Q&As with candidates for state offices

Editor’s note: GateHouse News Service asked candidates running in Tuesday’s primary election to fill out Q&A forms. Following are the responses — in their own words — received for candidates in the gubernatorial, attorney general and insurance commissioner races. On Friday, we’ll run the responses for the secretary of state candidates. On Saturday, the responses from U.S. Senate candidates from our area will run.

Kansas governor

Republicans
Sam Brownback
1.Why do you believe you are the best-qualified to be the governor of Kansas?
Answer: Kansas is my home. My wife, Mary, and I were born here, schooled here and have raised our five children here.
After a career as a teacher, attorney and broadcaster, I have been honored to serve Kansas in executive and legislative capacities in Topeka and Washington.
During my time as secretary of agriculture here at home to a Senator representing Kansas in Washington I have listened to Kansans face-to-face in every county of our state many times over. This familiarity with our state and its people I believe is essential to being a governor for all Kansans.
2. What, in your opinion, is the most pressing issue facing the state?
Answer: We must grow the Kansas economy. Last year, Kansas lost more than 50,000 private sector jobs. Government employment grew. Personal income dropped by 2.5 percent. That is not sustainable.
Government cannot continue to grow while the private sector shrinks. Our top priority has to be to grow our economy and provide private sector jobs for Kansas families. We need to reject the Obama approach and unleash the creative power of free enterprise.
3. How do you intend, if elected, to carry out your legislative goals?
Answer: Our campaign is offering a road map for Kansas — a specific positive plan of concrete steps we can take to grow our economy, improve education and protect families. This plan will provide the framework for a new administration.
We will continue to work across party lines to achieve results that make a difference in the everyday lives of Kansans.

Joan Heffington
1. I am best qualified to be governor of the state of Kansas because I am not a Washington insider, or even a career politician. I think the middle class is not truly represented because most politicians are either wealthy or lawyers or both.  
Because I am neither, I feel I can effectively govern the state of Kansas according to God’s will and the will of the people. In addition to 37-plus years of experience, education and observation of our legal system, I can offer honesty, integrity and the fact that I care about people more than money.
2. The most pressing issue facing our state is the CIA abuse of National Security Letters and using innocent Kansas citizens as experiments for their chemical and biological warfare.
I urge you to listen to my 15-minute interview on WIBW radio in Topeka last week which is on their website. After they tried to put a steroid cocktail mix in my I.V. in March, 2007 (I let it drip into a bedpan all night or I would have died), I tried to get help from Sen. Brownback. Instead, a woman in my office was targeted three weeks later.
Then in November 2007, a Mulvane woman named Sharon Frank died from this. The steroid cocktail mix caused her to become diabetic, they withheld her insulin and she died the next day. Why was she targeted? Her husband (was in) ongoing litigation with a former state representative over a drainage dispute, and when they couldn’t get to him, they went after her. After a 22-year old boy was targeted in Wichita in Oct., 2009, I pressured Tiahrt’s office for a Congressional inquiry.
Instead, they brought a false lawsuit against me for practicing law without a license.  I also met with a man named James Wolbert in Feb. of this year. He had five microchips implanted in him (by satellite) because the government wanted his billion dollar invention, and he refused to turn over the patent and the rights. This is outrageous government conduct, abuse of power and crimes against humanity, and it needs to stop. I believe Washington insiders are involved which is why I am running.
3. My goals are to overhaul the legal system and give government back to the people. I want to ensure that judges are elected and not appointed and create citizen review boards to ensure that false/frivolous charges are not brought against people, especially our youth.
I want to implement a review board which I will oversee with regard to any complaints against government entities (police, courts, cities, counties, judges, lawyers, school systems, etc.) for a resolution without litigation. Our research shows that these people cannot obtain lawyers, and that there is no "justice for all" - the side with the most money to pay their attorney wins. I also want to introduce a justice amendment which will reduce lawsuits significantly and ensure fairness in our legal system.
It is described on my Web site at www.JoanHeffington.com and at www.assocforhonestattys.com.
Concerning the passage of laws, I plan to only sign those bills into law that have 2/3 approval of the people, and will take a poll before signing each bill. I believe this can help us achieve government "of the people, by the people, for the people" as it should be.

