Republican Chase Blasi won his primary race against J.C. Moore, but Moore is now running under a different party. Democratic challenger Raymond Shore Jr. also is in the race.
The Kansas Secretary of State’s Office confirmed Moore will be on the ballot.
Republicans have won this district the past five elections.
Election Day is Nov. 5. Oct. 15 is the last day to register to vote. Early voting starts Oct. 16. You can find your polling place and the races you vote in here.
Who are the candidates in Kansas Senate District 26?
Republican Chase Blasi (Incumbent)
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 served as 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, Kansas Livestock Association, NFIB-Kansas and the Kansas Chamber of Commerce.
Blasi didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment. His responses were compiled from past stories and his legislative history.
The Beacon couldn’t find an official campaign website for Blasi.
United Kansas Party 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 committed to making sure Kansas remains a great place for his grandchildren, yours, and for all future generations,” Moore’s campaign website states.
He is endorsed by the Kansas branch of the National Education Association.
His campaign website is here.
Democrat Raymond Shore Jr.
Shore didn’t have a campaign website listed on the secretary of state’s website. No campaign website or Facebook shows up when searched. He didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire.
The Beacon couldn’t find an official campaign website for Blasi.
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.
Shore: Shore didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
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.
Shore: Shore didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
How would you have voted on the following bills if you were in office when they came up? 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.
Shore: Shore didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
Flat tax on income
A flat tax on income was packaged with property tax cuts and eliminating Social Security income tax. Democrats and Republicans agreed on other parts of the plan, but were at odds over a flat tax. A single rate on income didn’t pass this year.
Blasi: Yes. Blasi didn’t respond to the voter guide, but legislators who supported the tax package said Kansans needed tax relief — especially with billions in state surplus.
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.
Shore: Shore didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
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 didn’t respond to the voter guide, but lawmakers who supported the law said men have an advantage over women and using the gender at birth is the fairest system.
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.
Shore: Shore didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
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 didn’t respond to the voter guide, but lawmakers who supported the bill said children may not understand the true consequences of this procedure.
Moore: No. That is something that should be decided by the youth, his parents, and his doctor. This is another distraction issue.
Shore: Shore didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
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 didn’t respond to the voting guide, but legislators who supported the law said bringing a professional sports team to Kansas is a major economic development project that would pay for itself.
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.
Shore: Shore didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
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.
Shore: Shore didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
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 didn’t respond to the voter guide, but legislators who supported the bill said it will restore faith in elections. Without the grace period, almost all ballots would be counted by election night.
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.
Shore: Shore didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
A bill loosening child care regulations
It 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.
Shore: Shore didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
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 didn’t respond to the voter guide, but lawmakers who support the bill said parents should know if a school’s curriculum was inappropriate.
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.
Shore: Shore didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
