Eyewitness News offered each candidate in the races for Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, US Senate and Attorney General 90 seconds to make their case to voters. Here are the transcripts in alphabetical order:

Governor

Sam Brownback (R)

Our Road Map is a detailed plan aimed at growing the Kansas economy, excelling in education, reforming state government and ultimately protecting Kansas families. Now to do so we need to know not only what state government does but what it actually accomplishes.

Jeff and I are committed to five measurable goals that we believe will make our state a better place.

1. Increasing net personal income.
2. Increasing private sector employment.
3. Increasing the percentage of fourth graders that read at grade level.
4. Increasing the percentage of high school graduates who are college or career ready
5. Decreasing the percentage of children in poverty.

This Road Map is only the beginning. We’ll work tirelessly to enhance opportunities and demand accountability to build a future for our state that is as good, positive and uplifting as its people. This is our commitment to you.

Kansans are experiencing tough times. But if we pull together and grow our economy, improve our education and support our families, I’m convinced we’ll come back stronger than ever. You can learn more about our Road Map for Kansas at our website at brownback.com. I ask for your support and your vote in November.

I’m Sam Brownback and together we can make our great state even better. Thanks and God bless.

Ken Cannon (Reform)

I am Ken Cannon and I am running for governor on the Reform Party ticket.

My career was spent as a 36 year educator; I was a teacher, coach, and principal.

I believe it is time for a third party candidate to lead Kansas away from the partisan politics that our state has experienced for several years.

I know that I can put together the best team possible since I can work with people from all parties and all walks of life.

This old basketball coach believes that it is important to surround yourself with the best role players and the best people possible; political affiliation should not enter into the equation.

It is time to bring common sense back into our state government.

I have a strong grassroots following since I have been campaigning since the first of February. My 36 years in education has created many friends throughout the state of Kansas who are supporting my candidacy.

As an educator, the 3 R's--reading, writing, and arithmetic-- were always important to me. As a person new to the political scene, the 3 R's are important to me as well. My 3 R's are--A-Right-sizing our government; government has become too large and has too many regulations--let's adopt the Fair Tax at the state level and blaze the trail for the other 49 states.

B-Recruiting the right people to get the job done. Bill Self and Bill Snyder are successful college coaches because they put the right people in the right places.

C-Re-inventing by thinking outside of the box. Teach teachers to write grants in order to bring more funds into the classrooms.

Thank you to KWCH for allowing me this air time.

I am asking for your vote on November 2nd. Visit our website at kencannon.net

Andrew Gray (L)

My name is Andrew Gray and I’m the gubernatorial candidate for the Libertarian party.

The Libertarian party is the fastest growing political in Kansas because our values are the values of Kansans. We believe you cannot have social freedom without economic liberty and you definitely cannot have economic liberty without social freedom. They are interdependent on each other and to have one without the other is still repressing freedom.

We believe if your actions and beliefs do not interfere with the liberty of others, you do not deprive others of their property and have personal responsibility for yourself and those under your care then there is no reason for the government to get involved.

We believe there is no longer a red or blue in Kansas regarding the other political parties. There is just a horrible shade of purple since one can no longer differentiate between the two. We believe the problems facing us can be solved by the people of Kansas and not by the government.

We believe that real and permanent change always begins on the local level and we work towards that goal on a daily basis.

Our campaign isn't filled with just political rhetoric and sound bites. It is full of viable solutions facing our great state. These solutions addresses issues such as jobs, education, taxes, immigration and many others. We welcome all to visit our campaign website www.KansasProud.com to learn more about our campaign and the Libertarian Party of Kansas. Thank you.

Tom Holland (D)

Hi, I’m Tom Holland. I’m a husband, father, small business owner, State Senator and candidate for Governor.

I’m running because we need to get our economy back on track – and we can do this by creating jobs and investing in our schools.

Companies come to Kansas – in part – because of our great public schools.

That’s why I oppose further cuts to education, and as the economy recovers – I think we need to invest dollars back into the classroom.

Meanwhile, my opponent, Senator Brownback, is the wrong choice for Kansas Schools.

Senator Brownback wants to go back to a school funding system which would force significantly higher local property taxes. . . and he supports vouchers that would drain tax-payer dollars away from public schools.

In Washington, Senator Brownback gave us No Child Left Behind . .. this failed Washington policy has hurt Kansas schools and our students.

I believe that our best days are ahead of us – but ONLY if we keep the failures of Washington far, far away from Kansas.

So on Election Day, let’s keep the failures of Washington OUT of Kansas and we can start by keeping moderate leadership IN the Governor’s office. Thank you.

 

Secretary of State

Chris Biggs (D)

Hi, my name is Chris Biggs. I am YOUR Secretary of State.

I'm a lifelong Kansan with a true commitment to public service.

I began my nearly three-decade career in public service as a public defender before being elected Geary County Prosecutor.

