Kansas
Kansas governor candidates pour $40 million into race before crossing finish line – Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Kansas voters locked of their alternative for governor Tuesday, capping a bitter and expensive battle between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican Legal professional Basic Derek Schmidt.
The 2 main candidates and their darkish cash supporters poured greater than $40 million into the race, which additionally options an impartial candidate who might spoil the result with even a modest displaying.
The race was anticipated to be narrowly determined, with completely different analysts giving an edge to Kelly or Schmidt of their last-minute predictions. The forecasts have been difficult by uncertainty about first-time voters who helped defeat a constitutional modification in August and a late surge by GOP candidates using issues about inflation and crime.
Impartial state Sen. Dennis Pyle, who entered the race to amplify the voice of the far proper, additionally might affect the result by siphoning votes away from Schmidt. Libertarian Seth Cordell can be on the poll.
Secretary of State Scott Schwab predicted about 1,000,000 Kansans would forged a poll, with barely decrease turnout than in 2018. Early voting numbers — in particular person and by mail — have been barely forward of 2018 totals.
Bob Beatty, a political science professor at Washburn College, stated campaigns and PACs supporting Kelly and Schmidt spent almost $40 million on broadcast promoting alone, and hundreds of thousands extra on mailers and salaries.
For Kelly, the previous state senator who defeated Kris Kobach 4 years in the past, the objective was to hold onto the votes of independents and average Republicans who put her within the governor’s workplace.
She bought herself as a “center of the highway” politician and emphasised her efforts to recuperate from the financial catastrophe imposed on Kansas by former Gov. Sam Brownback. Kelly’s assaults largely centered on branding Schmidt as a Brownback confidant who defended company earnings tax cuts and makes an attempt to defund public colleges.
In contrast, she celebrated financial investments within the state since 2018, which embrace touchdown a $4 billion Panasonic battery plant in De Soto, and a document low unemployment charge.
In her ultimate marketing campaign advert, Kelly stated she ran for workplace “to regular the ship.”
“We started working,” she stated. “It wasn’t straightforward, however by working throughout the aisle and assembly within the center, we balanced the price range, absolutely funded our colleges, reinvested in our roads and bridges, and minimize taxes by over $1 billion — together with the meals gross sales tax. That strong basis has our economic system rising in each get together of the state.”
Schmidt’s try and unseat Kelly started within the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he forged himself because the antidote to intrusive authorities mandates.
He relentlessly pounded Kelly’s resolution to shut public colleges for 2 months in the beginning of the pandemic, and tried to place her as an ally to President Joe Biden. He additionally highlighted Kelly’s vetoes of tax cuts and laws that will have banned transgender ladies from collaborating in class sports activities.
Schmidt recruited high-profile out-of-state Republicans to rally help for his marketing campaign, together with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. He additionally gained the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
Within the closing weeks, Schmidt’s adverts featured ominous threats to public security and the endorsement of regulation enforcement officers. He additionally falsely claimed that Kelly’s administration had funded a drag present in Wichita — and equated the general public efficiency with pedophilia.
“Kelly pushed for liberal spending like Biden and vetoed 20 tax cuts — together with a grocery tax minimize,” Schmidt stated in his ultimate marketing campaign advert. “I’ll minimize your taxes and put extra money in your pocket.”
He stated Kelly “locked Kansas youngsters out of their lecture rooms.”
“I’ll give dad and mom an actual voice in schooling,” Schmidt stated.
The Kansas Republican Occasion spent almost $200,000 on broadcast promoting during the last two weeks of the race to verify voters knew that Democrats have been secretly spending cash to generate help for Pyle amongst GOP voters.
A state senator from Hiawatha, Pyle left the Republican Occasion earlier this yr to launch his marketing campaign, which tried to color Schmidt as being too carefully aligned with Kelly to be trusted by true conservatives. Pyle’s “precept over get together” pitch to voters included a faith-based, anti-abortion chorus that emphasised border safety and help for small companies.
In a press release Tuesday, Pyle stated his marketing campaign offered voters “an absolute conservative alternative for governor.” He additionally evoked the phrases of 18th century U.Ok. parliamentarian William Wilberforce: “You possibly can select to look the opposite approach however by no means once more are you able to say that you just by no means knew.”
“Identical to the Biblical account of the reporting of the twelve spies illustrates in Numbers chapters 13-14, when folks select to behave out of concern reasonably than religion and precept, they select to wander within the wilderness,” Pyle stated. “Hopefully they are going to select to behave out of religion and precept and Kansas will get real conservative management not continued left wing management.”
