For Immediate Release

September 9, 2014

For More Information, contact:

Dakota Loomis

(785) 979-6345

dakota@kansasdems.com

KDP Chair Wagnon Responds To DA Taylor's Legal Challenge Of Sec. of State Kobach's Partisan Decision

TOPEKA – Joan Wagnon, Kansas Democratic Party Chair, issued a statement in response to Topeka attorney Pedro Irigonegaray's filing on behalf of Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor in the Kansas Supreme Court:

We will watch closely as this legal challenge proceeds through the courts. It is premature to comment on its merits, but one thing is clear: Kansans have no use for extremist politicians like Kris Kobach who continue to put partisan politics before what is best for Kansans.

Where was Kris Kobach Wednesday afternoon anyway? Chad Taylor had been trying to reach Kris Kobach all day. Where was he? Taylor went to the Kobach’s office at 4 o’clock, and Kris Kobach was nowhere to be found. Maybe he was out trying to get people to self-deport themselves. Maybe he was out trying to suppress voters’ rights. He surely wasn’t in his office working.

Kobach ignored multiple career employees of the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office who confirmed that the letter of withdrawal submitted by Chad Taylor was sufficient to remove his name from the ballot. In fact, these employees physically removed Chad Taylor’s name from the Kansas Secretary of State’s official list of candidates.

Kris Kobach continues to ignore what is best for Kansas to do what is best for Kris Kobach. Regardless of the outcome of this legal challenge, Kansans deserve a Secretary of State whose first priority is protecting our open and free elections, not bending the rules to serve his partisan political agenda.

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Paid for by the Kansas Democratic Party, Matt Watkins, Treasurer.