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Kris Kobach
| Kris Kobach | ||
 | ||
| Kansas Secretary of State | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 2010 - Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| 2014 | ||
| Years in position | 3 | |
| Party | Republican | |
| Predecessor | Chris Biggs (D) | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $86,003 | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| First elected | November 2, 2010 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Education | ||
| High school | Washburn Rural High School (1984) | |
| Bachelor's | Harvard College (1988) | |
| Master's | Oxford University (1990) | |
| J.D. | Yale Law School (1995) | |
| Ph.D. | Oxford University (1992) | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | March 26, 1966 | |
| Place of birth | Madison, Wisconsin | |
| Religion | Anglican | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
A February 2013 article in Governing named Kobach as one of the top state Republican officials to watch in 2013.[2]
Biography
Kobach was born in Madison, Wisconsin, but raised in Topeka, Kansas, where his father was a car-dealer.[3] After graduating from Washburn Rural High School in 1984, Kobach went on to receive a Bachelor's degree in government from Harvard College. He graduated with Master's and Doctorate degrees from Oxford University in political science before returning to the United States to attend Yale Law School. While studying at Yale, Kobach served as editor of the student-run Yale Law Journal and published two books: Political Capital: The Motives, Tactics, and Goals of Politicized Businesses in South Africa in 1990 and The Referendum: Direct Democracy in Switzerland in 1994.
After graduating from Yale Law School, Kobach was admitted to the Kansas Bar in 1995 and took up the position of law clerk for Deanell Reece Tacha, a judge on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals located in Lawrence, Kansas. In 1996, he became a member of the faculty at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law where he currently teaches Constitutional Law I, Constitutional Law II, Immigration Law, American Legal History, and Legislation.
Kobach's first major foray into the political field came when President George W. Bush awarded him with the White House Fellowship, a program established in November 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson in which the recipient "typically spends a year working as full-time, paid special assistants to senior White House Staff, the Vice President, Cabinet Secretaries and other top-ranking government officials." [4] But even when his fellowship ended, he stayed on as Counsel to Attorney General John Ashcroft. Shortly following the September 11th terrorist attacks, Kobach personally led a team of attorneys and researchers in developing and then implementing the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), also known as Special Registration. Established as means of keeping "track of those entering and leaving our country in order to safeguard U.S. citizens and America’s borders," the NSEERS served as the first step by the Department of Justice (later the Department of Homeland Security) to "comply with the development of the Congressionally- mandated requirement for a comprehensive entry-exit program." [5]
Education
- Graduated from Washburn Rural High School (1984) in Topeka, Kansas
- Bachelor's degree, Harvard College (1988) in government
- Master's degree, Oxford University (1990) in political science
- Doctorate degree, Oxford University (1992) in political science
- Juris Doctorate degree, Yale Law School (1995)
Political career
Kobach first ran for political office in 2000 as a candidate for Senate representing District 8, but lost in the primary election. He ran again in 2004, winning the Republican nomination over opponents Adam Taff and Kansas state legislator Patricia Lightner and challenging Congressman Dennis Moore for his seat in the United States House of Representatives representing the 3rd Congressional District of Kansas; he went on to lose the campaign 55% to 43%. [6] [7] The upside of the experience, however, was that it garnered him national media attention, especially after his speech on the opening day of the 2004 Republican National Convention where he called for the United States military to be sent to the Mexican border to block illegal immigration. He took his anti-illegal immigration message beyond the congressional campaign, even making an appearance on the popular Comedy Central program, The Colbert Report, in August 2009 to take his case to the American public. [8]
Nearly two years following his failed congressional campaign, Kobach was chosen by his peers to a two year term as Chairman of the Kansas Republican Party. His tenure, however, was not without controversy, especially after his creation of "the party's 'loyalty committee ... to sanction wayward Republicans," which, in turn, stripped more than a dozen members of "voting rights in party organization races for helping Democrats." [9]
Kansas Secretary of State (2010-present)
On May 26, 2009, Kobach announced his candidacy for the statewide office of secretary of state, challenging Democrat Chris Biggs, who was appointed to the position by Governor Mark Parkinson. [10] Kobach won the Republican nomination in the state's August 3, 2010 primary, receiving nearly fifty-one percent of the vote. [11] [12]
Election laws
In January 2011, Kobach announced his proposed Kansas Secure and Fair Elections (SAFE) Act at press conference in Topeka. The House Bill aimed to prevent vote fraud and increase the integrity of Kansas elections, according to Kobach. It introduced a government-issued photo ID requirement for voting in person at the polls.
Mail ballots would require either a copy of a government-issued photo ID, or simply the photo ID number.
