BY JIM MCLEAN

Kansas gubernatorial candidate Ed O’Malley came out swinging Tuesday at a campaign launch event in Overland Park.

The Republican former state legislator from Johnson County, who for the last decade has served as president and CEO of the Wichita-based Kansas Leadership Center, swung for the policy fences by pledging that his primary goal as governor would be to make Kansas public schools the “best in the world.”

“That is not rhetoric, and that is not beyond our reach,” O’Malley said. “We can be known literally as the very best in the world. And it will fuel our economy for generations to come.”

O’Malley, who started in politics as an aide to former Kansas Gov. Bill Graves, also took some aggressive swings at one of his rivals for the Republican nomination, Secretary of State Kris Kobach, calling him a divisive candidate who is running for governor to further his national political ambitions.

“Let me be incredibly blunt,” he said. “Kris Kobach will divide us in order to try to win. And make no mistake, if he succeeds he’ll keep dividing us so he can win an even higher office.”

Kobach’s aggressive efforts to combat a voter fraud problem that many argue does not exist have made him a high-profile but controversial figure in Kansas and nationally. At his urging, Kansas legislators passed anti-fraud measures that among other things require new Kansas voters to provide proof of citizenship for state registration.

“Secretary Kobach is the only candidate for governor with a proven record of achieving conservative results,” wrote Samantha Poetter, Kobach’s campaign spokesperson, in an email response. “He led the effort to pass bipartisan election security reform through the Kansas legislature, which was supported by two-thirds of House Democrats and three-fourths of Senate Democrats.

“Kobach’s proven record of results show that he is ready to lead and fix Topeka’s problems,” Poetter wrote.

Plenty of candidates

O’Malley, 41, is the first Republican gubernatorial candidate to explicitly criticize Kobach, the perceived front-runner for the GOP nomination.

Reporters recently had to push Mark Hutton, a former legislator and owner of a Wichita construction company, to acknowledge that he was referring to Kobach when he compared his pragmatic approach to that of candidates “with a little more of a grenade-throwing mentality.”

Even Democrat Josh Svaty hesitated before acknowledging that he was referring to Kobach when he said “a hyperpartisan bomb-thrower” would not be the best choice for Kansans wanting a problem-solver in the governor’s office.

Svaty represented Ellsworth in the Kansas House before former Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius appointed him to head the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

Others competing for the Democratic nomination for governor are Kansas House Minority Leader Jim Ward and former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer.

In addition to O’Malley, Hutton and Kobach, the crowded Republican field includes Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer, Wichita oil executive Wink Hartman and former Kansas Sen. Jim Barnett, a loser to Sebelius in the 2006 governor’s race.

Orman as independent?

Candidates in both parties are bracing for an expected announcement from Olathe businessman Greg Orman, who sources say will run as an independent.

Orman, who mounted a strong independent challengeto U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts in 2014, has done preliminary polling and is putting together a campaign staff, according to several sources who would only speak on background.

“Based on my last conversation with him, I believe he’s going to run,” said one source. “But as far as I know, he hasn’t made a final decision.”

That decision is expected soon.

If he runs, Orman — a multimillionaire who sources say intends to self-fund his campaign — would appeal to the same moderate Republican voters whose support O’Malley, Barnett, Hutton or Selzer would need to capture the nomination over Kobach, the leading conservative in the race.

Perhaps anticipating Orman’s candidacy, O’Malley urged all who attended his Overland Park announcement to vote in the GOP primary.

“I need you to be registered as a Republican,” he said. “We have to win this primary election.”

The conventional wisdom among Kansas political observers is that if Kobach prevails in the primary, Orman running as an independent would increase Kobach’s chances of winning the general election with a solid bloc of conservative votes.

Jim McLean is managing director of the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens says wants to add 800 new jobs to the state’s National Guard.

The Jefferson City News Tribune reports that Greitens on Tuesday at the Missouri National Guard’s Jefferson City headquarters announced plans to add the jobs by 2019.

Greitens says the additional jobs will have a $15 million economic impact.

The Republican governor said 85 percent of the job openings will be for full-time guardsmen, and the remaining 15 percent are available for civilians.

Greitens wants to add a trial defense team in Jefferson City, transportation units in Farmington and Perryville, and a maintenance team in Kansas City. He also wants an engineer support team in Bridgeton and a cyber protection team in St. Louis.

There currently are 9,300 soldiers serving in the Missouri National Guard.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man wanted in connection with a weekend shooting death in Mississippi.

