Incumbent Sen. Chase Blasi, a Wichita Republican, is trying to defend his Statehouse seat from J.C. Moore, who has served in the Legislature before. 

Moore sells himself as more of a moderate Republican while Blasi leans more conservative in a key Republican primary race. The winner of the primary takes on Raymond Shore Jr. in the general election this November.

The Kansas primary election is Aug. 6. You can find your polling place here. 

Both candidates were asked the same questions about their priorities for office and how they would vote on certain issues. 

Here are their answers: 

Who are the candidates in Kansas Senate District 26?

Chase Blasi 

Chase Blasi was 28 years old when he was sworn in to the Senate last year — making him the youngest currently serving senator. This is his first election cycle because he was appointed to his Senate seat after former Sen. Gene Suellentrop left office. 

Blasi was the chief of staff for Senate Presidents Susan Wagle and Ty Masterson. He graduated from Newman University in 2015. 

He is endorsed by Kansans for Life, the National Rifle Association and both the Wichita and Kansas Chambers of Commerce.  

Blasi didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment. His responses were compiled by past stories and his legislative history. 

J.C. Moore

J.C., Moore was the former House representative for the 93rd District. He was first elected in 2018 but lost reelection in 2020. This is his first run at the Statehouse since then. 

He grew up on a farm and oil lease in rural Oklahoma. He earned a master’s degree from Ohio State University and his doctorate from Kansas State University. He taught physics and chemistry at Newman University and Friends University. He’s been a department chair, faculty president, chairman of premed curriculum, YMCA volunteer and adult 4-H leader.  

He is endorsed by the Kansas branch of the National Education Association. 

“He is committed to making sure Kansas remains a great place for his grandchildren, yours, and for all future generations,” his campaign website said. 

Question 1: If elected, which of these politicians would you most closely resemble?

Options include: Joe Biden, Sharice Davids, Bob Dole, Nancy Kassebaum, Laura Kelly, Roger Marshall, Jerry Moran, Donald Trump or someone else.

Blasi: Blasi didn’t respond to The Beacon’s election questionnaire. 

Moore: Politically, I would probably resemble Nancy Landon Kassebaum. She was a moderate Republican known for working across the aisles with Democratic senators. She worked to reform health care and cosponsored the Kennedy-Kassebaum Health Insurance Act. She had a love of the outdoors and was responsible for establishing the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Kansas.

Question 2: If you could pass any bill, what would it be and why? 

Blasi: Blasi has introduced a handful of bills during his time in office. Some became law, like exempting Social Security benefits from income taxes. He’s also pushed for sales tax exemptions for disabled veterans.

Moore: If I could pass any bill I wanted, it would most certainly be a bill to amend the Kansas Constitution to provide for a referendum system. Currently, 24 states have a citizen initiative process whereby they may place proposed laws and constitutional amendments directly on the ballot, or repeal unfavorable laws passed by the Legislature. An example in Kansas would be Medicaid expansion. Polls find that 77% of Kansans favor expanding Medicaid, but it is opposed by the legislative leaders. A referendum process would allow it to be put on the ballot and decided by popular vote.

Question 3: How would you have voted on the following items? You can vote yes, no or pass. 

The Aug. 2, 2022, constitutional amendment on abortion

Voting no meant the state constitution protects the right to abortion. Voting yes meant it could be regulated or banned. 

Blasi: Blasi introduced a bill to allow local governments to restrict or regulate abortion. The bill did not advance. 

Moore: I was in the Legislature then and voted to put the amendment on the ballot. The amendment failed by a wide margin, and the Legislature should respect the decision of the voters.

Flat tax on income

Voting yes would approve a single-rate on income tax set at 5.25%. A single rate on income didn’t pass this year. 

Blasi: YES. Blasi voted for this bill during the session.

Moore: NO. As proposed, it would have given a disproportionate tax cut to those at the higher end of the income scale. Kansans desperately need property tax relief, and I would favor reducing property taxes and increasing the income tax rate for those at the top end of the scale.