Democrats
Tom Holland
1. I am best-qualified to serve as governor because, in order to get our economy back on track and create jobs for Kansas, we need a governor with business experience.
I’m a businessman, not a career Washington politician. My experience comes from making a payroll, balancing the books and finding solutions to the challenges facing my customers. As Governor, I will make use my experiences as a successful business owner to get the Kansas economy back on track.
2. The most important issue facing the state is our need to create quality jobs to grow the economy. I’m the only candidate who understands that creating jobs is more than just delivering talking points about “growth,” it’s about setting aside partisan blinders and putting real effort behind proven job-creators: renewable energy, animal biosciences and training more nurses, doctors, dentists and health care workers at our colleges and universities.
3. Governors in Kansas are only successful if they can bridge the partisan divide and bring Republicans and Democrats together to pass responsible legislation.
I have a track record of doing that in the State Senate. In the legislature, Kelly Kultala and I worked with Moderates and Democrats to achieve results.
Together we passed a bipartisan budget that protected schools, protected the vulnerable, protected our public safety programs and maintained our highway infrastructure for the next decade — not to mention created thousands of new jobs with a new Transportation Plan.
We’ve made the tough choices and put Kansans first — we’re ready to answer that call again.
I’m running to be the governor of all Kansans, regardless of party, regardless of geography, regardless of ideology. Meanwhile, my opponent’s record is one of alienation and partisanship. We can’t afford that kind of leadership in Kansas.

Attorney general

Republicans
Ralph DeZago
1. The Attorney General’s office is, unlike many other state offices, centered around the experience of the office holder. We can verbalize that experience in several ways, but in its simplest terms, the Attorney general must be able to administer a large office of lawyers, and must have significant courtroom experience, especially in criminal law. it also helps to have worked in the Attorney General’s Office.
I worked in the Attorney General’s office for three and a half years of my 29 years as an attorney. I administered a Kansas state office of lawyers for sixteen years, and was a Combat Arms Army Officer for four years, commanding military personnel.
I have handled thousands of cases (mostly criminal) in courts throughout Kansas, both at the trial and appellate levels. I have personally tried numerous felony jury trials, including the first DNA case in Kansas and was counsel on the first and third death penalty cases filed in Kansas since the death penalty was reinstituted in 1994. I am currently the full-time City prosecutor for Junction City and have been so since May, 2007. I do not believe any other candidate’s experience level comes close to mine.
2. The most pressing issue facing the Attorney General’s Office is the maintenance of honest, fair and vigorous prosecution of cases in the face of a dwindling state budget.
3. More emphasis upon experienced, public service minded staff to get the mission done. Less upon expensive “high- tech” office equipment.
However, there must be and will be if I am in charge, an emphasis upon bolstering the necessary lab facilities for the KBI. Proper lab facilities not only assist prosecutors at trial, but also encourage pleas by defendants once they realize that the prosecution’s evidence is good, fair and honest evidence.

