John Sturn from Ellinwood and Tory Marie Blew from Great Bend are candidates in the Republican Primary for the Kansas State Senate, District 33. This is an open seat with no incumbent on the ticket. The primary will be on Aug. 6 but advance voting is going on now.
The winner will be on the November general election ballot along with the Democratic Party candidate Matthew Westenfeld from Lyons, who is unopposed in the primary.
The Great Bend Tribune sent each primary candidate the same questions and received the following answers. The order in which they are listed was determined by a coin toss.
John Sturn
What other elected offices have you held?
I am in my fourth term on the Ellinwood School Board.
What do you believe qualifies you for this office?
I had an accomplished career in the natural gas pipeline business working as an engineer and field operations manager. I have served our rural communities, our churches, our kids and our schools. I am a farm-raised, fifth generation Kansan. I understand our shared heritage of traditional, commonsense, conservative values.
What do you see as the Number One issue in this election?
Who our government serves. Too often on the issues of our schools and our taxes, dominant political lobbying organizations set the agenda. Legislators such as my opponent align and comply with them and vote to approve their bills. Too often our government serves political lobbyists over other Kansans.
Tory Marie Blew
What other elected offices have you held? House of Representatives, District 112, Elected in 2016.
What do you believe qualifies you for this office? As your State Representative, I have eight years of experience, relationships, and a strong conservative vote record to prove I am the best candidate for this position. Throughout my time in the House, I know how to be an effective leader and how to work together to get things done in Topeka.
What do you see as the Number One issue in this election? Although we recently returned for a special session to cut taxes for Kansans, I don’t believe it went far enough. Property taxes are hurting Kansans more than ever before. Unfortunately, Kansans are being taxed out of our great state. If local officials cannot cut property taxes, then as a Legislature, we must step up and do our part to help with tax relief.
