Primary Election

by Jim Grawe (WICHITA, Kan.) They wield a lot of power, but to get the job District Judge candidates must be elected without ever telling voters where they stand. "We can't decide who to vote for because none of these people actually came out and showed a sponsorship and said what they can do to make it better for Kansas," voter Yolanda Jackson says. There are 36 district judge candidates in 28 races in next month's primary election in Sedgwick County. You may see their signs in yards and along public right of ways, but who are these people?

Nine percent is the turnout expected in Sedgwick County for the primary election next week. The number isn't high which worries those who say local elections are just as important as federal races. Here in Wichita, there will be races for three city council races and for mayor.  Twenty candidates will be whittled down to eight when the polls open March 1, but not many plan to show up and vote. "I'm just not, I don't have no reason," said Helen Boyd. Another resident Paul Storey says he doesn't even know who is running.

No valid ID?  No vote as of January this year. With the primary deadline so close, staff at some nursing homes was concerned the voter ID law would deprive their elderly residents from registering to vote in the primaries.     “I know that it's a law in Kansas to have a valid Kansas ID even if you don't have a valid driver's license,  but the reality is many people in hospitals, or in this case they haven't driven for years because they're...

Eyewitness News received several complaints from unaffiliated voters who say they were turned away at polling places. The Secretary of State's office received two complaints from campaigns Tuesday, regarding unaffiliated voters in Sedgwick County. Unaffiliated voters are voters who are not a part of a political party. Some say election workers are saying if voters aren't registered as a Democrat or Republican, they cannot vote in today's primary. That is not true.

By Kim Wilhelm (Wichita, KS) Who's Running Pat Roberts - Republican (Incumbent) Jim Slattery - Democrat Lee Jones - Democrat When Do I Vote? Primary Election - Tuesday, August 5 th General Election - Tuesday, November 4 th Slattery will run again Jones in the primary for the Democratic nomination. The winner runs against Roberts in the general election.  This is a race to watch for many reasons: Unbroken Streak For 76 consecutive years, Kansans have elected only Republicans to serve in the U.S. Senate.

It's one of the first of what will likely be many political candidate forums this year. Republican candidates in three key Sedgwick County races took questions from voters Thursday night Candidates in the race for Sedgwick County Sheriff, Sedgwick County District Attorney and the District 3 County Commissioner seat. It wasn't a debate. instead candidates in each race answered the same question. There was only enough time for candidates to answer two questions. But the topics covered could be key issues in these elections.

For two months, two candidates stood out in a hotly contested political race.  Now, there's a third candidate whose poll numbers are increasing in the 4th Congressional District Republican primary, and all three front runners are nearly tied. Eyewitness News' latest FactFinder 12 Scientific Survey shows Wichita businessman Mike Pompeo with 31% of the vote, followed closely by state senator Jean Schodorf with 24% and Wichita businessman Wink Hartman with 23%.  Other candidates are well behind right now with Jim Anderson the closest at 13%. If you noticed a new set of ads in the race to replace Congressman Todd Tiahrt, it's not your imagination.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President-elect Barack Obama has interviewed primary election rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bill Richardson for secretary of state, according to Democratic officials who revealed his secret meetings with both as he weighed the decision on folding former foes into his new administration. Obama met with Richardson late Friday afternoon, a day after conferring one-on-one with Clinton at his Chicago office, said several Democratic officials. He plans to meet there Monday with his Republican opponent, John McCain, but advisers to both of the general election rivals say they don't expect Obama to consider McCain for an administration job. The meeting with Clinton, revealed to The Associated Press Friday, excited a burst of speculation that Obama would transform the former first lady and his fierce campaign foe into one of his top Cabinet officials and the nation's chief diplomatic voice.