Sherman Smith

The Great Bend, Kansas, native is currently serving his second term as the state's top election official. If elected in 2026, Schwab said he would work to lower property taxes and help rural communities that are falling behind.

Some GOP lawmakers from Johnson County are no longer talking about their votes championing anti-abortion bills in the Kansas Legislature, and saying they respect the 2022 vote defeating an anti-abortion constitutional amendment.

Special prosecutors charged former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody with one count of interference with the judicial process, a low-level felony, for asking a restauranteur to delete text messages after his controversial raid of the Marion County Record.

Brian Betts spent 25 years in prison for a crime he says he didn't commit. Lawyers allege Betts' uncle was coerced into testifying against him by former Kansas City, Kansas Police detective Roger Golubski.

The two packages were received about a half-hour apart at Memorial Hall, a building adjacent to the Capitol that houses both the secretary of state and attorney general offices. Authorities said they weren’t sure if the same person sent both packages.

Linus Thuston, the Neosho County attorney for the past 12 years, was charged with two misdemeanor financial crimes. He is also accused of committing sexual extortion for persuading dozens of women clients to send him nude photos.

Even though a special prosecutors report released this week clears nearly everyone in the unprecedented Marion County Record raid of criminal wrongdoing, it does nothing to diffuse allegations of police malfeasance — or concerns about a corrupt local government.

A report from special prosecutors cleared Marion County Record reporters of any wrongdoing, and accuses former Marion County Police Chief Gideon Cody of obstructing the judicial process — a low-level felony.

After the raid of the Marion County Record, Deb Gruver quit and filed a federal lawsuit against Police Chief Gideon Cody for his “malicious and recklessly indifferent violation” of her constitutional rights. Earlier this month, Gruver and Cody reached a $235,000 settlement.

Neosho County Attorney Linus Thuston is accused of pressuring 50 women to sending him nude photos — about a third of whom he also prosecuted. Thuston admitted in court to soliciting nude photos from a confidential informant.