Based on a recent sampling of shoppers in Lawrence, voters aren’t yet in the market for political candidates.

Some of them have had other things on their minds, such as their shrinking retirement portfolios. Others say the candidates in the Aug. 6 Republican Party primary just haven’t excited them.

“The candidates are stepping up to the plate, but the ball hasn’t been pitched,” said Jesse Newman of Lawrence.

Besides, said Newman, a registered Republican, he usually waits until closer to the election before paying attention to the campaigns.

For voters and candidates, time is running out.

Tomorrow is the last day to register to vote in the primary. There are no statewide Democratic primary battles, but Republicans are squaring off in several races.

Based on interviews last week outside Wal-Mart, voters aren’t so familiar with the candidates. But they know what is bothering them.

From taxes and corporate scandals to public education and insurance costs, people say they have concerns the candidates are failing to address.

No clear favorite

“I’m totally disillusioned,” said Ocoee Miller, who lives in Douglas County. “The bastards are going to sell us out no matter how we vote.”

Miller is a registered Democrat but she blames both parties for allowing corporations to take over the country. “Someday there will be a bumper sticker that says, ‘Granny, what was democracy like?'” she said.

Becky McMillen of Baldwin said stock market problems were diverting peoples’ attention from the primary. But McMillen, a registered Republican, said by now there should be more campaign excitement, especially from the Republican gubernatorial candidates.

“We need a change,” she said. “I would have thought there would have been more momentum by now.”

Her observation is backed up by the politicians.

“We have a wide spectrum of candidates who cover a wide spectrum of interests, but no one has seemed to have grabbed that foothold,” said Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh, the state’s chief election official.

Candidates in the GOP gubernatorial primary are Dan Bloom, a Eudora businessman; Senate President Dave Kerr of Hutchinson; Wichita Mayor Bob Knight; and State Treasurer Tim Shallenburger.

Theories abound

There are several theories why there seems to be little public interest in the GOP governor’s race.

Thornburgh blames it partly on a state Legislature battle over redistricting that made the date of the primary uncertain. That uncertainty about the election date made candidates delay advertising and campaign mailings. Now that Kerr, Knight and Shallenburger are running television ads, interest in the race should pick up, he said.

Another reason for the quiet primary, he said, was that there were no statewide Democratic primary contests.

Gov. Bill Graves, a Republican who is prohibited from seeking a third term, said the lack of campaign fireworks was because there was so much confusion in the Republican Party about who was going to run. By the time the field was set, he said, most folks were on their summer vacations.

Graves also said he hoped the lack of interest in the current campaign was because most people were generally satisfied with the job he was doing.

Not so for Jesse Wyant of Eudora, who said he was going to be happy to see Graves go.

Smoking an unfiltered Pall Mall cigarette, Wyant, a Republican, said he was angry last month when Graves signed a cigarette tax increase of 46 cents per pack. “There was no reason to do that, except for spite,” Wyant said.

What are the issues?

His friend, Beverly Willis of Eudora, a Democrat, said she would vote for the Republican in the November general election for the first time in her life because she didn’t like the Democratic candidate, Kathleen Sebelius.

Willis said that during Sebelius’ tenure as state insurance commissioner, the quality of insurance had declined.

“I used to have quality insurance, now I have trash,” Willis said.

Ron Buskirk, a Democrat from Lawrence, said he was satisfied with Sebelius and Democratic attorney general candidate Chris Biggs, now serving as Geary County’s chief prosecutor.

Buskirk said the most important issue in the campaign was improving public schools, even if that meant paying more taxes.

But Don Harsh of Baldwin, a retiree and “die-hard Republican” who once worked for the state lottery, said he supported Shallenburger because he had promised not to increase taxes.

“I think they have enough money to operate the schools. If they want an increase, let those folks with kids vote for bonds,” he said.