Kids Voting project draws 560 participants in county

More than 560 local students participated in Kids Voting Bourbon County during Tuesday's midterm elections, committee member Tim Emerson said.

Emerson said the total number was lower than he expected as close to 2,000 students were eligible to take part in the program.

"Some of the schools and teachers enthusiastically supported the program while others did not support it as much," Emerson said.

The results of the Kids Voting are as follows:

In the race for the 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, five-term congressman Jim Ryun, R-Lawrence, defeated challenger (and the real winner) Nancy Boyda, D-Topeka, by a count of 298-206 votes.

Governor Kathleen Sebelius, D-Topeka, received 288 votes while Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, got 210. Reform Party gubernatorial candidate Richard Ranzau received 32 votes while Libertarian candidate Carl Kramer got 28.

Ron Thornburgh, R-Topeka, received 166 votes in his bid for re-election as Secretary of State. Democratic challenger David Haley received 124 votes.

Republican Phill Kline beat out Democrat Paul Morrison for the Attorney General's office, 185-132.

In the State Treasurer race, Lynn Jenkins, R-Topeka, defeated Larry Wilson, D-Topeka, 206-114.

Incumbent Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, R-Lawrence, received 161 votes, while Bonnie Sharp, D-Kansas City, received 122. Libertarian candidate Patrick Wilbur received 43 votes.

Larry Monaghan, L-Arcadia, edged out incumbent Bob Grant, D-Cherokee, for the 2nd District seat in the Kansas House of Representatives, 106-97.

In a race with local interest, Shirley Palmer, D-Fort Scott, easily unseated Lynne Oharah, R-Uniontown, for the 4th District seat in the Kansas House of Representatives, 207-118.

Kent Runyan, D-Pittsburg, narrowly defeated Jana Shaver, R-Independence, for the 9th District seat in the State Board of Education, 163-158.

Terry Graham, D-Fort Scott, ran unopposed for the 1st District Bourbon County Commission seat and received 294 of the students' votes.

Kids Voting is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to the education of Kansas students about the rights, responsibilities and process of participating in democracy.

After receiving classroom instruction, students go to the polls alongside an adult and "vote" in their own election at booths staffed by community volunteers.