GREAT BEND, Kan. - State Senator Jean Kurtis Schodorf comes from a Kansas homesteader family, has served on the Wichita School Board, and has even been a State Senator for three terms. But her two main opponents in the Republican primary in Kansas 4th Congressional District, Wink Hartman and Mike Pompeo, seem to have more money to get their message out.
Neither Hartman nor Pompeo have ever held elective office. Both are as far right as you can get, while Schodorf represents the moderate Nancy Kassebaum wing of the Republican party, to the extent that it still exists. But as the only woman in the race, as the only candidate who has held elective office, and with her famous brother, broadcaster Bill Kurtis on board, it's hard to count her out.
Wink Hartman is a multimillionaire who has been running TV ads for months. And his ads were pretty good, rocketing him into first place in the last poll I saw. But the ads were so frequent that one wonders if he didn't become overexposed. His last ad where he boasted about "putting meat and potatoes on the table of 400 employees" each day turned people off.
Hartman got smart and is now running "man on the street" ads, with OTHERS talking about how great he is, rather than him talking about how great he is. The problem with these multimillionaire candidates who want to "run Washington like a business" are several.
Consider the example of Pizza magnate Gene Bicknell of Pittsburg, who spent millions of his own money in two unsuccessful gubernatorial races in Kansas. The problem with these "wealthy businessmen" who run mostly self-financed campaigns is that people just don't believe these guys can relate to the concerns of everyday Kansans.
Pompeo started TV ads a few weeks ago, and seems to be catching up fast in the TV ad contest. Pompeo touts his military record heavily. Pompeo graduated first in his class at West Point, and served as a Calvary officer in the army along the Berlin Wall area. He never saw any action in Vietnam, but his military record is impeccable.
Pompeo appeals to the patriotic/evangelical vote strongly. Pompeo attends Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Wichita, a strong evangelical church which caters mostly to upwardly mobile evangelicals. And like Hartman, he touts his record of creating private sector jobs. Pompeo's campaign is not self-financed like Hartman's, so he has more street cred with everyday Kansans.
Pompeo has created two problems for Wink Hartman. Both men are, by all accounts, successful businessmen. But Pompeo offers a military record AND he's an unashamed evangelical Christian. The phrase "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" comes to mind. In contrast, Wink Hartman's religious life is ambigious, and he didn't serve in the military.
Now, if the race is between two successful businessmen, why not hire the guy with the military medals who is toting a Bible? That's why Pompeo has the edge over Hartman. Wichita, the largest city in Kansas, is the heart of the 4th Congressional District, and is a hotbed of religious right supporters.
But why not Schodorf? She has been a great State Senator, has paid her dues, and is the idealogical twin of Nancy Kassebaum. Schodorf is the lone moderate Republican in the field. If she can raise some dough and get some TV ads going, people might overlook the two "self-made businessmen" and nominate a caring, moderate, dedicated woman to carry the Republican banner in the 4th District on August 3. There are actually four men on the ballot, including Jim Anderson and Paij Rutschman, so Senator Schodorf is the only female candidate. Will women voters come through for her?
Schodorf, an Independence, Kansas native, comes from a sensational Kansas family, and one thing is certain: she is going to win Montgomery County for sure. But if women and moderates get behind her, she is going to win a lot more than her home county. Pompeo, who seems to be surging ahead of Hartman, is a southern California native. But Schodorf's Kansas bona fides go back to her homesteader ancestors.
The winner of the Republican primary faces Democratic State Representative Raj Goyle in the general election, one of the most talented public servants I've ever known.
Goyle will be a tough opponent for whoever survives the Republican primary. Schodorf would be the strongest Republican in the general election, but she may not have the cash to get on TV with enough ads. Like so many things these days, sadly, it comes down to who has the most dough.
We could certainly do worse than Jean Schodorf -- and will if any of the other GOP candidates gets through the primary. It's still good to know that the Big-Tent party of Reagan hasn't totally collapsed into the little-tent party of the religious right. Given the odds of a Democrat (ANY Democrat) taking the 4th District seat this year, I'm switching my registration to R just to vote for her in August.