On August 5th, moderate voters got out there and voted. As a result, every moderate incumbent in the Kansas Legislature kept their seat, and a few extremists lost theirs.

Moderate incumbents in our area, Barbara Bollier and Stephanie Clayton, won with large margins, despite the best Americans for Prosperity and the Kansas Chamber PAC could spend against them. Across the state, other moderates held the line, and some of the extreme right wing lost their bids for re-election, including Rothlisberg of the 65th District, and Powell of the 50th.

MainStream is proud to have been part of a moderate coalition pushing back against the special interest money. Our members, our partners, and the hard-working candidates themselves made this possible.

Along with Roeland Park's non-discrimination ordinance passing (see News, below), and the strong protest vote for "Anyone but Brownback" in the Governor's primary race (again, below), this is a week worth celebrating.

Always more to do...

But there were a few races where moderate challengers took the fight to extremist incumbents, and while those upsets were within reach, the effort fell short. A few hundred moderate voters here, another hundred there, and we could be looking at a significantly different Legislature. Johnson County's 18% turnout was very low.

That brings us to November 4th, and the General Election. Pencil it on your calendar now, as the most important election you can vote in (because it is the next one, of course). With the exception of the Kansas State Senate, almost every elected position in the state is up for grabs.

This is your chance to make a difference.

Please plan now, to vote then.