By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Democrat Eber Phelps believes his intensive door-to-door campaign the past two months is what led to his win Tuesday over incumbent Republican Sue Boldra in the race for the state’s 111th District.
The Kansas House District covers most of Ellis County, including Hays and Victoria. Both candidates are long-time Hays residents.
“We knew we had to do the social media, television, radio and newspaper advertising, along with getting our yard signs out. But at the same time, we embarked on our door-to-door campaigning.” Phelps remarked he was still out walking at 9:30 p.m. Monday–the night before the election–with volunteer Michael Raven.
“We actually had a good time,” Phelps said.
At the Ellis County Democrats headquarters Tuesday night, Phelps thanked his supporters who offered enthusiastic applause and congratulations. Phelps defeated Boldra 5,184 to 4,517 although provisional and paper ballots must still be counted. Four years ago, it was newcomer Boldra defeating Phelps, who was first elected to the House in 1996.
“We were very much aware that we have a constituency out there that has really been paying attention and that was my whole take-away from the door-to-door experience. People are quite aware that there are some things awry in Topeka and some real wrong has happened down there. They were looking for a change of course and obviously, anybody who’s been in the governor’s corner the past three or four years was definitely targeted.”
That process, according to Phelps, started with the state primary in August when a number of conservative Republicans “carrying the governor’s agenda lost their races to more moderate-thinking Republicans. We also saw some Democrats taking over those positions.
“You’re going to see more of a collaboration between Democrats and Republicans,” Phelps thinks, “something that was missing the final two years of my last legislative term but was there when I first went into the legislature.”
He recalled the “thrill” of working closely with the late 110th Dist. state representative Dan Johnson, a Republican from rural Ellis County. “We were always huddling up talking about various issues important to Ellis County and rural Kansas.”
“That type of collaborative spirit was missing my last two years I thought, and I hope we regain that because that’s our only hope in getting all this rectified in Kansas,” he said.
Phelps likened the hoped-for collaboration at the state level to what he sees at the local level among the current Hays city commissioners.
“I thoroughly enjoy being on the city commission,” he emphasized. “I work with four wonderful other people that have that spirit I’m talking about where we’re trying to do what’s best for this community.
“I hope I see that in the legislature–where we can get in there and try to get the state on better footing, both financially and with a lot of policy changes.”
Phelps pointed out state law prohibits him from serving on both the city commission and the state legislature at the same time.
He plans to do the same as he did back in 1996, resign his commission seat at the end of the calendar year and head to Topeka in January. Phelps is employed by Glassman Corporation.
The Ellis County Commission will canvass all votes at their meeting Mon., Nov. 14.
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