By Sherman Smith | editor-in-chief
Good morning! Opinion editor Clay Wirestone has some more thoughts on last week’s primary election.
Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector
OPINION
As Democrats elsewhere squabble among themselves, Kansas voters just want to win
By Clay Wirestone
For Kansas Democrats, winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.
That’s the key to unlocking the results of Tuesday’s primary election, and it explains why Democrats in the Sunflower State have resisted the siren song of socialist and leftist candidates heard elsewhere across the nation this midterm cycle.
Indeed, an out-and-proud communist candidate in Lawrence lost his bid to unseat incumbent Democratic state Rep. Susan Wikle. She won 78%-22%. Sarah Preu challenged incumbent U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids over taking money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and funding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement but was crushed in that primary, winning only 17% of the vote.
Democrats elsewhere might be consumed with anger at the party establishment and want to fight back at all costs.
Here in Kansas, they just want a shot at winning elections.
Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice
Education Department hands more states flexibility with federal dollars
The Trump administration is increasing its efforts to turn more control of federal education money to the states as it continues working to dismantle the Education Department.
Six states have received waivers allowing them to consolidate more than $109 million in federal education funding and bypass certain requirements for local education agencies, Kirsten Baesler, assistant secretary for the department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, told Stateline in an interview.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Kansas Reflector staff will participate in the following free public forums.
6 p.m. Aug. 12, Celtic Fox in Topeka. Editor-in-chief Sherman Smith will answer audience questions about Kansas Reflector reporting on the primary and general elections. Host: Capital Area Democratic Women's Club.
2 p.m. Sept. 27, Red Rocks Visitor Center in Emporia. Host: Red Rocks.
6 p.m. Dec. 3, Prairie Star Restaurant in Manhattan. Host: League of Women Voters of Manhattan and Riley County.
If you're interested in having us talk in your town, email Sherman Smith at [email protected].
Thanks for reading Read & Reflect. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.