Businessman Chuck Ahner won a four-man GOP primary Tuesday to face incumbent 3rd District Congressman Dennis Moore, a Democrat, in November.
The district includes east Lawrence and eastern Douglas County, plus Johnson and Wyandotte counties.
Ahner, a senior vice president at Midland Loan Services Inc., credited his victory in part to his efforts in Douglas County.
"We had a concerted grass-roots effort in Douglas County," he said.
He also was helped by former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, who recorded a telephone message that went to GOP voters in the district, urging them to vote for Ahner, a West Point graduate.
Though Republican registered voters are in the majority in the district, Moore has vexed the GOP the past eight years. A former prosecutor, Moore unseated an incumbent Republican in 1998 and has dispatched a tough Republican challenger every two years since. He is viewed as a moderate to conservative Democrat.
"We're not running against Dennis Moore, but running toward our issues," Ahner said.
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Ahner said one of his major issues would be tax reform.
"We want to change the whole tax code to make it more compatible in the world economy," he said.
Ahner unsuccessfully sought a seat on the Blue Valley school board in 2003 and 2005.
On Tuesday, Ahner captured 52 percent of the Republican vote. Scott Schwab, a two-term Kansas House member from Olathe, came in second with 33 percent.
As of mid-July, Ahner had raised $209,000 for his campaign. But $150,000 was his own money. Schwab had raised $42,000.
Other candidates were Thomas Scherer, of Merriam, who ran calling for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq within a year, and Paul Showen, of Shawnee, who wanted to establish a flat federal income tax of 10 percent. Scherer received 8 percent of the vote; Showen, 7 percent.
Election 2006 - Kansas races
More on the 2006 Elections in Kansas
- Video
- 6News video: Low turnout may result in new primary election date (08-30-06)
- 6News video: Candidate speaks at university forum (08-30-06)
- 6News video: Evolution supporters will hold board majority (08-02-06)
- 6News video: Snag-free night for primaries (08-02-06)
- 6News video: County puts new voting machines to test (08-01-06)
- 6News video: Praeger holds up over opponent (08-01-06)
- Stories
- Low turnout prompts call for new primary date (08-31-06)
- Publisher blasts candidate for illegally stuffing newspapers (08-04-06)
- Election hailed as pro-evolution (08-03-06)
- New voting machines perform well on first test (08-03-06)
- Barnett wins GOP bid to take on Sebelius (08-02-06)
- Voter turnout among lowest in memory (08-02-06)
- Eudora takes plunge on pool (08-02-06)
- Praeger prevails in 'negative' contest (08-02-06)
- Primary election results
- See how the voting went in select races
- Campaign finance reports
- Statewide office
- Board of Education
- Election 2006 - Kansas races
Comments
srj 6 years, 10 months ago
I find it funny he lost twice for school board. He will probally get some money early, then his party will see if he has a real shot to win to give hime big money. The Dems. might win the house, so this could be a big race.
bearded_gnome 6 years, 10 months ago
Good job Chuck! now, let's get you elected!
Confrontation 6 years, 10 months ago
Anyone recommended by Bob Dole should be automatically banned from the election.
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