TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — At a parade this summer, candidate for governor Kris Kobach rode a jeep with a replica machine gun mounted on it. When some people complained that the stunt scared children, Kobach, Kansas’ secretary of state, mocked their “snowflake meltdown .”
And he kept on riding the vehicle in other parades, posting photos on social media regularly.
Secretaries of state from middle America aren’t generally household names. Kobach is the exception.
The 52-year-old Republican has a take-no-prisoners style of conservatism that delights hard-right members of the GOP but makes him a prime target of Democrats and centrists.
Now, Kobach is the GOP nominee in the gubernatorial race. Incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer conceded the primary race Tuesday night — a week after the too-close-to-call vote threatened to send the race to a recount.
Despite holding what is usually a low-profile state post, Kobach has gained a national following, thanks to his tough stand on immigration and his push for stricter voter ID laws. Polling shows he has strong name recognition — and high negatives.
Consider his running battle with the American Civil Liberties Union. Faiz Shakir, national political director for the ACLU, said Kobach “rises to the very top” of any list of candidates whose records alarm the group.
Kobach responded by saying the ACLU’s attacks actually helped him in the Republican primary.
He tends to bring out strong feelings among the voters.
Nineteen-year-old college student Tom Teeter of Topeka said of the possibility of Kobach being governor, “Oh, God, it horrifies me.”
“He…
