the state of Kansas, do you support or oppose such “school choice” measures? Why or why not?
4. Districts in Johnson County have continued to see parent and community member challenges to library books and classroom materials they deem to be inappropriate or offensive, usually along the lines of being too sexually explicit or overtly addressing LGBTQ themes. What is your position on how schools and districts should handle such challenges? What guidance should the state board give districts on this matter?
5. Some readers expressed their concerns about bullying and the seeming lack of an inclusive school culture, particularly for LGBTQ students, in their local schools. As a member of the state board of education, do you have a role in supporting and protecting the rights of LGBTQ and other marginalized students? What can the board do to ensure all students feel welcome at their schools and have their rights protected?

County commission

1. The county commission’s plan to convert a Lenexa hotel into a homeless shelter and services center suffered a major blow after the Lenexa City Council voted to deny a special permit needed for the project. Still, many readers say Johnson County’s increasing rates of homelessness need to be addressed. With the shelter plan now seemingly off the table, how do you want to see the county address this issue? What specific policies and solutions, if any, will you advocate for if elected?
2. We heard from many readers concerned about the burden taxes are placing on them in Johnson County, especially seniors living on fixed incomes. The county and state do already offer some tax relief for low-income residents. But some readers want to see the county do more, including potentially cutting property taxes, assessing a different tax rate for seniors or even temporarily freezing valuations. What steps, if any, would you advocate for to give residents some tax relief? What’s realistic and what’s not?
3. Many readers worry about the cost of buying a home in Johnson County, for first-time home buyers as well as empty nesters potentially looking to downsize. Also, the price to rent is concerning many readers. Are there any policy solutions the county can offer that you would support to increase the supply of affordable places to live in Johnson County?
4. The county’s budget for 2025, recently approved by the county commission, tops $1.8 billion. The county manager has said current budget trends over the next five years are “unsustainable,” suggesting services and programs may have to be cut. If you are elected to the county commission, what will be the areas of the budget that will be a priority for you to maintain and fully fund? In turn, where would you look for efficiencies? What services or programs do you think could be cut in coming years?
5. Johnson County continues to experience significant growth, especially in the more rural and exurban fringes in the south and west. Residents in these areas frequently express concerns about increased industrial development and truck traffic, especially around the new Panasonic EV battery plant near De Soto and ongoing warehouse projects around Edgerton. What can the county commission do to mitigate some of the changes for longtime residents in these areas of Johnson County?

District Attorney

1. Several readers said it’s important to them that the Johnson County DA’s Office maintain a staff of highly qualified and experienced attorneys. What steps will you take to recruit and retain a staff of top-notch prosecuting attorneys? And how will you approach assigning cases to your assistant DAs, considering issues of equity, fairness and experience?
2. Johnson County’s Officer Involved Critical Incident Investigation Team, or OICIIT, currently investigates all Johnson County officer-involved shootings. The county’s OICIIT process has come under scrutiny in recent years, particularly for the investigation into the 2018 fatal shooting of teenager John Albers in Overland Park. Do you think OICIIT currently accomplishes its stated mission of conducting impartial and transparent investigations? What changes or improvements, if any, would you like to see?
3. The Johnson County District Attorney’s office currently runs diversion programs for both adult and juvenile offenders meant to give people who have committed relatively minor crimes an alternative to incarceration. As District Attorney, what will be your approach towards offering defendants an opportunity at diversion? Do you think the current programs offered are adequate or would you like to see them tweaked or expanded in any way?
4. There have been several high-profile cases in recent years of drug overdose deaths, particularly those of teenagers, ending in criminal prosecutions of those who supplied the victims with the drugs. There have also been a string of prominent cases involving drug deals involving juvenile offenders that ended in violence. Under your watch, what will be the DA office’s approach to targeting and prosecuting crimes involving drugs?
5. Some readers want to see the Johnson County DA’s office be more transparent. They point out that data about the office’s cases and prosecutions is hard to find. Some others say they’d also like the DA to more proactively release officer body camera footage, when appropriate, following high-profile incidents. What steps, if any, would you take to make the DA’s office’s processes and inner workings more transparent to the public?

Sheriff

1. One reader writes, “Being a good steward of taxpayer money is very important. According to public records, the budget for the sheriff’s office since 2017 (when current Sheriff Calvin Hayden took over) has increased by approximately $45 million.” If elected, do you anticipate maintaining that level of spending? What will you do to ensure residents that you are running the sheriff’s office in the most efficient manner possible, while still being effective in carrying out day-to-day operations?
2. Several readers noted that outgoing Sheriff Calvin Hayden frequently had combative relationships with other county officials, including some members of the county commission, elections officials and county staffers. Do you see this as a problem? If elected, are there steps you plan to take to improve these relationships and, if needed, regain the trust of residents?
3. Johnson County’s Officer Involved Critical Incident Investigation Team, or OICIIT, currently investigates all Johnson County officer-involved shootings. The county’s OICIIT process has come under scrutiny in recent years, particularly for the investigation into the 2018 fatal shooting of teeanger John Albers in Overland Park. Do you think OICIIT currently accomplishes its stated mission of conducting impartial and transparent investigations? What changes or improvements, if any, would you like to see?
4. The sheriff’s office in recent years has dealt with the challenge of trying to fill dozens of vacant positions and also retain staff. To deal with these shortfalls, the sheriff’s office has had to sometimes pay current staff overtime. The sheriff’s office also routinely helps municipal police departments that are also short-staffed, stretching county resources even further. Readers say they want to know what your plans are for adequately staffing the sheriff’s department and paying sheriff’s office employees competitive salaries?
5. Readers express alarm over the continued frequency of drug-related crimes, some prominent cases of which have involved teenagers in drug deals that have ended in violence. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office currently oversees a multi-jurisdictional task force meant specifically to go after the sale and use of illegal drugs in northeast Kansas. But there have been concerns that that task force is not as effective or as active as it could be. If elected, what would be your approach to investigating illegal drugs? How, if at all, would you employ the current task force model?