I’m writing today to dispute a single point in the opinion piece published in the Hays Post on May 29, 2018. It was penned by Martin Hawver, publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report headlined: “Choices this year for Democrats in the governor’s race.”



I am not here to take issue with Hawver’s history of Democratic gubernatorial primaries in Kansas, or any of the other points he makes in this opinion piece, save this one statement:

“While there are two clear leaders—Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka, and former state Rep. Josh Svaty, of Ellsworth and later Topeka — just how they come out is uncertain.”



This caught my eye due to fact that Hays Post is a product of Hays, Kansas, home of Fort Hays State University’s Docking Institute of Public Affairs. It also caught my eye in that this past April, the Docking Institute released “Kansas Governor’s Race Poll – Spring 2018.” In that poll, the recognition of candidates Kelly (24.3%) and Svaty (19.9) was far below the most recognized Democratic candidate in the race. That is former two-time Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, the most recognized democrat with 38.4%. It bears mentioning that Wichita is, by a factor of two, the largest city in the State with a population of nearly of 400,000. Brewer also won re-election in 2011 with 69% of the vote.

I am a fan of Mr. Hawver’s reporting and punditry, wisdom and wit, but in this one instance, unbiased verifiable polling information exists from one of our Kansas Regent universities that shows Carl Brewer to be the frontrunner with a bullet.



Chris Morrow

Lieutenant Governor candidate