Posted on 08/07/2004 7:07:00 PM PDT by Stellar Dendrite
Aug. 6, 2004 Taff Picks Up Six Votes in Review of Provisional Ballots
By JOHN HANNA AP Political Writer
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kris Kobach's already tiny lead over rival Adam Taff for the Republican nomination in the 3rd Congressional District became a little narrower Friday after a review of provisional ballots in two counties.
The reviews in Douglas and Wyandotte counties left Kobach's lead at only 81 votes out of more than 87,100 cast -- a net gain of six votes for Taff from unofficial results reported Tuesday night.
Wyandotte County added 244 provisional ballots and Douglas County added 69 to earlier counts in the 3rd District race. Taff gained five votes in Wyandotte County and one in Douglas.
The outcome of the race will depend on the third county in the district, Johnson, where officials planned to review a few thousand provisional ballots Monday.
The winner of the Republican race will take on Democratic Rep. Dennis Moore in the Nov. 2 general election.
Bob Zender, Taff's campaign manager, said the results from the two counties suggest Taff can overcome Kobach's lead. Taff has not conceded the race.
"We are very pleased with the results today and look forward to Monday," Zender said. "We're just very optimistic."
But Todd Abrajano, Kobach's campaign manager, said a net gain of 82 or more votes in Johnson County for Taff would be a "huge swing."
"I'm still confident that we're going to pull this out in Johnson County," Abrajano said.
After the reviews in Douglas and Wyandotte counties, Kobach had 38,261 votes to Taff's 38,180, with a third candidate, Patricia Lightner, having 10,662. Taff and Kobach each took nearly 44 percent of the vote, while Lightner took 12 percent.
Tuesday night's tally was Kobach with 38,124 votes to 38,037 for Taff and 10,629 for Lightner.
Provisional ballots are set aside by election officials when they are not sure people are eligible to vote in a particular race or precinct. Each ballot remains in a sealed envelope until a county board of canvassers decides whether it should be counted, then it is opened.
The Kobach-Taff split highlighted the division between conservative and moderate Republicans in Kansas. Kobach portrayed himself as the conservative candidate and Taff, the 2002 GOP nominee, had the backing of moderates.
The Kansas secretary of state's office estimated that about 3,700 provisional ballots were cast in the 3rd District, about 2,800 of them in Johnson County.
On Tuesday night, Kobach carried both Douglas and Wyandotte counties, but Taff prevailed in Johnson County, which provided nearly 90 percent of the votes cast.
Zender noted Taff's showing in Johnson County as one reason Taff is confident he can overcome Kobach.
However, Abrajano said a swing of a few votes either way in each county was to be expected.
Also, he said, said Kobach's campaign targeted first-time voters and those who had not participated in primaries for a while. Those voters might be overrepresented in provisional ballots in Johnson County, he said.
Taff, a 39-year-old former Navy and commercial pilot from Lake Quivira, did not stop campaigning after losing a close race to Moore in 2002. Kobach, 38, of Overland Park, worked three years for the U.S. Justice Department and is a law professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Lightner, 47, has served in the Kansas House for six years.
Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Is there a RINO in this race?
Taff is the RINO!!!
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