After acting on information the suspect may be hiding in a residence in the 2700 Block of SE Jefferson Avenue in Topeka, officers and K9 located the subject in an attic area of a residence shortly after 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, according to Lt. Colleen Stuart.

Police transported Travis R Conners, 27,  to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a Fugitive from Justice warrant.

Police in Meridian, Mississippi, say witnesses identify Conners as the man who shot Donnikia Clark in the face after an argument. Clark later died at a hospital.

Meridian Police Chief Benny Dubose says Conners could be charged with manslaughter or murder depending on the investigation. Dubose says Conners has indicated he will waive extradition and could be back in Meridian by the weekend.

Police say Conners is also suspected in the September robbery of a store in Meridian.

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ST. LOUIS (AP) – Republican Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has made it official: He’s running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill in 2018.

Hawley, a 37-year-old in his first year of elected office, will release a video Tuesday morning announcing his candidacy. His campaign made the video available to The Associated Press.

McCaskill is in her third term in the Senate, but Missouri voters have increasingly favored Republicans in recent years. Just one statewide office holder is a Democrat, and only two other federal lawmakers are Democrats – Congressmen William Lacy Clay of St. Louis and Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City.

Hawley defeated Democrat Teresa Hensley in November in his first bid for public office. He was previously an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Law.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union are suing the state of Missouri over new abortion regulations passed during the last legislative session.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, the two organizations argue that the laws severely restrict access to safe abortions.

The laws passed during a special session this summer include several new requirements, such as annual state health inspections and giving the attorney general new power to prosecute people who violate the laws.

In a statement released Tuesday, the organizations particularly criticized a requirement that a doctor give specific information about the abortions to a woman at least 72 hours before performing the procedure. The lawsuit argues that women would need to make two trips to an abortion clinic, with some having to drive long distances.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Junction City man who took part in a woman’s kidnapping that led to her murder was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison, according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

Christopher Pugh, 33, Junction, City, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping. In his plea, he admitted participating in the kidnapping of Amanda Clemons, a 24-year-old woman whose body was found in February 2014 in Geary County, Kan.

In his plea, Pugh admitted that on Feb. 7, 2014, he was one of the defendants who met the victim, who was a prostitute, at a hotel in Junction City and kidnapped her. The defendants beat the victim in retribution for comments she had made on social media. During the beating, the defendants demanded the victim pay $300. They took the victim to another hotel room in an unsuccessful attempt to get the money, after which they transported her to a residence on Fort Riley where two of the defendants lived.

While at the residence, the defendants allowed the victim to call her young son and her mother. The victim’s mother realized the victim was in danger and called Junction City Police. When police called the victim’s number to check on her, the defendants listened to the call on speakerphone. At that time, Pugh left the house alone and did not take part in the murder.

Fearing that police were coming to arrest them, defendants Drexel Woody, Larry L. Anderson and Marryssa Middleton took the victim to a bridge in a remote part of Geary County. Once there, Anderson and Middleton resumed the beating and attacked the victim with a knife. The victim broke free and jumped off the bridge, falling 15 feet and breaking her ankle. Anderson and Middleton found the victim in the snow beneath the bridge and resumed the assault during which they cut her throat and killed her.

Co-defendants include:

Larry L. Anderson of Manhattan, Kan., who was sentenced to 28 years.

Marryssa M. Middleton of Fort Riley, Kan., who was sentenced to 28 years.

Drexel A. Woody, 27, of Fort Riley, who was sentenced to 16 years.

Shantrell D. Woody of Fort Riley, Kan., who is set for sentencing Nov. 20.

Beall commended the Junction City Police Department, the Grandview Plaza Police Department, the Geary County Sheriff’s Office, the Riley County Police Department, the Fort Riley Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag and Geary County Attorney Steven Opat for their work on the case.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a car-jacking and have made an arrest.

Just after 9:30 Tuesday, police received a report from a victim who stated their vehicle had been taken by two known male subjects armed with a weapon in the area of Rochester Cemetery,1200 Block NW Menninger in Topeka, according to Lt. Colleen Stuart.

The victim reported the suspects left east from that location in the stolen vehicle and another vehicle they arrived in.

The Kansas Highway Patrol identified a vehicle of similar description to the stolen vehicle minutes after the reported incident in the area of NE Chester and NE Sardou. The driver refused to stop for the Highway

Patrol but eventually stopped when the driver struck a median in the area of NE Chester and NE Seward.

The female driver and sole occupant was arrested for two felony warrants.
The victim of the reported aggravated robbery refused to cooperate with the investigation and refused a report once the vehicle was recovered.

Police did not release the name of the suspect or possible charges.