Shawnee Dispatch

To the editor:

I would like to reply to the “sour grape” letter submitted by Shawnee Republican Precinct Committeeman Michael Wray on July 25th, 2018.

Wray trashes the Johnson County Republican Party for in his words “bar moderates from voting for county leadership which then ensures the ultra-cons remain firmly in power”.

The official responsibilities of a precinct committee person are to meet to elect a replacement if a vacancy occurs in a partisan elected office from that district. The party duties of a precinct committee person are to meet in county conventions in the fall of election years and elect county party officers and county delegates to Congressional district conventions. This is conducted by a vote of committee persons present.

It is unfortunate that Wray and his moderate, some would say RINO, committee persons do not have enough votes to get elected to these positions.

In primary elections precinct leaders (as well as other republican officials) are free to support or endorse any party candidate. Attacking State Senator Mary Pilcher Cook for endorsing his opponent for precinct committeeman is problematic and sour grapes.

Lastly, in general elections, precinct leaders help republican candidates in their precinct and help get out the vote.

It is one thing to have an opinion and freedom of speech but to publicly endorse a candidate of another political party for a partisan election, as State Senator Dr. Barbara Bollier did, is tantamount to the CEO of Ford encouraging the public to buy Chevy cars.

Defending Bollier calls into question Wray's own opinions and beliefs about the Kansas Republican Party and its official platform.

Since Wray professes his views openly and truthfully, I would like to know if he supports the Republican platform especially on gun rights, abortion, and immigration. If not, I would like him to respond. I am also curious who he supports for Congress in the 3rd District.

There are plenty of stealth democrats masquerading as republicans in the primary elections. I even have a few in my own family.

By the way, Wray wrote a letter in the Dispatch strongly supporting a Democrat Precinct Committee woman in Shawnee’s supposedly non-partisan city council election last year.

Republican voters in Wray’s precinct deserve to know the truth about who they are electing to help further the republican cause in their precinct.

Michael Kalny

Shawnee Republican Precinct Committeeman

Ward 4 Precinct 02