TOPEKA — Moderate Republicans in Kansas find themselves in an awkward position of whether to stay silent on Kris Kobach’s gubernatorial nomination or endorse one of his competitors and face potential GOP-led repercussions.
The Kansas City Star reports that the conundrum came to light earlier this week when House Majority Leader Don Hineman wrote to more than two dozen of his fellow centrists to discourage them from taking a public stance on anyone who isn’t Kobach, the GOP’s lead candidate.
Hineman’s warning is the latest demonstration of the wide divide in the Kansas GOP, where moderates tend to side with Democrats on issues like Medicaid expansion and rolling back former Gov. Sam Brownback’s 2012 tax cuts.
Kobach has promised “full-throttled conservatism” if elected, and has rejected moderating his views for the general election. He faces independent candidate Greg Orman and Democratic nominee Sen. Laura Kelly.
