James Thompson (Kansas politician): Difference between revisions
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== General election == |
== General election == |
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Although the Democratic national establishment rejected support for Thompson in the special election,<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/kansas-house-special-election-district-4 Live Results: G.O.P. Keeps Control of House Seat in Kansas Special Election], ''[[New York Times]]'', Wilson Andrews, Matthew Bloch, Jeremy Bowers and Adam Pearce, April 12, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.</ref> Republicans nevertheless equated Thompson to a "rubber stamp" for House Majority Leader [[Nancy Pelosi]] of California as state Republican Chairman Kelly Arnold characterized him. Arnold conversely lauded Estes as, a "...principled conservative who is committed to finding solutions, repealing Obamacare, balancing the budget, and keeping our nation safe.” Thompson anticipated that Republicans would try to exploit divisions amongst establishment Clinton supporters, versus insurgent Sanders backers, but gave his reassurances: "... people do want to see a different set of policies that are good for everyone instead of just the rich and powerful."<ref name= Lefler>{{cite web|url=http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article132183819.html|title=Lawyer James Thompson wins Democratic nomination for Congress|work=[[The Wichita Eagle]]|last=Lefler|first=Dion|date=February 11, 2017|accessdate=September 23, 2017}}</ref> |
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In a candidates' debate where they were joined by Rockhold, Thompson told Estes, "“At the end of the day we need somebody who’s going to be able to stand up to Donald Trump,” “From my perspective, I haven’t seen you stand up to Sam Brownback. So if you can’t stand up to him, I can’t see you standing up to Donald Trump.”<ref name=Lefler /> |
In a candidates' debate where they were joined by Rockhold, Thompson told Estes, "“At the end of the day we need somebody who’s going to be able to stand up to Donald Trump,” “From my perspective, I haven’t seen you stand up to Sam Brownback. So if you can’t stand up to him, I can’t see you standing up to Donald Trump.”<ref name=Lefler /> |
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Revision as of 02:32, 24 September 2017
James Thompson is a civil rights attorney practicing in Wichita, Kansas, and a U.S. Army veteran. He filed to run for the Democratic nomination, in the Kansas 4th Congressional District special election held to replace Representative Mike Pompeo, who had been confirmed to head the Central Intelligence Agency after having been nominated by President Donald Trump.
Personal life
A Wichita native, Thompson experienced homelessness as a child, growing up in Oklahoma City. He lived with his stepfather in a van. At one point he dropped out of high school to support his siblings. He joined the U.S. Army and served from 1990 through 1994, including as a member of the Presidential Honor Guard. After receiving an honorable discharge, he used the GI Bill to support his education at Wichita State University. He subsequently earned his law degree at Washburn University Law School in Topeka. He was married after graduation. He and his wife, Lisa, have a daughter, Liberty in middle school.[1]
2017 Congressional nominating caucuses
Party nominees of the Republican, Democratic and Libertarian parties, in the election were chosen by a caucus of elected delegates to their respective district conventions, who cast secret ballots. The Republican party chose Ron Estes, who had been Sedgwick County's Treasurer between 2005 to 2011 at which time he won his first election as Kansas State Treasurer. Estes secured the nomination on the second ballot, where former CD-4 representative Todd Tiahrt (1995-2011) finished a distant third. Candidates for the Democratic nomination included Dennis McKinney, previously both the State Treasurer and House Minority whip, Robert Tillman, the 2012 Democratic nominee for the seat, Charlie Walker, an Andover, Kansas policeman, entrepreneur Laura Lombard, and political newcomer, Thompson, who was a supporter of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a 2016 presidential contender in the Kansas caucuses. Chris Rockhold won the Libertarian nomination for the seat.
The nomination of Thompson was greeted favorably by supporters of both of the two remaining Democratic candidates. Kansas House Minority leader Jim Ward said, "The eyes of the country are upon us," "Have no doubt about that this is going to be a referendum on Trump policies." Ward said a Thompson victory in a heavily Republican district would put Trump on notice to "...stay in his own lane." Trump scares solid Republicans who voted for him in November, Ward continued, "...just like he scares us, and they’re not sure if they made the right decision."[2]
Results
| Democratic District Caucus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | First ballot | Pct. | Second ballot | Pct. |
| James Thompson | 17 | 44% | 21 | 54% |
| Dennis McKinney | 16 | 41% | 18 | 46% |
| Laura Lombard | 3 | 8% | Eliminated | |
| Charlie Walker | 3 | 8% | Eliminated | |
| Robert Tillman | 0 | 0% | Eliminated | |
General election
Although the Democratic national establishment rejected support for Thompson in the special election,[3] Republicans nevertheless equated Thompson to a "rubber stamp" for House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California as state Republican Chairman Kelly Arnold characterized him. Arnold conversely lauded Estes as, a "...principled conservative who is committed to finding solutions, repealing Obamacare, balancing the budget, and keeping our nation safe.” Thompson anticipated that Republicans would try to exploit divisions amongst establishment Clinton supporters, versus insurgent Sanders backers, but gave his reassurances: "... people do want to see a different set of policies that are good for everyone instead of just the rich and powerful."[2]
In a candidates' debate where they were joined by Rockhold, Thompson told Estes, "“At the end of the day we need somebody who’s going to be able to stand up to Donald Trump,” “From my perspective, I haven’t seen you stand up to Sam Brownback. So if you can’t stand up to him, I can’t see you standing up to Donald Trump.”[2]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Ron Estes (R) |
James Thompson (D) |
Chris Rockhold (L) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Park Strategies (D-Thompson) | March 2017 | 500 | 4.4% | 56% | 32% | 4% | – |
Results
The Associated Press called the election for Estes while he was leading by 6% with 88% of precincts reporting. The lead was 6.2% when all the votes were tallied.[4][5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ron Estes | 64,044 | 52.2% | −8.5% | |
| Democratic | James Thompson | 56,435 | 46.0% | +16.4% | |
| Libertarian | Chris Rockhold | 2,115 | 1.7% | −1.1% | |
| Total votes | 122,594 | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
- ^ Thompson running against Brownback, Trump as much as Estes, Wichita Eagle, Dion Lefler, March 25, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
- ^ a b c Lefler, Dion (February 11, 2017). "Lawyer James Thompson wins Democratic nomination for Congress". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Live Results: G.O.P. Keeps Control of House Seat in Kansas Special Election, New York Times, Wilson Andrews, Matthew Bloch, Jeremy Bowers and Adam Pearce, April 12, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Live results Kansas Special Election, The Hill, Lisa Hagen, April 11, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Live Results: Republicans Defend House Seat in Kansas Special Election, New York Times, Wilson Andrews, Matthew Bloch, Jeremy Bowers and Adam Pearce, April 12, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017
- ^ 2017 Special Election Official Results, Kansas Secretary of State. Retrieved September 23, 2017.