EQKS 2019 Municipal and School Board Primary Election Endorsements

(Originally posted by Equality Kansas to Equality Kansas News)

Tuesday, August 6, is primary election day for cities and local school boards; Tuesday, November 5, is the date for the general election.  Early and absentee voting begins this week.  Our endorsements for the election are below.

Equality Kansas, when making endorsements, considers a number of factors in weighing our decisions. In order of importance, we consider:

• Voting record as a public official, and whether the candidate is a “friendly incumbent” running for reelection to their current office, who has voted for policies that are important to our mission. Issues evaluated are primarily non-discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, school bullying prevention inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity, and relationship recognition.
• Membership in Equality Kansas, or whether a candidate is openly LGBT;
• Incumbent or former office holders who are running for a new office are evaluated on their historic voting record.
• Responses to policy questionnaires sent to all candidates immediately after the June filing deadline;
• Public statements regarding LGBT equality issues.

Our endorsement process in local elections is different from that in statewide and legislative elections. We depend on our members in our local chapters to submit names to our PAC, which then evaluates the candidates according to our regular PAC endorsement rules. Without a local request, our PAC does not evaluate candidates for endorsement in any given race.

Most endorsements decisions are relatively simple, especially for incumbents: They either vote with us or against us.

For newcomers, their questionnaire responses are key to our decision‑making process. We also consider voting records in prior offices held when a candidate is running for a different or higher office.

While we will consider public statements made by candidates, we never base our endorsements on private assurances of support.

We do not endorse in uncontested races, nor do we endorse in races where we either lack information on candidates or where we believe no candidate will represent the interests of the Kansas LGBT population.

Our endorsements are for the benefit of our membership, the Kansas LGBT community, and our friends and families.  We do not consider whether a candidate has sought our endorsement, nor do we withhold endorsements at any candidate request.

No matter who you vote for, get out and vote! Nothing changes in Kansas without your active participation.

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