Democratic candidates for Kansas governor pitch campaign priorities to voters

TOPEKA — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Curt Skoog promised voters six weeks before the August primary that if elected he would prioritize healthcare access and economic development in rural Kansas.

Skoog, the mayor of Overland Park, appealed to Democratic voters on Wednesday with his “THRIVE Kansas” plan represented by a “T” for thriving communities, “H” for health, “R” for rural roots, “I” for innovation, “V” for voting and “E” for everyone.

Skoog’s agenda for healthcare includes expanding access to Medicaid and incentivizing medical professionals to live and work in rural areas of the state. His prescription for rural Kansas involves sustainable farming, business development and equitable public education funding.

“We will prioritize policies that increase attainable housing, deliver high-quality public schools, improve access to healthcare, increase opportunity for jobs and business creation and address affordability and lower property taxes,” Skoog’s plan says.

Skoog unexpectedly joined the gubernatorial race June 1, filing hours before the deadline. He joined two other Johnson County candidates in the Democratic primary, state Sens. Ethan Corson, of Fairway, and Cindy Holscher, of Overland Park, who announced their candidacies last year.

On the campaign trail, Holscher called for a statewide suspension of data center construction in an op-ed published Tuesday by the Wichita Eagle. She said she initially supported the developments.

“But now that we’re learning how these companies are draining and contaminating our water supply, driving up our electricity costs and ignoring our communities’ voices,” she said. “It’s time to press the pause button.”

Holscher said she encountered comparable opposition to data centers during campaign stops in Kansas towns and cities.

“Almost everywhere, the people I talk to are increasingly worried about massive data center developments in their backyards,” she said in the column. “And I mean massive: the new ‘hyper scale’ data center in De Soto is planned to cover 1.14 million square feet — that’s 20 football fields.”

Holscher also claimed that “big tech billionaires and the politicians enabling them” continue pushing expansion of data centers despite public concerns.

Skoog said in a statement to Kansas Reflector he doesn’t want to stop construction of data centers. He said he wants to make sure investments are made in support of industrial growth and water preservation.

“We can’t look at water or data centers in isolation,” Skoog said. “It is not only for computing, but for fresh, clean drinking water for our families and ample water supplies for our agricultural and ranching sector, the energy sector and other industry. All must be weighed.”

Meanwhile, Corson made a pitch to voters when he announced a nearly $1 million TV campaign.

The first of his TV ads began airing in the Wichita and Kansas City markets on Tuesday. In the commercial, he said he fought for Medicaid expansion and abortion rights as a state senator.

“I’m running for governor because the fights aren’t over,” he said. “I’ll stand up to (President Donald) Trump, ICE or anyone who comes for our freedoms or our state.”

In the baseball-themed ad, Corson reminisced about playing youth and college baseball. Standing on a field, holding a baseball and wearing a Kansas City Royals shirt, he promised to “fight for Kansas every single day.”

In Skoog’s lengthy policy agenda, he vowed to lower property taxes. The Kansas Legislature failed to reach agreement this session on a bill delivering statewide property tax relief.

Skoog said Overland Park imposes the lowest property tax rate in the state. The League of Municipalities Tax Rate Book ranks the city as having the lowest mill levy tax rate in Kansas, his campaign said.

“Overland Park is thriving today,” Skoog said, “because we actively engage and listen to residents and stakeholders, confront tough issues and build consensus among different perspectives. We don’t spend time on culture wars or legislative bickering.”