Incumbent Bev Schmeidler faces challenger Alicia Straub in the Republican Primary for the Barton County Clerk position. The primary will be on Aug. 6 but advance voting is going on now. There will be no challenger from the Democratic Party in the November general election.
The Great Bend Tribune sent each candidate the same questions and received the following answers.
Bev Schmeidler, Great Bend
What other elected offices have you held? No others.
What do you believe qualifies you for this office? I have worked for Barton County for 34 years in various offices. I think that gives me a lot of insight and knowledge into County workings. I was the Records Leader in the Records Department and have worked in the County Clerk Office since 2013, after the Records Department was consolidated with the County Clerk. I worked with Donna Zimmerman, former County Clerk, for nine years before being appointed County Clerk in October 2021, and took office in January 2022.
What do you see as the Number One issue in this election? Being the Election Officer, I strive to conduct an honest and fair election following state statutes. In the Election Office, we must be impartial to anything outside of the election itself.
Alicia (Schartz) Straub, Ellinwood
What other elected offices have you held?
• 2010-2014 Barton County Extension Council
• 2015-2019 Barton County Commissioner
• 2019-2020 Kansas State Representative 113th District
• 2021-2025 Kansas State Senator 33rd District
What do you believe qualifies you for this office? I bring the experience of working at both the local and state levels of government. When the county transitioned from an old in-house software system to the more modern system they still use today, I was on the County Commission. I have a B.S. in Apparel and Textile Business from Kansas State University, and the skills to manage a modern digital office. My experience as a District Manager covering 13 states taught me how to handle numerous issues at one time, while maintaining accuracy. The county will soon be looking at an audit that will show many errors on tax statements that were sent out last year. If elected to this position I will make it my mission to get the county books back in balance and put measures in place to stop these kinds of errors from being made again. I am meticulous and dedicated to serving the people of Barton County.
What do you see as the Number One issue in this election? Election security and integrity should be the number one priority of our government at all levels. The County Clerk has a very important job of maintaining accurate voter registration rolls and running secure elections. All records kept by the County Clerk must be error-free. I will ensure that Barton County has secure elections and accurate records.