Derek Schmidt
1. As a Kansas attorney for the past 14 years, I have broad experience in federal, state and local law. As special counsel to Governor Bill Graves and as an assistant attorney general, I gained valuable experience in the legal aspects of state government.
During my service in the Kansas Senate, I have always been a leading voice for public safety and for a stable legal environment that invites investment, jobs and economic development.
As attorney general, I will run a professional legal operation for the State of Kansas. My wide-ranging legal experience, combined with more than a decade of public service in elected office, better prepare me to be a leader for our state.
The attorney general is a constitutional officer in Kansas, and the job requires a leader who listens to Kansans, responds to their needs and priorities, and has a proven record of getting things done in state government.  
2. Our next attorney general needs to stand up for Kansans’ rights by objecting to the new federal health-care law. I would join other state attorneys general in challenging the constitutionality of this federal power grab.
If this unprecedented attempt by Congress to stretch the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution were to stand, then there literally would be no limit to the scope, reach and ultimately cost of the federal government. If our federal system is to continue to have meaning, then I believe this is a legal precedent worth challenging.
My other top priorities as attorney general would include:
• Fighting for a safer Kansas and protecting vulnerable Kansans. The attorney general must be the leader for improving public safety in Kansas, often by working closely with local prosecutors and law enforcement, from combating child pornography to enforcing the consumer protection laws.
• Growing the Kansas economy. The attorney general must fight for a stable legal environment that welcomes jobs, investment and economic growth.
• Standing up for Kansans’ liberty. The attorney general must revere the Constitutional protections afforded Kansas citizens. This includes matters such as safeguarding private property rights, protecting funeral privacy, and standing up for the right to self defense and the Second Amendment.
3. Kansas needs a fair-minded attorney general committed to running a professional legal operation for our state. One key to the office is hiring good professionals, giving them direction and support, and letting them do their jobs without political interference.
Another key is to work closely with the new governor and with the legislature on behalf of Kansans, and that ability is one of the strengths I bring to this office.
A final key is to work together with local law enforcement officials, prosecutors and other public servants, who are the front lines of law and order in our state.
A key job of the attorney general is to provide the support they need and to stand up for them in Topeka. I have done that in the Senate where, for example, this year I led the effort to fund a new statewide law enforcement communications system. As attorney general, I would continue to advocate for public safety needs.
Democrats
Steve Six (incumbent)
1. Almost three years ago, I accepted the challenge of serving as Attorney General because I saw an office in crisis. Unfortunately, the role of the attorney general in protecting Kansans can be pushed aside when career politicians seek the office.
I have demonstrated that the office can be independent, justice can be fair, and an Attorney General with the right priorities can be aggressive in protecting Kansans. Prior to becoming Attorney General, I practiced law for over 12 years first as a private attorney and then as a district court judge in Douglas County. Since I became Attorney General, we have set records protecting Kansans from consumer fraud and going after those who cheat the Medicaid program.
I am the only candidate to have argued before the Supreme Court or to personally prosecute and convict murderers. I am a prosecutor, not a politician. I’m running to build on that record of success and to achieve even more over the next four years.
2. I have refocused the office on the issues that are important to Kansans: cracking down on sex predators that produce and distribute child pornography, recovering record amounts of restitution for Kansas consumers, and eliminating fraud and waste in state government.
In addition to launching initiatives targeted at online safety, I have investigators in my office that are dedicated to hunting down child pornography. Unlike other victims of crime, victims of child pornography are re-victimized each time their image is distributed and viewed on the internet. Our office is actively engaged in the prosecution of the sexual exploitation of children and we are finding new ways to bring these criminals to justice.
Under my leadership, recoveries for Kansas by the Consumer Protection Division have increased by over 800 percent since 2006, and are on pace to be even higher during the current fiscal year. Prior to my arrival, these consumer protection efforts had been almost completely dismantled by political agendas.
I believe that a well run consumer protection division can be beneficial to both consumers and the business community. To ensure that our state government is operating at peak efficiency, I have aggressively prosecuted fraud and waste in our state system.
Last year alone, my office recovered a record setting $17 million on behalf of the state Medicaid program. This is in contrast to the less than $1 million recovered in 2006. These results have been achieved despite a 47 percent reduction in state general funds to our office.
3. I’m not making empty promises about what I will do — I’m running on real results that I will continue to achieve on behalf of Kansas. Working together with Kansans, we have turned the office of the Attorney General around. We cannot go back to the days when politics guided the Attorney General’s office.

Insurance
commissioner

Republicans
Sandy Praeger
(incumbent)
1. My tenure as Insurance Commissioner has been a successful one. Since taking office in 2003 we have admitted almost 190 new companies to do business in Kansas and have recovered more than $91 million in disputed claims for consumers.
I will continue pushing forward with anti-fraud initiatives and providing leadership on insurance reform initiatives so that we maintain our effective state-based system of regulation.
My top priorities have been and remain advocating for consumer’s rights, ensuring a competitive insurance marketplace, and creating a balanced environment for businesses and consumers.
2. It is critical that consumer protection stays at the state level. I’ll fight to be sure that Kansans can still call our department right here in Kansas and talk directly with a consumer assistance representative, not a pre-recorded message in a federal office. The new health care law has some serious flaws that will need to be addressed prior to full implementation in 2014. It fails to address medical cost-drivers and potentially will drive up the cost of insurance. We must fix that, and I want to be at the table as we negotiate these fixes.
3. I will continue to work with the Governor, the Kansas Legislature, and my insurance regulator colleagues around the country as we strive to create a good business environment, find and implement improvements in our regulatory structure, and provide guidance to both the state legislature and members of Congress as we try to maintain the ability for insurance companies to innovate and bring new products to market.
New products create competition, which helps keep insurance affordable. In addition, I want to build on our successful consumer education program, which includes a speaker’s bureau, numerous publications, InsureU, and a website judged one of the 6 best by the Consumer Federation of America

Dave Powell
1. I have 33 years experience in the insurance industry working directly with individuals, families and businesses through out the state.
I have invested the time to educate myself by obtaining advanced degrees in insurance, receiving Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant, Certified Financial Planner and Registered Health Underwriter degrees from several Universities. Each took three to five years. I have hands on experience to go with knowledge. I am not a career politician.
2. How we address the new federal mandates on health care to the best interest of ALL Kansans. I will work with our citizens and businesses to minimize the impact until it can be repealed.
Knowing the needs and concerns of consumers, I will help them work within the rules and regulations to meet the requirements of the law, while at the same time suggesting affordable solutions for their situation.
3. I will begin by addressing some changes to Kansas’s laws to make them more consumer and business friendly in order to attract and keep businesses in our state. This will help grow our economy and put more people back to work.
I will work to educate our citizens on insurance products so they can make informed decisions. I will require companies to clearly state what is and what is not covered in insurance policies.