By Morgan Chilson, Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Kansas attorney general and secretary of state candidates are waiting for counts of provisional and mail-in ballots, as winners in the races remain undecided Wednesday.
Democrat Chris Mann claimed victory over Republican incumbent Kris Kobach in the attorney general race. The two were 11,597 votes apart, with Mann in the lead, as of Wednesday afternoon.
“To those who didn’t vote for me, I look forward to earning your trust in the months ahead,” Mann wrote in a Facebook post.
Kobach’s campaign has not issued a statement or responded to questions. He attended a GOP watch party Tuesday in Topeka but stayed less than an hour in the public area and didn’t reappear for statements throughout the evening, as other candidates did.
Democrat Jennifer Day and Republican Pat Proctor are 10,477 votes apart in the race for secretary of state, with Proctor leading.
“As of this morning, this race remains too close to call,” Day wrote in an email. “There are still provisional ballots and advance mail ballots being processed and counted across Kansas, and we owe it to every eligible voter to make sure their vote is counted.”
Day said she knew the race was going to be competitive, and that she will follow the process.
“This is about the integrity of our elections and making sure every Kansan has a voice,” she said.
When asked via text if he could answer questions about the race, Proctor responded: “Not for you!”
Proctor has consistently refused to answer Kansas Reflector questions. He did not respond to a question about whether he would continue that policy if he is elected to become the secretary of state.
The state took the next step in its post-audit election process, selecting one federal, one legislative, one county and the constitutional amendment race to be audited in each county, according to the Secretary of State’s website.
The county election office randomly selects 1% of precincts to be audited for each race, and ballots will be hand counted to ensure the vote is accurate.
Six races in the state will be audited because the vote count is close, including governor, attorney general; secretary of state; and House districts 27, 40 and 117, Secretary of State Scott Schwab said at a news conference Wednesday.