In 2003, I was appointed Kansas Securities Commissioner where I served until being appointed Secretary of State by Gov. Mark Parkinson.

In the time I've served as the Secretary of State, I've rolled up my sleeves and gone to work, finding ways our office can better serve the people of Kansas.

If given the opportunity to continue to serve as Secretary of State, I will always put the public's interest ahead of politics.

As Secretary of State I believe the office must be free from partisanship and devoted to ensuring the integrity of our elections and the voting process.

This means making sure that every eligible person in Kansas is able to vote in fair, secure, and accessible elections.

The Secretary of State's Office has more than 600 statutory responsibilities and plays an important role as the clerk for the state of Kansas.

In this role, I pledge to increase the efficiency and accessibility of the office and work to protect Kansas consumers.

I'm making our office even more accessible to business owners and the public by simplifying the processes required to start a business in our state.

Our office is efficient and effective and we've never allowed anything to distract us from providing the best service possible to the people of Kansas.

My entire career has prepared me for this job, and I look forward to having the opportunity to continue to serve you.

Again, my name is Chris Biggs and I ask for your vote for Secretary of State on Election Day on November 2nd.

Thank you.

Kris Kobach (R)

Hi I’m Kris Kobach the Republican candidate for Secretary of State. I’m also a law profession who teaches constitutional law.

In my spare time I help cities and states around the country write and defend laws to stop illegal immigration and in that capacity I recently co-authored the Arizona law that’s been in the news so much lately and I’m helping Arizona defend that law in court. Over the past few years I’ve helped Arizona become the number one state in the nation in stopping illegal immigration.

As Secretary of State of Kansas, I will make our state the number one state in the nation for stopping voter fraud. That is a task we must accomplish. Voter fraud has become a very significant problem in Kansas. A recent report from the Secretary of State’s office in 2008 indicated there were more than 75 cases of voter fraud reported across 11 counties including multiple instances in Sedgwick County.

That’s only the tip of the iceberg. We have to take steps now to solve this problem and ensure that the integrity of our votes are preserved.

There are two things we must do. First of all we need to have people prove their citizenship when they register to vote. Right now you just check a box and say you’re a U.S. citizen but nobody checks up on it.

Secondly, we have to have photo ID requirements at the polls. A photo ID is part of life in America today. You use a photo ID to board a plane, cash a check, you even have to have a photo ID to buy the kind of Sudafed that works. It’s not too much to ask to protect our most precious right of citizenship with a photo ID.

My opponent opposes both of those ideas so voters have a very clear choice. Do we take reasonable steps to protect our right to vote or do we leave the status quo in place?

I hope you’ll vote for me, Kris Kobach.

Attorney General

Dennis Hawver (L)

Hello my name is Dennis Hawver. I live in Ozawkie, Kansas, and I’m a lawyer and I’m running for attorney general for the State of Kansas in the upcoming election as a Libertarian.

Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results. It seems Kansans and the entire nation has voted for the Republicans and Democrats time after time.

We’ve gotten the results we’ve gotten which is a bankrupt nation, unconstitutional wars and generally a disregard for the rights of the individual and the concept that the state is preeminent and gives us our rights. Our rights are given by God and the state is there to protect those rights. I don’t think they’re doing it.

If you elect me and other Libertarians to office in this election, the rights will not only be protected but enforced by government.

I appreciate your time. My name is Dennis Hawver. Thank you very much.

Derek Schmidt (R)

I’m Derek Schmidt, your Republican nominee for attorney general.

My wife and I live in Independence with our two young children. I’ve served an assistant Kansas attorney general for consumer protection, as legal counsel to Governor Bill Graves, as an attorney in private practice, as a city prosecutor, and as the Republican majority leader for the Kansas State Senate.

I led the fight for Jessica’s Law, that puts violent child molesters in prison for life. I’ve written tough new laws against Medicaid fraud, methamphetamines, child pornography, human trafficking, and against scam artists who target veterans and military families.

As attorney general, I’m committed to hiring good-quality, professional prosecutors and legal staff, giving them direction and letting them do their jobs without personal political agendas or grandstanding.

Our attorney general must work with local law enforcement, the governor and the legislature to forge a shared public safety agenda…and then stand up and fight every year to get it done. That’s called leadership, and I’m committed to providing it.

Finally, we are at a point in American history where federal power grabs like President Obama’s health care law and aggressive new EPA greenhouse gas regulations threaten Kansas jobs and Kansas liberties. Other states are fighting a legal battle against these power grabs. We need our attorney general to stand up for our Constitution and for Kansas jobs, not lie down for Washington’s partisan political agenda.

As your attorney general, I’ll stand up for Kansas public safety, Kansas jobs and Kansans’ liberties.

I’m Derek Schmidt, Republican for attorney general, and I would be honored to have your vote.

Steve Six (D)

Hello, I'm Steve Six, Attorney General of Kansas. When I took office, political and personal scandals had weakened the trust Kansans must have in their top law enforcement officer.

