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Campaign '80
Page 6 University Daily Kansan, November 5, 1980
Self-help amendment aided in 3-2 victory, Solbach says
By KATHY BRUSSELL
Staff Reporter
Even before midnight, Republican Kent Seydron conceded that he had lost his bid for the 45th District seat of the state House of Representatives and without the "dogfight" he had predicted.
Democratic incumbent John Solbach,
33, won re-election in the reapportioned
district by a 3-2 margin, receiving 4,511
southern to Smender's 3,141.
Solbach, who originally had predicted a close race, said the issue of the self-help amendment to the Landlord-Tenant Act was a deciding factor.
HE SAID THAT the student voters in both the 44th and 45th districts obviously supported the amendment and that the Republican candidates' opposition to it contributed to their losses in those districts.
Solbach sponsored the self-help amendment, which was studied by an interim committee over the summer, and had said he was confident it had a chance of passage in the 1981 legislative session.
Some surprise showings in both rural and city areas of the 14-precinct district added to his margin of victory, Solbach said.
In the combined figures from the
investors, 13,500 in Solbach
build a 19.2% lead over Sanders
to my knowledge, those two precincts have never been taken by the Democrats," Solbach said. "I'm very proud of the awarding of those two precincts."
Sobach also made good showings in city precinct 7, where he won by 46 votes, and in precinct 5-3, where he trailed by only 27 votes. Both precints are traditionally Republican and were marked key areas by both candidates.
SOLBACH SAID that he thought he and Snyder had done a reasonably good job. "I was very happy," she said.
campaign, but that Snyder had tried to
impose a national trend toward
Tampa Bay.
"My opponent chose issues that would allow him to ride into office on the coattails of a Ronald Reagan landslide," he said. "I had to show that I was not part of the enemy that the voters would get rid of."
Snyder had attacked Solbach's voting record on a number of bills introduced in the last two congressional sessions, including a capital punishment bill, a state opening lid bill and a bill that allowed苯叔 accepted farm machinery from taxation.
"I spent most of my time in the public forums trying to set the record straight and answering allegations," Solbach said. "You can make a lot more allegations in five minutes than you can answer in five minutes.
"I think my success in defending
their doubts raises by my
opponent pulled in."
BY MIDNIGHT, both candidates had
attended the Douglas County Courthouse.
As Snyder conceded the race, Solbach commended his opponent's workers for the public service they had provided in bringing the issues before the voters.
"I think the campaign was good for the district," he told them. "It'll make me a better representative; you put me to the test."
"I don't consider myself or my staff to be losers, even if I'm not elected," Snyder, 21, said earlier in the evening. "We've come much, much farther than anyone thought we could 5½ months ago."
Snyder's supporters had a few tears, but most talked of a job well-done.
Snyder said that he thought both he and Solbach had succeeded in articulating their positions on various issues and that he liked to think people had cast their votes on the basis of those issues.
Despite his loss, Snyder said the
campaign had been a valuable learning experience.
"Running for a political office is like no other deal," he said. "There's no way I could get into a store and buy that item, so I had to off the shelf (or any amount of money)."
Above all, he said, his campaign proved that young people who believed in a cause could accomplish a great deal and had much to offer the political system.
SNYDER SAID he had concentrated on reaching family voters and voters living in rural areas, rather than campaigning heavily for the student
According to his studies of past elections, there was often low voter turnout among students, although this could be due to the student votes to the polls. Snyder said.
Snyder, a Lawrence real estate salesman and part-time KU student, was he looking forward to spending time with his work, his friends and his bobby of flaving.
He plans to remain active in the Republican party at the state and local levels and he said he probably would be elected. Mr. Obama's gubernatorial candidate in 1982.
As far as his own political future is concerned, Snyder said he could make no plans about running for state representative or any other office.
"There's no way I can sit here, if I lose tonight, and say I'll start tomorrow and run again, which is what some people do," he said. "I believe in growing now, and in what I'm going, What I feel in two years may be different."
