TOPEKA — Republican candidates were a no-show at a Topeka forum meant to help voters elect House members, disappointing event organizers and enraging Democratic Rep. Vic Miller.
At the Oct. 4 forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Topeka-Shawnee County and other organizations, all 11 House candidates were invited. The five Republicans and six Democrats include members of both parties who are running unopposed. None of the Republican candidates turned up, leaving all six Democrats to debate among themselves on issues of Medicaid expansion, taxes and gun safety.
New Democratic candidates included Derik Flerlage, who is running against Rep. Jesse Borjon for the District 52 seat, Kirk Haskins, who is challenging Republican Bruce Williamson for the District 53 seat, and Tobias Schlingensiepen, who is running against Republican Todd Staerkel for District 55.
The three incumbent Democrats running unopposed in the November election were Miller and Reps. Virgil Weigel and John Alcala.
The forum is the only one scheduled before the November vote for Shawnee County House races.
Carole Jordan, president of the league’s Topeka-Shawnee County chapter, said it was a shame none of the Republicans attended. Jordan said this was the first time it had happened in all of the forums the league has hosted.
“I see nationwide that some Republican candidates are not being responsive to things like voter forums and voter guides,” Jordan said. “Whatever they’re doing, I always thought Kansas was a little different because we’re nonpartisan with both sides. So we were disappointed that none of them could come.”
Jordan said she invited all the candidates to the forum about two months in advance, sending them letters in the mail before following up with emails and phone calls.
“They had plenty of notice. In fact, I was sort of nagging about it,” Jordan said
Miller said he wanted the incumbent Republican candidates to explain their votes on the abortion amendment, particularly why they voted not to make exceptions for abortion in cases of incest, rape, or when the life of the mother would be threatened. Miller said he believed they put the vote on the August primary ballot to dilute the vote, and are now dodging accountability by refusing to attend the forum.
“I know there are Republicans who are embarrassed about what their party has become,” Miller said. “But that doesn’t mean they have to be so embarrassed that they don’t show up and face the voters when they get the chance like tonight. I don’t care if you vote Republican, Democrat, unaffiliated, but don’t vote for anybody who’s not here tonight.”
Rep. Ken Corbet, a Topeka Republican and owner of the Ravenwood Lodge, is running unopposed for District 54. Corbet said he was too busy running his small business to attend the forum, especially since he was short staffed.
“When you get enough people here to help me run my business, I’ll be glad to go do that stuff,” Corbet said.
Corbet said he tried to attend events in his county when possible. He said he was unaware that other Republican candidates also didn’t attend, and had not heard Miller’s comments.
“I go to a lot of events that I don’t see Rep. Miller at, but I don’t say anything disrespectful about it. It’s just that everybody has a life to lead,” Corbet said.
