In August, we endorsed JC Moore over Chase Blasi in the GOP primary for the Kansas Senate District 26 seat. Republican voters disagreed: Blasi defeated Moore.

Normally, that would be the end.

But in many ways, this is not a normal election year.

And Moore is back for another run against Blasi in the general election, this time to represent the newly founded United Kansas Party. There is one Democrat running – Raymond Shore Jr. – but he is apparently absent from the race: Shore has not responded to media seeking information and has no online presence.

That leaves us with a choice – once again – between Blasi and Moore.

We see no reason to change our initial decision. Moore has our support.

Indeed, we believe Moore is better positioned in this race as a third-party candidate than as a Republican. His positions – in favor of Medicaid expansion and legalization of medical marijuana, and opposed to abortion restrictions passed against the wishes of Kansas voters who rejected the Value Them Both amendment in 2022 – do not match not to the current version of the GOP.

But those same positions put Moore in line with the vast majority of Kansas voters, whose preferences have been blocked time and time again by Republican supermajorities in the Kansas Legislature.

Moore would enable these voters to advance their agenda: he favors holding voter-initiated referendums in Kansas – the same tool Missouri voters used to pass Medicaid expansion and marijuana legalization despite opposition from that state’s Republican lawmakers.

A system that would allow citizens to vote on important issues would allow Kansans “to avoid obstacles in the Legislature,” Moore said on his website. “I intend to push for this.”

Both candidates have modest experience in the legislature. Moore served one term in the Kansas House in 2019 and 2020. Blasi was appointed last year to fill Gene Suellentrop’s unfinished term in District 27. Blasi jumped districts in this election to run for the seat left open by the retirement of Dan Kerschen. , Republican from Garden Plain.

So from an experience standpoint, it’s a wash.

Last August, we said: “Republican voters in District 26 – which includes Goddard, Cheney, Colwich, Andale, Garden Plain, Haysville, Viola and Clearwater – have a clear choice between Blasi and Moore.

We thought Moore was the best choice. We always do it.