The only locally contested race on Pratt County ballots on Tuesday is the race for sheriff between the incumbent Republican Vernon Chinn and Democrat Wayne Cline.
All other local races including Kansas Senate and Kansas House are uncontested races although candidate elect state Sen. Ruth Teichman did face a challenge in the primary election from Republican Andrew Evans. Rep. Mitch Holmes had no challengers in either the primary or general election.
The only other contested races on the ballot are for president/vice president, U.S. senate and U.S. representative from Kansas.
The following candidates are running for re-election in Pratt County. Sheriff candidates were profiled at the beginning of October.
Republican County Commissioner Joe Reynolds from District 3 wants to find a way to cut the county budget and not raise taxes each year especially for people on a fixed income.
”I don’t think I’ve done what I need to get done about taxes,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds also wants to work on getting affordable health care, that’s one of his main goals, Reynolds said.
Reynolds is seeking a third term at commissioner. He currently owns and operates J & R Underground, a lawn sprinkler company. He also operates a low mowing service. He worked for Panhandle Eastern for 36 years as an operator maintaining engines.
He graduated from Pratt High School in 1969, graduated from Pratt Community College in 1971 and attended Emporia State University.
He has been married to Shirley for 35 years; they have two sons Brian and Craig. Craig has three children Kedrick, Alanta and Alexa.
Republican County Commissioner from the District 2 is incumbent Dwight Adams who is seeking his second term. Adams main goal is to improve the county road system.
He thinks he has helped make good progress in the county and enjoys helping fill the needs of the people the best he can.
Adams graduated from Cullison High School in 1954, graduated from Pratt Junior College in 1956, and earned a bachelors degree in agriculture economic banking and rural finance. He was in the banking business for 25 years in Marion, Augusta and Sterling. He sold real estate in Wichita and then moved to Pratt to farm. He currently operates Pheasant Farms.
Seeking her first full term as Pratt County Treasurer is Republican Amy Jones. Jones was a clerk in the county treasurers office for three years before running against former incumbent treasurer Socorro Acosta in the primary.
Jones wanted to see a change in the clerk’s office and likes doing the work.
Acosta dropped out of the race for health reasons. The new term for the Treasurer doesn’t take effect until October 2009 so Jones was appointed to the position until the term starts.
She graduated from Pratt High School in 1993 and Barclay College in 2004 with a degree in business administration and management. She worked at First State Bank before working in the clerk’s office.
She has been married to Jeff for 15 years and they have two sons Avery and Mason.
Incumbent Republican Sherry Kruse has been Pratt County Clerk since May 2003.
She is running again to continue serving the citizens of Pratt County and she likes the challenging job. She began working in the clerk’s office in 1981 as a deputy county clerk.
She graduated from Pratt High School, Pratt Community College and earned a business degree from Fort Hays State University in 1976.
She and Darrell have been married 29 years and their daughter Sara is married to Zach Myers.
Seeking her first full term as register of deeds is incumbent Democrat Sherry Wenrich. She was appointed to the position in 2002 when Vera Compton retired from the position. She is running to meet the challenges of changing technology, meeting and working with the people of Pratt County. She is a teacher for new register of deeds across the state.
She graduated from Wichita Heights High School and earned a degree in accounting from Kansas State University. She worked at Kennedy and Coe before working 16 years in the register of deeds office.
She has been married to tom for 25 years, they have a daughter Lori, a CPA in Wichita and son Brian is a senior in pre-law at Kansas State University.
Republican Ken Van Blaricum is finishing out the last two years of former county attorney Ernie Richardson’s unexpired term. He was previously county attorney from 1976 to 1980. He is also the current Pratt City Attorney.
He has the experience to do the job efficiently and enjoys serving the public, he said.
Van Blaricum graduated from Meade High School in 1963, McPherson College in 1967 and University of Kansas Law School in 1970. He worked in a Wichita law firm, then three years for the U.S. Treasury in Wichita before moving to Pratt and practicing law from 1975 to 2007 at Hansen Van Blaricum and Jorns law firm.
He has been the county attorney for four years and city attorney for two years.
He and Annette have been married for 40 years and have two sons, both attorneys. Mark is married to Jackie. They live in Kansas City, Mo. and they have a daughter Julie. Jay is married to Katie and they live in Lawrence.
District 30, Division 1, District Court Judge Bob Schmisseur is up for retention for the sixth time. Schmisseur was appointed a District Court Judge in 1986. Although he is eligible to retire Schmisseur wants to continue working because he enjoys the work and is doing a good job, he said.
Schmisseur has won many awards from the Southwest Kansas Bar Association, is part of the judge school in Topeka, and has tried jury trials all over the state including the Floyd murder trail in January.
“That was a tough case. I am proud of that,” Schmisseur said.
He graduated from O’fallon Township High School in Illinois, the University of Illinois in 1970 with a degree in agriculture, and earned his jurist doctorate from the University of Kansas Law School in 1977.
He has been married to Donna for 32 years and they have three children; Elizabeth, Jennifer and Joseph plus a granddaughter Brylee.