I've made it clear the Attorney General's office must have the right priorities; We've set new records going after fraud and abuse in Medicaid, recovering almost $22 million just last year; We've also set new records for consumers, recovering over $17 million in 2010.

In three years, I've recovered double in Medicaid fraud what all previous AGs combined did; I've recovered as much for consumers as the previous 13 years combined. And we've done this while cutting our taxpayer funded budget by over 40%.

That's the right experience and the right priorities for the Attorney General to have. I'm proud to say I have the most experience of any candidate, having personally prosecuted murder cases, and spending my career in the courtroom first as an attorney and then as a district court judge.

I look forward to continuing to use that experience to prove what can be done when you keep politics out of the Attorney General's office. Kansans have seen what happens when political agendas guide the Attorney General. Pursuing political agendas has in the past cost the state millions in legal fees and tens of millions in missed opportunities. We cannot go back to the time when politics guided the office.

I'm proud of what we've accomplished and look forward to your support this election. Thank you.

Treasurer

Ron Estes (R)

Hi, I’m Sedgwick County Treasurer Ron Estes.

My parents still live today on our family farm in Osage County where I lived as a child. That’s where I learned the value of hard work, financial discipline and a strong sense of family values. My wife Susan and our three children have made our home in Wichita for the past 15 years. We are at a time in our country where we need new leaders in Washington and Topeka with business experience to bring a sense of fiscal responsibility and financial stewardship back to our government.

As County Treasurer, I have had the opportunity to bring real reform to the office. One example of that is reducing the amount of time to process mail-in vehicle registrations from more than a week to one day. Also, over the past five years I have turned over more than one point five million dollars to the county general fund. As a conservative Republican I will continue to bring fiscal responsibility and financial stewardship to the office of State Treasurer just as I have as County Treasurer.

I will continue to support financial literacy across our state and especially to the children of Kansas so that they too will know the value of saving and living within their means. And I will work with the legislature to protect and improve our public employees’ retirement fund by fixing KPERS funding shortfall.

I encourage you to get involved with my campaign by visiting our website at www.kansansforestes.com.

I want to thank those of you have elected me twice to the office of Sedgwick County Treasurer. Since being elected County Treasurer in 2004, I have had the privilege of serving and meeting many fine people of Sedgwick County. Now I am the Republican candidate for Kansas State Treasurer and I ask for your support and vote on November 2nd.

Dennis McKinney (D)

Hello, I am State Treasurer Dennis McKinney.

In tough times, it is important to lead by example. When my hometown of Greensburg was leveled by a tornado, I was one of the first to commit to rebuilding, to encourage our neighbors to rebuild.

That’s also why my first official act as State Treasurer was to cut my own pay and our office worked to reduce costs. Streamlining operations, we came in under budget returning $65,000 to a starving State General Fund.

My years of business experience in crop and livestock production has helped in looking for ways that our office can do more with less.

Working with lenders, homebuilders, realtors and legislators, both Republican and Democrat, we improved our housing loan program encouraging construction and putting more money back into the Kansas economy to create jobs and commerce.

Our Ag production loan program has made nearly 1500 loans, providing hundreds of millions of dollars during the last 10 years to help grow family farms.

We have worked with veteran and business organizations returning a record $14.6 million in unclaimed property this year, putting more money back into the hands of Kansas families and the economy, helping to create jobs and commerce.

Through our nationally recognized Learning Quest Education Savings Program, over 55,000 Kansans have invested $580 million for their children’s education, an investment in the future of the Kansas workforce.

It has been an honor to serve as your State Treasurer. I would appreciate your vote on November 2nd. As we have learned in Greensburg, when we rely on our faith in God and work together there is no hardship that we cannot overcome. Ad Astra Per Aspera.

 

US Senate

Lisa Johnston (D)

Thanks to KWCH for this opportunity to speak with Kansas voters.

I’m Lisa Johnston and after 17 years as a teacher and college administrator I’m running for U.S. Senate because I know Kansans want leadership, not politics as usual.

We need a fresh perspective in Washington and I agree with the vision of our founders that government works best when we have citizen legislators who are committed to making a difference for our state and nation.

My opponent supports the so-called fair tax. But frankly there’s nothing fair about a 23 percent national sales tax that would put a tremendous financial strain on working and middle class families, retirees , family farmers and small business owners forcing many to pay substantially more tax than they do today.

This is wrong. The people deserve an advocate, not politicians who place nice sounding names on plans that would hurt everyday Kansans.

Kansans above all deserve honesty and a leader who is committed to fighting for them.

Please visit my website lisaforkansas.com where you can learn more about me and sign up to support the campaign.

If you would like to see your next Senator focused on job growth and Kansas, building economic and fiscal responsibility, being a strong voice for education and representing and advocating for Kansas, please vote for me, Lisa Johnston, in the November 2nd general election.