CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, November 9, 1994
3A
Democrat wins in 46th
By David Wilson Kansan staff writer
At 8:20 yesterday morning, Troy Findley signed in as the 100th voter at his polling place.
"That looked like a good omen to me," he said last night at the Douglas County Courthouse.
It was.
Findley, Democratic candidate for state representative for the 46th District, handily beat Republican Eric Schmidt and Libertarian Ena Wheeler in yesterday's election.
Findley had 3064 votes. Schmidt and Wheeler had 2544 and 607 votes, respectively. The 46th district includes most of the KU campus.
A calm but sweaty Findley told reporters that he felt lucky to have won.
"Given the trend of anti-Democratic feeling tonight, I'm very pleased with the margin." he said.
Republicans made gains across the country last night, capturing a majority in the Senate, the governorship of Texas and the governorship of Kansas.
But Schmidt, who arrived at the courthouse only after most of the votes had been counted, blamed his loss on a
"I'm running in the most liberal, Democratic district in the state," he said. "I see it as a victory. I feel really good about the race we ran."
concentration of Democratic voters in his district.
Schmidt and Findley shook hands with each other on the second floor of the courthouse just in front of the chalkboard where votes were being tallied.
"Good campaign," Findley told Schmidt. Schmidt sighed and shook his head.
Earlier in the evening, Findley wasn't as gracious about the tone of the campaign.
"We have the distinct honor of having the nastiest House race in the state of Kansas," he told family and supporters at an election party at his parents' home.
Findley was referring to newspaper advertisements run by Schmidt's campaign that accused him of accepting out-of-state campaign contributions.
Ena Wheeler, Lawrence senior, said she was pleased with her showing against Schmidt and Findley.
"I got more than the difference between them," she said.
Late in the night, when Wheeler had totaled 598 votes. She said she hadn't expected to get as many votes as she did.
Republican Eric Schmidt talks with 46th District State Representative-elect Troy Findley. Findley defeated Schmidt by 510 votes in last night's election.
“五 hundred and ninety people I don't even know voted for me," she said.
The other eight votes came from came from friends, she said.
Her goal — to spread the Libertarian party message — was reached, she said.
"I had fun." she said. "I did what I wanted to do."
Richard Devinki / KAHSAN
House seat goes to eager Republican
By Nathan Olson
Kansan staff writer
Troy Findley, who won the Kansas House of Representatives' 46th District seat, is interviewed at the Douglas County Court House. Findley, a Democrat, beat Republican Eric Schmidt and Libertarian Ena Wheeler yesterday.
Tom Sloan
On one side, a consoling hand on the back. On the other, a leg of lamb.
The former was given last night by Donna Swall to her husband, Forrest, as they watched the results of the Kansas House of Representatives 45th District race. The latter will be part of the celebratory meal Republican Tom Sloan will be cooking tonight.
"I'm in awe of the number of people who believed in me," Sloan said. "I feel good that so many people worked in my campaign. It shows that voters responded to the common sense values I tried to espouse.
The celebration will be in honor of Sloan's victory. Though official results were not available, with 52 of the 54 precincts reporting, Sloan had 4,304 votes. Swall, the Democrat incumbent, collected 3,274 votes.
"People have the answers, we just haven't been listening to them."
Sloan said he had spent the day relaxing.
"I straightened my house and emptied my car," he said. Saan said he would begin doing his homework soon.
Sloan said he would begin doing his homework soon. "I'll be talking to the speaker of the house to find out which committees I'll be on," he said.
Sloan said that he had mixed feelings about the win.
"Over 4,000 people voted for me," he said. "Most of them I didn't even know personally. It feels exhilarating but also daunting because of my responsibility toward them."
Though disappointed, Swall, who is an assistant professor of social welfare at the University of Kansas, said he felt that this election offered him a "win-win" situation.
"It provided me with an opportunity to express some of my views," he said. "I also got a sense of how the Legislature deals with social issues."
Swall said that Sloan's victory was a victory for negative campaigning.
"It shows that negative campaigning works," he said. "If that's what it takes to win an election, then I'm out."
Swall said he would continue teaching and maybe write. "I might try to be an advocate for some groups, such as those trying to reform the criminal-justice system," he said.
Swall's advice for Sloan was simple
"I think he needs to rethink his untenable position on criminal justice," he said. "If he continues voting the way he campaigned, he will contribute to the doubling and redoubling of the prison population in the next decade or so."
Ballard re-elected to the 44th District
By Casey Barnes Kansan staff writer
Just four hours before the polls closed, Barbara Ballard was nervous.
That may not seem unusual for a candidate on election day, but Ballard was running unopposed for the Kansas House of Representatives' 44th District.
"I'm so superstitious," said Ballard, associate dean of students and director of the Emily Taylor Resource Center. "But I'm really more nervous for the other races because we all work so closely together."
Ballard received 6,547 votes with 52 out of 54 precincts reporting.
Running unopposed did not stop Ballard from hitting the campaign trail. She said she sent out fliers to her constituents, advertised in newspapers and hung re-election posters because she enjoyed it.
"I campained because I enjoy campaigning and because I don't know of anyone who likes a vote to be taken for granted," she said. "The 44th district is a growing district, and not all of the residents that live there
n lived there in 1992. I think it is important that they know me and know what I am doing for them."
Ballard's first election campaign was very different than this year's, she said.
When she was originally elected in 1992, she had an opponent
Barbara Ballard
was president of the Lawrence school board and was busy with a bond issue.
"This year I have been able to put my energy on my constituents and the issues for next year — things that I prefer to deal with," she said. "When you have an opponent, you have to deal with what they have said about you and, sometimes, a negative campaign. I would prefer not to be involved with that."
Mary Weisert, Ballard's campaign manager, said running Ballard's campaign had not been easy, but that it had been less stressful
"This year I have been able to put my energy on my constituents and the issues for next year." Barbara Ballard 44th District representative
than in 1992.
"The strategy is different when there is not an opponent, but you still have to have a strategy," Weisert said. "It is harder because people seem to forget that you exist. But it is a compliment to Barbara that she is running unopposed because she has done an outstanding job."
Voting kids
Julianne Peter/ KANSAN
F.X. Wallace, Denver sophomore, helps an elementary school student fill out her election ballot. The Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity ran the Kid's Voting program at Mustard Seed Christian Church yesterday. Kansas was one of 20 states to participate in the Kids Voting USA project, which allowed students in kindergarten through high school to vote for candidates and ballot issues.
"This is a chance for kids to familiarize themselves with voting," said Wallace, who is the service chairman for his fraternity. "It is a positive experience for kids."
Wallace said about 300 students came to Mustard Seed to vote.
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