Banning transgender women from women’s sports

Voting yes would mean athletes have to compete based on their gender assigned at birth. The bill was vetoed but overridden in 2023. 

Blasi: YES. Blasi voted for this bill during the session and again voted for the bill to help it survive the governor’s veto. 

Moore: NO. I don’t know why the Legislature is even considering this except as a way to distract you from voting for moderate candidates who may be more likely to vote in your interest. Those policies should be decided by the Kansas State High School Activities Association and the NCAA.

Banning gender-affirming care for trans youth

Voting yes means children under 18 can’t get puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and in rare cases, gender-reassignment surgery. The bill narrowly failed this year and is expected to come up again in 2025. 

Blasi: YES. Blasi voted for this bill during the session and again voted for the bill after the governor’s veto. 

Moore: NO. That is something that should be decided by the youth, his parents, and his doctor. This is another distraction issue.

Chiefs and Royals stadium-financing bill

This bill didn’t spend any taxpayer money to attract the teams, but it did set aside future sales tax dollars from future stadium districts to pay off bonds. This law passed by a comfortable margin, and voting yes opens the door to the Chiefs and Royals in Kansas. 

Blasi: YES. Blasi voted for this bill during the session.

Moore: NO. I would like for them to move to the Kansas side of the border, but I do not think we should be investing state money to make that happen.

APEX (Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion)

The bill had billions in tax incentives to bring a Panasonic battery plant to De Soto, Kansas. As it was being passed, lawmakers were not told which company would be coming, but were told the bill is necessary to attract large businesses.  Voting yes approved a massive tax incentive plan for companies. 

Blasi: Blasi was not in office during this vote and didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire. 

Moore: YES. I did not like the secrecy surrounding the bill, but if Panasonic builds the plant as promised, it should bring additional industrial development and jobs to Kansas.

State legislative redistricting

Kansas redrew its Statehouse maps with new census data. Drawing congressional maps created partisan battles and accusations of gerrymandering. Drawing Statehouse maps had fewer accusations. Voting yes approved these districts. 

Blasi: Blasi was not in office during this vote and didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire. 

Moore: NO. After getting the opinions of people from around the state, the Legislature ignored the people and drew the district lines as they wanted. The lines were apparently drawn to help their preferred candidates. For example, my opponent replaced Sen. Sullentrop in District 27. The gerrymandered map placed him in District 26, which appeared to be an open seat because Sen. (Dan) Kershcen had announced he was retiring.

Mail ballot grace period

Currently, any mail ballot in Kansas can arrive three days after Election Day and still be counted if it was postmarked on or before Election Day. Voting yes eliminated that grace period. 

Blasi: YES. Blasi voted for this bill during the session.

Moore: NO. In my district the mail has been moving slowly. A letter mailed from Wichita took over 12 days to reach me, 20 miles away. The Legislature should do everything it can to encourage people to register and vote and to make sure their vote is counted.

Looser child care regulations

The bill would expand allowed child-to-staff ratios and allow teenagers to work at these facilities. Voting yes approves the loosened restrictions. Learn more about this bill here.  

Blasi: YES. It’ll have an immediate impact in terms of cutting the red tape, he told The Kansas City Star. The number (of children without child care) has gotten worse over time as providers have been pushed out and one of the reasons is due to these restrictions, he said.

Moore: YES, with reservations. Workers with children need safe affordable child care options. The bill will provide more child care providers, and some that are more affordable. The provisions of the bill that ensure the health and safety of the child should be made stronger.

The Parents’ Bill of Rights

This bill established “parents’ right to direct the education, upbringing and moral or religious training of their children including the right to object to harmful and inappropriate educational materials.” Republicans say it is up to parents to determine what their children should be learning. Democrats say this bill addresses a problem that doesn’t exist. 

Blasi: YES. Blasi voted for this bill during the session.

Moore: NO. Parents already have the right to direct the education of their children. Parents who want to see to the moral or religious training of their children may choose a private school that agrees with their religious views or morality. Public schools have students of many religions and values, and they must follow the guidelines set by the State Department of Education to ensure that the values of all students are respected.