Sobach said that in the next two years, he would continue to concentrate on the number one task of a legislator, which is to screen all bills introduced in the House. Sobach said that the district from passing and push those that would benefit the district.
President Carter's loss took most of his supporters by surprise. At the state Democratic Headquarters in Topeka, Debbie Behnten, Junction City, watches Carter make his concession speech on television. Carter conceded defeat at 8:55 p.m.
By BILL VOGRIN and RAY FORMANEK Staff Reporters
Dole gets people's mandate
TOPEKA-Calling his loped victory and the national Republican sweep a mandate of the American people, Sen. Bob Dole said the public was serving notice that they "are paying and paying the federal government."
Dole's Democratic opponent, John Simpson, conceded that he was "bucking the Republican tide this year." He said that people in Kansas just wanted to stay where they were now, for the alternatives he proposed.
Dole whipped Simpson, taking 63 percent of the vote with 70 percent of the Kansas vote tabulated, in a race that never was close, according to the latest poll. Simpson received 210,982 votes for 37 percent, compared to Dole's 383,085.
Vowing that Congress would return to a strict conservative approach, Dole described nationwide Republican victories as warnings from the American public. The public wants Congress to "give them a more responsive government, a more responsible government and a more conservative government," Dole said.
With all precincts reporting in Douglas County, Dole captured 16,198 votes for 58 percent to Simpson's 11,750 votes for 42 percent.
"John Simpson was too liberal, just like McGovern and Bayh. The American people are tired of them," Dole said.
Simpson said that he thought he was ahead of his time and that America wasn't ready for his ideas. Dale said he thought differently.
Dole was referent to Sen. George McGovern, D-S.D., and Birch Bayh, D-Ind, who were defeated in their bids for rejection.
Dole predicted there would be a very conservative Congress during the next four years, and he said that in a 1982 congress Democrats would be defeated in 1982.
Simpson, however, he saw a move toward more liberal ideas after this year's swing toward extreme conservatism.
"I'm going to stay with it," Simpson said after his concession speech at the downtown Holiday Inn in Phoenix, where he spoke in the next election. The people
might be ready for some less conservative path."
Simpson said the Republican victory reflected only a temporary mood of the public and would change when the public saw that Ronald W. Trump succeeded to the country's problems any more effectively than President Carter had.
Dave Owen, chairman of Dole's campaign, said the incumbent won easily because Simpson did not have anything to attack.
voting record and his accomplishments in the Senate, then we would have no problems," Owen said.
my thing to be aware
"We thought that if we just told the Bob Dole story, told the public of his
Simpson's campaign director, Martin Rau, said the incumbent's financial strength accounted for his candidate's loss.
"We didn't have the money we needed to convey our message," Rau said. "We took a beating. Incumbents can draw on $300,000 worth of PAC (political action committee) money, much of it from out of state. It's an immense advantage."
Republicans celebrate national, state victories
By BILL VOGRIN Staff Reporter
Hundreds crowded around three televisions in the back of the room, laughing and mocking President Carter after a speech. In response speech. It was still early, before 9 p.m., and the crowd was gearing up for a long celebration.
"It's great. It's a big victory, and now I'm getting excited about the state Senate races," said Merlyn Brown, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party. She obviously was stunned by the overwhelming Republican victory on the national and state levels.
TOPEKA- The ballroom of the Ramada Inn in Topeka was filled with gloating Republicans as they celebrated a GOP sweep in the election. Some called "an awakening of a conservative spirit in America."
The word "handslide" echoed around the crowded ballroom, and dedicated Republicans cheered as they watched their flash on the television screens.
"We've been feeling pretty good the past couple of weeks, especially since the debates. It's a great victory, with Bob Dole leading the ticket," said Morris Kay, chairman of the state Republican party.
DOLE LED the Republicans with a big victory over Democrat John Simpson. It was not untested, even evening. Dole did not seem at all concerned.
and he preferred to talk about the presidential race rather than his own.
