It’s one week until election day. Many have already voted, many more will vote on Nov. 5.

The Great Bend Tribune reached out to candidates in contested elections – including contests with write-in candidates, and offered them one chance to answer a single question: Why should you be elected to this office? We allowed them to share the message of their choice. Our only request was that each candidate limit his or her answer to around 300-400 words.

Not everyone took the time to respond. Here are nine who did, in their own words.

I am no politician. We have too many of them already. Although I am running as a Democrat, I am not beholden to any PAC or party.  Neither political party has all the answers, and, in recent years, we have seen way too much of the “tail wagging the dog”. If we blindly follow either party down the trail like lemmings, they will take us off a cliff. It doesn’t matter whether the path there is to the right or left - it’s a long way down and I don’t want to go there.

I am a lifetime resident of this community and I, and my family, are wholly invested in it. As a lawyer, I have knowledge and skills sorely needed in Topeka and will bring those to bear in representing you.  I am concerned about government overreach: in our schools and in our personal lives; and about runaway property taxes. I am a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. I believe in civility and know first-hand that there are always two (or more) sides to every story and the best answers are found only when everything is seen, heard, and considered. 

I believe the path forward is down the middle and we must begin by honestly engaging with one another in a genuine effort to find common ground and sensible solutions. The primary reason I decided to run is because I am so tired of the toxic nature of the current political environment - the tribalism and the ridiculous notion that if someone sees something differently than me they are my enemy. We can do better! I can do better! 

If you’re happy with the status quo of political standoffs, party walls, and allegiance to lobbyists, then don’t vote for me. I want to go in a different direction, focusing on what’s best for Barton County citizens and Kansans. If you are ready to try something a little less corrosive and a little more positive then I ask you to let me speak for the good people of Great Bend and Hoisington, in Topeka. They need to see what we have to offer.

My name is Glennda French, and I am your Incumbent Barton County Register of Deeds.

I did not have enough votes at the Primary election to move on to the General election. This has no bearing on my abilities to perform the duties required as Register of Deeds. With overwhelming support from our community, I am working even harder to earn your “Write-In” vote on November 5th.

I have been with the Register of Deeds office for four years. Although that seems like a brief time, I am confident in my abilities, and I strive to lead an efficient office.

As your Register of Deeds, I have increased revenue by 16.16% and decreased departmental expenditures by 18.95%. This will put the county in a better position to levy fewer tax dollars in the next budget cycle.

After considerable study and planning, the decision was made to reduce office staff by one position as a cost savings measure. The day-to-day workload is manageable with myself and my clerk. We utilize the county’s shared clerk when necessary.

I have cut postage costs by requesting a self-addressed stamped envelope for returning documents when submitted for recording. I have also had a reduction in paper costs due to the addition of the online records search.

I continue to attend educational webinars and seminars to further my knowledge of the procedures related to the Register of Deeds office. 

I have added three new services. You may now view documents online through eSEARCH. This has been an invaluable tool for the researchers that utilize our records for their daily work. 

Since the Register of Deeds office is a Passport Acceptance Facility, it made sense to add the convenience of taking passport photos. Now, we can take your photo and process your application at the same time. 

Lastly, a Record Notification System was implemented that allows you to receive a notice via email when a document has been recorded using your name. This will give you an added level of security against fraudulent transfers of ownership.

I want to stress the importance of researching your candidates to ensure that the most qualified person is elected. I am incredibly proud of the accomplishments I have made this past year as your Register of Deeds, and I humbly ask for your support in this year’s election. 

Please Write In Glennda French for Register of Deeds.

I have eight years of experience working in the Register of Deeds office, having served as a Certified Deputy Register of Deeds for seven of those years. I have a true passion for the nature of the work and understand the importance of the essential functions required by a Register of Deeds. Additionally, I have demonstrated leadership abilities as well as the skills required to serve as Barton County Register of Deeds. I want to work for the PEOPLE of Barton County as a steward and public servant.

This office hasn’t been challenged in over 30 years. I want to bring a new leadership style, dynamic and narrative to the office. I am not a politician but rather a people person and I want to encourage others to be the best version of themselves along their leadership journey.  

Much of what an elected official can accomplish is dependent on the level of support from staff, other offices, other elected officials, administration and elected commissioners. Therefore, by growing our leadership abilities and leading together we have better success.

Experience.

As the Barton County Attorney, we doubled the number of convicted felons required to register as sex offenders, violent offenders, and drug offenders. We reduced the size of the office from 14 to 12 which saves the taxpayers over $100k in salary and benefits each and every year, and transitioned the office to a paperless file system. 

During my years in private practice, I served clients in business formation, wills and trusts, bankruptcy, personal injury, divorce (including child custody & support), juvenile and parental rights, structured settlements, zoning law, criminal defense, and tax appeal work for Rice County. I also filled in as Judge pro tem for the City of Hoisington and Rice County District Court. 

Judges hear all kinds of cases, but they hear some more than others. The most filed case a District Court Judge will hear is a felony level adult criminal case. The second most is a divorce. As County Attorney, I tried and convicted cases of child molestation, drug distribution, and a homicide. In private practice I helped divorce clients divide up million-dollar estates and argue over child custody and support.  

