Raising money, improving voter turnout and refining the party’s message are the top goals of new Kansas Republican Party Chairman Mike Kuckelman.
Elected as the party’s new chair Saturday, Kuckelman outlined his plans for the future while shrugging off recent party defections.
Kuckelman takes the helm of the state party with a Democrat in the governor’s office and a Democrat representing the 3rd Congressional District. The party also will have to defend a Senate seat that will come open in two years when Sen. Pat Roberts retires.
Kuckelman’s team includes Virginia Crossland-Macha as vice chair, Emily Wellman as secretary and Bob Dool as treasurer.
Kuckelman has been around Kansas Republican politics for a while, most recently representing Republican state Sen. Jim Denning in his defamation suit against The Kansas City Star.
He also defended state Rep. Adam Thomas against questions about his residency in House District 26.
Kuckelman also defended U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts when his residency was challenged back in 2014 by supporters of Milton Wolf.
Kuckelman, who is involved in a number of philanthropic activities, has served as treasurer of the Johnson County Republican Party. Three years ago, he ran to chair the county party and eventually lost to Mike Jones.
Kuckelman said the party needs to improve its messaging of the party’s platform, which has been criticized because it only recognizes marriage between a man and a woman.
“I think the Kansas Republican Party platform is very consistent with most Kansans’ values,” he said in an interview Friday.
“I think we need to work on our message so people better understand what the Republican platform is.”
Kuckelman said he didn’t think the party’s platform on marriage was out of step. “I think most Kansans — and most of the Midwest — fits with the Republican Party platform values. I really do.”
The party received national attention when three Republican lawmakers announced last year they were becoming Democrats, saying the GOP no longer reflected their values.
Kuckelman said the departure of Sens. Dinah Sykes, Barbara Bollier and Rep. Stephanie Clayton didn’t change the party’s outlook.
“That does attract a headline,” Kuckelman said of the lawmakers switching parties. “The reality is some of those people (ran) as Republicans just to use the label of Republicans to get elected.
“Frankly, some of those folks that defected — if they examine their conscience and their voting record — they’re really Democrats. They ought to be frank with people and run as Democrats.”
Asked about how the party might win back the 3rd Congressional District, Kuckelman said the electorate will know more about incumbent Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids than it knew last year.
“Davids will have a voting record next time around,” Kuckelman said. “I think that voting record is going to be inconsistent with the expectations from the 3rd District.”
Kuckelman said he thought Davids benefited from a Democratic wave to an extent. He thinks that will subside after her voting record emerges.
“I think there was a wave there that some people got caught up in wanting change,” he said. “When they actually see what’s happening with the votes, we’ll have a voting record that we’ll be able to run against.”
Kuckelman said the party is recruiting candidates to run against Davids. A couple names have already surfaced as possible candidates, including former GOP Chairwoman Amanda Adkins and Sara Weir, president and chief executive of the National Down Syndrome Society.
Kuckelman acknowledged hearing both names but added that neither one has firmly committed to a congressional race.
“Both of them would be fine candidates,” he said. “I would encourage them to keep looking at it.”
Similarly, Kuckelman expressed a similar theme for the 2022 governor’s race, but said he hope that the party could win back some voters it lost in the last election and persuade more undecided voters.
A Fox News Voter Analysis showed that 25 percent of Republican voters cast a ballot for someone other than the GOP nominee Kris Kobach in the governor’s race. By comparison, Democrat Laura Kelly lost just 7 percent of Democratic voters to other candidates.
“We didn’t pick up enough undecideds, that’s for sure,” he said. “We didn’t get enough Republicans out to vote. One of the things we need to do in the next cycle is we have to get Republicans out to vote.”
Most immediately, Kuckelman will need to hire an executive director to replace Jim Joice, who left to join Congressman Steve Watkins’ office.
Kuckelman said he’s looking for someone with a mix of talents, including someone who can raise money, act as a spokesman and can execute ideas.
“I want a lot of things accomplished so it needs to be somebody who can take a conceptual idea and put it into practice.”
Kuckelman said he hopes to hire someone within about three weeks.
