| Fellow Republicans of Shawnee County,
My heart always sinks whenever I see a spot on the ballot where no Republican is running. Now as chair of the local party, I see how that can happen. My take is, in tough races where democrats outnumber us in voter affiliation, people are reluctant to run. Very reluctant. I understand the hesitation to run in a difficult district, but still assert that it's important to avoid handing over races… Keep the faith that winning in such a district could be possible! The leadership and candidate recruitment teams have asked numerous Republicans to run for the following positions, but no one has yet agreed to run for these spots: House districts 53, 55, 58 and the newly redistricted Senate 19. (After redistricting, Rick Kloos is now running in Senate district 3.)
In effort to avoid hurting feelings of anyone who might be wondering why s/he hasn't yet been asked to run for office this year, allow me to attempt to explain. First, we quite well may have overlooked someone! Second, the circumstances and attributes that drive our search include: - residing in a district that needs a Republican candidate!!
- not having declined the prompting to run in the recent past.
- precinct people involvement - The precinct committee member list is the easiest list from which to consider candidates. Those who "do the work" to uphold our platform in various ways stand out as people to ask to run!
- action committee leadership / involvement - Those who uphold the Platform (always first and foremost) and can craft a concept into a plan and lead others in the plan, demonstrate an ability necessary for holding public office.
- communication and initiative - Those who respectfully ask good questions and bring up relevant points - written and spoken; those willing to go on camera, testify in hearings, and generally enjoy the company of others whether they agree or not - demonstrate the poise, professionalism and diplomacy necessary for office.
Those are some of the items that make a Republican stand out as a potential candidate. Not outward appearances. Not big money. Rather, real people who really care about the issues and are willing and able to campaign. Is that you?
Keep in mind, the goal is to have only one Republican candidate for each race if feasible. Therefore, if you are considering running, please contact me today so that we can coordinate efforts. Ideally candidates will file this month, as the deadline to file or withdrawal is at noon on June 3rd. We shouldn't have primaries merely because of lack of coordination. Find the latest in candidate filings on the Kansas Secretary of State website.
Thank you for your involvement and patriotism!
May God Bless America, and may we bless Him!
Sincerely, Lanell Griffith 785-969-8051 | 
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