Kansas
OSU Softball: Cowgirls Beat Kansas Twice to Get Kenny Gajewski 100th Conference Win
Oklahoma State softball coach Kenny Gajewski got both Big 12 wins Nos. 99 and 100 on Friday night at Cowgirl Stadium.
With inclement weather in the forecast for Saturday forcing a doubleheader Friday, the Cowgirls started their series against Kansas with two comeback wins in one evening. OSU won the first game 5-2 before beating the Jayhawks 6-5 to get Gajewski to the century mark in conference victories as a head coach. The pair of dubs also extended the Cowgirls’ winning streak to seven after sweeping Texas Tech last weekend.
The first victory came the easiest as Lexi Kilfoyl gave up only one earned run while pitching a complete game and striking out seven. KU scored an unearned run in the first before Kilfoyl allowed her only earned run the next inning. The Cowgirls responded with three runs in the bottom of the second, though, to take a lead they wouldn’t lose. All of OSU’s third-inning runs came from Lexi McDonald’s double down the right-field line with bases loaded.
The Cowgirls only scored again in the fifth. Micaela Wark singled in Karli Godwin first before McDonald tallied another RBI with a single that brought in Claire Timm. McDonald finished Game 1 2-for-3 with four RBIs.
OSU had to mount a more monumental comeback in Game 2 after KU shut down the Cowgirls before scoring five in the third to take a 5-0 lead. OSU didn’t plate a run until the fourth, where the Cowgirls scored three to spark the turnaround. Rosie Davis put OSU on the board with a single that scored Jilyen Poullard. Timm’s double down the left-field line then brought in Davis and Caroline Wang.
An inning later, the Cowgirls completed the comeback and took the lead after another three-run inning in the fifth. It took just one swing of the bat, though, as Godwin doubled with bases loaded to plate a trio of Cowgirls.
Kyra Aycock got the win in the circle after entering in that third inning where the Jayhawks scored five runs. Ivy Rosenberry gave up three runs but only one earned before Aycock came in with runners on first and second. Aycock then allowed a pair of runs in the inning before shutting down KU the rest of the way while striking out four.
Riding that seven-game winning streak, the Cowgirls could notch back-to-back Big 12 sweeps with a victory at 1 p.m. Sunday in Cowgirl Stadium.
Kansas
Cowboys pick G Cooper Beebe in 3rd round of 2024 NFL Draft. What to know
The Dallas Cowboys selected Kansas State OG Cooper Beebe with the 73rd pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Beebe was a three-time first-team all-conference pick and two-time offensive lineman of the year by the league coaches and a consensus All-American as a senior in 2023. Here’s everything you need to know about Beebe.
Cooper Beebe scouting report
Beebe is a physically dominating blocker originally recruited as a 3-star DT but moved to offensive line as a true freshman in 2019 and appearing in three games. He was a first-team All-Big 12 pick by the coaches at left tackle as a redshirt sophomore in 2021 and conference offensive lineman of the year at left guard each of the past two seasons. He showed his versatility as a senior, starting all 13 games at left guard but also playing 106 snaps at right tackle and 20 at left tackle the first six games.
Beebe is considered an elite interior pass protector and overpowering run blocker. There is some concern about his lack of arm length and athleticism, though his measurables at the NFL Combine were solid.
Cooper Beebe height, weight
Beebe stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs in at 322 lbs. He’s a Kansas City, Kansas native and attended Piper (Kan.) High School.
Cooper Beebe college stats
Beebe allowed just one sack in 2023, with five sacks allowed (four as redshirt freshman) in 1,448 career pass blocking opportunities.
Cooper Beebe highlights
Beebe’s most memorable play came late in the first half last season against Houston, when he destroyed a Cougar defender, putting him on his back as running back DJ Giddens to walk into the end zone. He delivered a similar pancake block against North Carolina State in the final minute of the Pop-Tarts Bowl, allowing quarterback Avery Johnson to pick up the game-clinching first down.
Cooper Beebe NFL combine measurables
Beebe helped ease concerns about his lack of athleticism at the combine with an impressive showing, ranking in the 79th percentile or better for his position group in all but one of the drills. His best performances were his 5.03 seconds in the 40-yard dash (93%) and 7.44 in the three-cone (92%), with a 10-9 broad jump (89%), 4.6 shuttle (80%) and 1.75 10-yard time (79%). His 27.5-inch vertical was just 48th percentile. His arm length was just 31 1/2 inches (9%).
Kansas
Brendan Hausen commits to Kansas State
Villanova sophomore Brendan Hausen will continue his college basketball at Kansas State.
Hausen, a native of Amarillo, TX, averaged 6.2 points a game last season (while shooting 61-160 3FG) and 1.6 rebounds per game this season.
He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
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