Lenexa ? With less than two weeks left before the Republican Party primary, six of the seven men vying to become the GOP candidate for governor chased votes Tuesday in Republican-rich Johnson County.

The winner in the Aug. 1 contest will face Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, who will need Republican voters to propel her to a second four-year term.

Facing a crowd of about 75 Johnson County officials and voters, the Republican candidates struck familiar themes of growing the economy and keeping taxes low.

Ken Canfield, of Overland Park, the founder of a center of fathering, called for removal of the cap that local school districts can spend on public schools, and said he would work to reduce the divorce rate as a way to strengthen families.

“This is a preventative approach,” Canfield said.

Tim Pickell, a lawyer from Prairie Village, said the battling wings of the Republican Party must unite if the state’s dominant party has a chance of defeating Sebelius in the November election.

“We must have unity in the GOP or we will not win,” Pickell said.

State Sen. Jim Barnett, of Emporia, said the state was in danger of spending more than the economy could support.

“Aside from Johnson County, the economic engine of this state is broken,” Barnett said.

To spur the economy, he called for elimination of the state estate tax, phasing down state income tax rates, increasing exemptions for dependents and a 10 percent business investment tax credit.

Robin Jennison, a former House speaker, was asked how to provide accessible health care coverage.

“We have to have a sustainable economy throughout the state,” Jennison answered, adding, “We have better health care in rural Kansas than we’ve ever had before.”

Rex Crowell, a former legislator from Longton, said the state’s public universities should focus on the development of alternative energy sources.

On the issue of school finance, he said the Legislature needs to determine what an adequate public school education includes and fund what is necessary to achieve that.

Dennis Hawver, a lawyer from Ozawkie, was dressed in period costume from the Revolutionary War.

“I’m running as a revolutionary,” said Hawver, who vowed that if elected he would drastically cut the size of government and taxes. “The last group that had a successful revolution on this continent wore this in 1776.”

Retiree Richard Rodewald, of Eudora, did not attend the forum.