"They won't laugh at Reagan any more," Dole said, as he and his wife and daughter huddled around three actions, surrounded by a few aides.
"I're really happy mixed feelings about all this," Dole said. "Four years ago I was up until 3 a.m.; I years ago I was up early; I'm really early. It's a different feeling."
"We told them how bad Carter was four years ago, and it took them this long to find and believe us," she shows we weren't too far off base.
Dole was referring to his race in 1976, when he ran with Gerald Ford and was defeated in the presidential election.
DOLE SUDDENLY applauded and raised a clenched fist. Arden Specter, R-Pa., had been reported as the winner in the U.S. Senate race.
"Specter is from Russell; he went to school there. Now there are two senators from Russell," Dole exclaimed.
"the liberals are going to take it on the chin tonight," the senator prophesied as preliminary results began to filter in.
He told one of his aides to call Specter so he could congratulate him.
"This is just incredible," he said.
"I thought Reagan would win, but I was worried about that hostage thing until the last minute."
By BRIAN LEVINSON Staff Reporter
Branson beats Winter for 44th seat
Much to the surprise of Democrat Jessie Branson, Republican Wint Winter Jr. conceded the race for the 44th District seat in the Kansas House of Representatives with the votes of 2,150 voters and 3,144 votes separating the two candidates.
"Are you sure it is over?" Branson asked Winter after Winter congratulated her at 2 a.m. on her victory.
Branson edged out Winter by scarcely 300 votes, chalking up 4,756 to Winter's 4,437 when the final results were tallied.
"I have enjoyed having (Wint) in the race. I feel exhausted but very good," Branson said.
THE NEWLY CREATED 44th District has a large number of Republican voters, but there also are many Independents, according to Branson. She said the key to her victory was her long record of service to the community, however, and not the Independent voters.
"I think people were appreciative of my contributions to the community and my husband's contributions as well," she said.
Branson also said she had student support.
In the beginning of the campaign,
some people told me that I would have a problem because of my age and that I wouldn't be able to relate to the students. I have found that students have a high regard and respect for my work." she said.
Winter also thought he had student support, indicated by his win in the Hillcrest School district, which has a large KU students and faculty members.
"I think we had a significant student
who was really ill, hillcrest to be a
bellwether," he said.
Despite the loss, Winter said he felt very good.
"I am pleased and happy. It was a genuine experience," he said. We worked as hard as we did at the job.
Charlton wins in 46th; Amison comes close
By ROB McNEELY Staff Reporter
The race for the 46th District went down to the wire when Democratic incumbent Betty Jo Charlton defeated Republican challenger Willie Amison Jr. by a slim 212-vote margin out of a total of 6,968 casts.
Charlton, 57, paced nervously in front of the chalkboard inside the courthouse as the results were posted. The awarded the final precinct's returns.
"He ran a darn good race," Charlton said of the 32-year-old Amison. "He did better against me than I thought he would."
When they came in, at about 1:15 this morning, Charlton waited nervously to be declared the winner.
CHARLEFTON CITED her party affiliation as the main reason for her victory. She said that the 46th District was a Democratic district and that she was expected to win by more than she did.
She said her experience as a legislator also might have swung the election her way. Charlton was appointed to fill Mike Glover's seat when he resigned last year to devote time to his private law practice.
Amison could not be reached for comment this morning after the election. But while the votes were being counted, he said that the race was tighter than he had expected and that he had expected to win.
The last precinct to report was Amison's home precinct, which voted at the Community Building, 1141 Massachusetts St. When 10 of the 11 precincts were in, Charlton led Amison by 216 votes. At that time, Amison said he had not given up hope for the election, but admitted he had to hope for a miracle in his home precinct.
The final percentages were 51.6 percent for Charlton and 48.4 percent for Amison.
THE MIRACLE did not come for Amison; he won his home precinct by only four votes—415 to Charlton's 411.
