Kansas Democrats renew challenge to Johnson County House candidate over residence requirement

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The House of Representatives chamber of the Kansas Statehouse is pictured July 23, 2014 in Topeka.

Story updated at 6:45 p.m. Sept. 4, 2018:

TOPEKA – Kansas Democrats on Tuesday filed a new objection to a Republican candidate running for the Kansas House in Johnson County, alleging he provided false information about where he lived at the time he changed his voter registration and filed for office.

Adam T. Thomas, of Olathe, is the Republican candidate running in the 26th District, which includes portions of Olathe and Spring Hill. He faces Democrat Deann Mitchell, also of Olathe, in the general election.

In June, Rep. Vic Miller, D-Topeka, who is also an attorney representing Mitchell, accused Thomas of committing perjury for allegedly putting down a false address when he changed his voter registration and filed to run in the 26th District.

That allegation was based on statements included on Thomas’ voter registration card and the form used to file for office in which he stated “under penalty of perjury” that the information on the forms is true.

Thomas said in a statement at the time that he had used a friend’s duplex as a temporary address while he and his family were preparing to move into a new home. Miller, however, said he did not believe Thomas ever resided at the duplex and that he only used that address so he could file to run in the 26th District before the June 1 filing deadline.

At that time, however, Miller did not file a formal objection to Thomas’ candidacy, although he did ask the Johnson County district attorney’s office to investigate. On Tuesday, though, Miller did file a formal objection, saying he now has photographs of Thomas coming and going from his old address during the time when he claimed to be living at his friend’s duplex.

Article 2, Section 4 of the Kansas Constitution states that “during the time that any person is a candidate for nomination or election to the legislature and during the term of each legislator, such candidate or legislator shall be and remain a qualified elector who resides in his or her district.”

Miller also said he has affidavits from a woman who owns the duplex where Thomas claimed to be living and from the resident of the other half of the duplex saying they had never seen Thomas there.

The State Objections Board is expected to meet and consider the evidence in the case, possibly within the next several days. But that board has rejected similar objections Democrats have raised about the residency status of other Republican candidates.

That panel is made up of the secretary of state, attorney general and lieutenant governor, all of whom are currently Republicans.

In an email statement issued late Tuesday, Thomas repeated his earlier assertion that he was staying with a friend on a temporary basis while preparing to move into a new home, and he blasted Miller for photographing him at his former home.

“In that period, we were also in the process of moving out of our old home — packing, painting walls, etc. — so, the fact we would come and go from our previous home is hardly a surprise,” Thomas said.

“Having many friends in the area, they encouraged me to run for State Representative as I share their values and the values of families in District 26,” he continued. “My wife and I have been proud to call Olathe home for 31 years, and will continue to do so. We will represent Olathe and Spring Hill well in Topeka.”

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