I live here in Great Bend with my wife Chelsea and our two boys Warren and Theodore. It would be an honor to serve as your District Court Judge. I ask for your vote on November 5th.

Having served on council for multiple terms I have shown that I am listening to what the public in my ward and beyond are asking for and supporting them with my votes. The current team the City has representing it has shown we are able to move the City forward in a positive direction and it is going to keep getting better with the right mix, which I feel we have. 

I love Great Bend and would like to represent and be a voice for not only Ward 1 citizens, but all of Great Bend. I have lived here my entire life of 63 years, have raised my five children here, built my business, Parr Sound & Lighting, from the ground up here which is still operating for over 31 years now, and plan to stay here. I believe that the tax-paying citizens of Great Bend deserve to have city council members representing them who truly have their best interest at hand logistically and financially. In order for a city to thrive, we need to protect the hard-working citizens that live in Great Bend and raise their families here, so that our future is promising. I feel strongly about making sure that we are supporting local businesses first that choose to serve Great Bend and its people, so that their doors remain open and our hard-earned money stays here in Great Bend. This will ensure that our community grows and our future is one that we can all look forward to. If elected, I will stand by the people, for the people, so your vote and your voice will be heard. I am not a complicated man. I can sum up what I stand for quite simply ... God, family, my city of Great Bend, and our one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.

I am a lifelong Kansas resident who has lived in Great Bend for the last decade. I’ve been an attorney with Bauer, Pike, Bauer, Wary, Carroll & Gunn, LLC, since I moved here. As a general practice attorney, I have experience in many types of law.  My diverse work experience makes me a strong candidate for a judicial position. Judges hear all cases, including probate, domestic/family law, criminal, civil, and every other type of case. Coming directly from general practice will translate well to serving as a judge.

Being a judge is public service. I have a servant’s heart and am already heavily involved in the community. I want to continue to use my passion for service in a professional capacity for the good of our community. Right now, I coach youth shooting sports through 4-H. I am a youth group leader at my church. I have been on the Barton County Fair Board for almost a decade and currently serve as Treasurer. Various other organizations that I’ve been involved in or held board positions include Kiwanis, Friends of Cheyenne Bottoms, and several others.  

Candidates for judge run for the position on partisan ballots. Especially in more recent times of extremely divisive politics, voters have come to expect promises and policy stances from candidates for public office. However, judicial candidates are (or should be) very different. When an issue comes before a court, we should not want that case to be decided by someone who has already announced their position on the matter. Wouldn’t we rather have the opportunity to present the facts, issues, and law to the judge and have them make a decision based on what has been presented to them? Therefore, if elected, I promise the following:

1. That I will respect all people who appear in court, no matter who they are or why they are there. 

2. That I will decide cases fairly and impartially, free of bias, preconceived notions, or political influence.

3. That, regardless of my own personal views, I will follow the law (US Constitution, Kansas Constitution, and the applicable statutes).

As an independent/non-partisan candidate, I am best positioned to bring these promises to fruition. I believe that politics have no place in our justice system.  

My name will not be on your ballot, but please consider voting for me. The named candidate on your ballot for this position will be Levi Morris. To vote for me, write my name down on the blank line below his. Thank you. 

The Kansas Representative 113th District is made up of portions of Barton, Pawnee and all of Rice, Stafford and Rush counties.

“A top issue in my campaign is Economic Development; my support contrasted with my opponent’s opposition to Star Bonds to assist Kansas City Chiefs moving their Sports Stadium across the border, has become a big issue in my campaign to replace him in the State Legislature. The Chiefs in 1963 moved to Kansas City from Dallas, if Missouri and Kansas both drop the ball the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area may lose this beloved Sports Team. When it comes to a potential Chiefs relocation, a location that’s been mentioned is San Antonio, Texas. VOTE ROTH to promote Economic Development in Kansas and keep the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I was married to Kent Roth in 1979. After experiencing infertility issues, my husband and I adopted two (2) children, now adults. Many women have shared with me their own stories of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancies and infertility. My chief reason for being active in politics is my belief we should not accept an increase in maternal deaths due to politicians denying women bodily autonomy. My core belief is equal rights for all, special privileges for none. Every Patient - in consultation with their Doctor should make their own medical decisions, not Politicians in Topeka based on whether the patient is a man or a woman.

“As I mentioned, Kent and I adopted two infants; adoption has been a part of my family for more than 100 years.

“My maternal grandfather, George Walter, immigrated to this country as the Bolshevik Revolution came to a bloody end in Russia. George Walter grew up in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, near the seaport of Odessa. He became a member of the Czar’s White Guard at 15 years of age. My grandfather was wounded during World War I, and fought in the White Army during the Czar’s final days. As the Red Army took control, an older sibling made it possible for 19-year old George Walter to travel by ship from the port of Odessa to Tunisia. From there he made his way to Hoisington, Kansas with the help of a sponsor family, the Peter Brack family of Otis. ...”

(Edited for length.)

“I learned from my grandfather, freedom is never free; one must be willing to make sacrifices to keep his or her personal freedoms.”