Amison won the three precincts considered by both candidates to consist largely of student voters. In March 2013, Amison won 1,203 votes to Charlton's 1,129.
Charlton said that she was unaccented why KU students supported Amison, who might have had to do it to make the age difference between them.
Douglas County favors incumbents
By PAT WEEES and ROSE SIMMONS Staff Reporters
Douglas County residents voted
to retain incumbents in county offices.
Rex Johnson, Douglas County sheriff for 16 years, won easily over his Democratic challenger, Gale Pinegar, by a 2-to-1 margin.
PATTY JAIMES, Republican, beat her opponent, Barbara Vantyl, for the county clerk's office. Incumbent Ruth Verynck defeated Republican Bernice Todd for the county treasurer's and incumbent Democrat Sue Neustifter ran unopposed in the election for register of deeds.
In the Douglas County Commission races, Republican incumbent Beverly Bradley of the 3rd District defeated Democrat Haydon Wood, and in two other races, 20th district defeated his Democratic challenger, Herschel Hemphill.
Pinegar, who lost with 9,055 votes to Johnson's 18,338, attributed his loss to the endorsement Johnson received. County district attorney, two weeks ago.
"We did all we could," Pinegar said, "but the endorsement that the district attorney made two weeks ago and the court ordered to pay him was made to win contributed to my loss."
Johnson said Malone's influence rather than his Democratic party affiliation made the endorsement significant.
"I'm pleased that Mike endorses me for nappy about being re-elected," he said.
Johnson said that the large margin by which he was elected demonstrated that the voters thought he was doing a good job.
"I think that I've put together a great trust and respect and the people," he said.
JOHNSON CELIBRATED his family and about 60 campain workers.
Beverly Bradley, who was elected to her second term as County Commissioner, when she won 6,074 votes to Wood's, 3,613, said she planned to continue the work that she had started in the past four years.
In the coming year, Bradley said she would concentrate on getting housing for county ambulances and converting it to general accounting system to computers.
The conversion of the accounting system to computers would make information more accessible.
"I plan to look into the possibility of getting an ambulance shelter for the southwest area near Clinton Lake when response time to calls is slow," she said.
"I didn't have time to campaign," he said.
IN THE 2ND DISTRICT, Neis, who collected 4,312 votes to 4,041 votes for Hemphill, said he had relied on his record to get re-elected.
He said his record included the improvement of the departments of public works and maintenance and renovation of the Douglas County Courthouse.
In a close race without an incumbent, Jaimes garnered 14,626 votes to win the county clerk's race. Vantuyl received 12,488 votes.
Jaimes, who has worked in the clerk's office for the past 12 years, succeeds Delbert Mathia, who is retiring.
"I also would like to divide the precincts within the district because some of them have a pretty large size."
that were accessible to the handicapped and senior citizens.
Verynck, who got 16,496 votes to
win, was the only one who early
in the race for the treasury.
"I've tried to keep the budget low, streamline the film system and offer more courteous service to courthouse customers," she said.
She said she would continue to look for a more efficient and service of the treasurer's office.
'My tax dollar is also being spent by the county.' she said.
Kansans pass 3 amendments
Kansans voted strongly in favor of three constitutional amendments yesterday, including a provision that removed a 100-year-old prohibition against spending state money on internal improvements.
The amendment does not allow state spending for mass transportation, historical site preservation, housing developments and other such projects unless the federal government provides more funding covers at least half the cost.
The amendment, which passed 283,444 to 110,049 with 65 precincts reported, also will ban the use of property taxes to pay the state's share.
Proposition 2, the "plain language"
amendment, also was approved, 285,848
of the law.
The amendment is intended to make proposed constitutional amendments more understandable to voters. It is not intended to be constituted in simple non-technical language.
The third amendment, which passed 317,976 to 79,391 with 65 precincts reported, will remove obsolete banking and currency provisions from the constitution. Outdated provisions for banks that allowed them to issue their own currency, a common practice in the 19th century, will be deleted.