New voters would be required to provide proof of citizenship, but existing voters would not face any new citizenship requirements.[13]
The controversial bill took partial effect in January 2012, and despite concerns about the new requirements diminishing voter turnout, a January 10 election in Cimarron occurred almost entirely without incident. A vote on Feb. 28 in Wichita presented an opportunity for Kansas voters to demonstrate their support or disapproval of the SAFE Act on a bigger scale.[14]
Illegal immigration
Kobach has been called an "American hero," as well as “America’s Deporter-in-Chief,” an “anti-immigration hawk,” and a “nativist” lawyer for his ubiquitous role in the nation-sweeping campaign for immigration reform.[15]
Reinforcing his anti-amnesty position on managing the presence of illegal-immigrants in the United States, Kobach testified on February 13, 2012 against a bill that would help undocumented workers in Kansas gain conditional work privileges. House Bill 2712 would direct the Kansas Department of Labor "to identify industries with labor shortages and develop a program to help qualified illegal immigrants, who might otherwise be detained and deported, to obtain work permits and legal status from the federal government."[16] Kobach asserted that such a program would overstep Kansas' jurisdiction over immigration matters, saying "A state cannot deport someone, and similarly a state cannot confer status upon an illegal person." Supporters countered that under federal law, the state can serve as a sponsor to someone in his/her application for legal status.
Responding to claims that the bill could help fill the state's labor shortage, Kobach defended his stance by disagreeing that such a shortage existed and that the bill was a “slap in the face” to the 95,500 Kansans still out of work.[16]
This testimony fit into a series of Kobach-led efforts to either foster proof of citizenship measures, or stifle rights-granting legislation to non-citizens on the city, state and national level. He has helped draft laws dedicated to combating illegal immigration and voter fraud in at least six cities and states. After leading Arizona's pioneering photo voter-ID legislation, he helped protect the state law that punished employers for hiring undocumented immigrants against potential repeal by U.S. Supreme Court. In that vein, he helped the St. Louis suburb of Valley Park successfully defend a law banning employers from hiring illegals.
Kobach facilitated efforts to strike down laws in Kansas and California that offer in-state college tuition to the children of undocumented immigrants, but was not successful in those cases.[15]
Business records transparency
In April 2012, Kobach announced the successful completion of two projects which he had been pursuing since initially taking office as secretary. The projects sought to make the secretary of state's office run more efficiently and transparent in addition to promoting knowledge of democracy in Kansas by making business records accessible to the public. Before, the only related information available on the state's website was the name of the business and whether it was in good standing. Now more than 2 million records are available online for review by the public, attorneys, businesses and the media. Kobach said the secretary of state's office receives an average of 454 required business documents each day; prior to the online resource's creation, those documents could only be obtained by visiting the capital's office in person or by request via mail. "It's hard to overstate what a big deal this is," Kobach said of the resource, whose seeds were originally planted by his predecessor Ron Thornburgh.[17]
Civics education
Kobach first expressed his concern that most Kansans were insufficiently versed in state and U.S. government civics while on the campaign trail in 2010. When he took office, he ordered his staff to develop an online resource for educating Kansas residents on their state's history, the structure and functions of the government, and information about the state's individual counties. The site also features a downloadable quiz that teachers can give to students.[17]
Targeted for recall
In early October 2012, activists Sonny Scroggins and Frank Smith said they would begin circulating recall petitions against Kobach later in the month. Scroggins said Kobach has been targeted for his work on immigration issues, which regularly takes him out of state, as well as his support for the state's voter photo ID law.[18]
In order to force a recall vote, state law holds that organizers must collect valid signatures equivalent to 40 percent of the number of persons that voted in the last preceding election for the office. In this case, some 332,000 signatures would be necessary. Prior to that, however, they would have first collected approximately 83,000 signatures and show just cause why Kobach should be recalled, which in Kansas can only be for a felony conviction, misconduct, incompetence, or failure to perform the duties of the office.[19][20]
Kobach said it was unlikely the effort would succeed, stating, "It appears that he is hoping Kansas voters will reverse a decision that they already made, because the two issues that Mr. Scroggins points to were the very same issues that were at the center of the general election in 2010. My election in 2010 reflected the reality that Kansas voters overwhelmingly favor photo ID requirements at the polls and they support efforts to reduce illegal immigration."[19]
Scroggins, acknowledging the odds against the effort, said, “Kris has got all the money, got the Koch brother behind him, and he’s got Donald Trump, but we’ve got God on our side and we want everybody sitting at the table.”[21]
Dems seek to limit office's power
In December 2012, Democratic leaders said they planned to introduce two measures during the 2013 session to limit Kobach's power as Secretary of State. The first bill, which Sen. Anthony Hensley (D) planned to introduce, would restrict statewide elected officials to spend no more than 10 paid hours a week on non-official duties. This was mainly seen as a response to Kobach's work on immigration, which has often taken him out of the state.[22]
The second bill would make county commissioners in the four largest counties hire election commissioners, preventing Kobach from appointing the positions. Currently elected county clerks oversee elections in 101 of the 105 counties, with the secretary of state appointing the other four.[22]
Presidential preference
2012
Kris Kobach endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. [23]
Kobach worked for Romney as an unpaid adviser on immigration issues since before his formal endorsement of the candidate in January. Kobach has a history with Romney, having advised him in a similar capacity during his unsuccessful campaign to secure the GOP presidential nomination in 2008. [24]
Elections
2010
- See also: Kansas Secretary of State election, 2010
Kobach won election as Kansas Secretary of State in the November 2010 general election. He defeated Democrat Chris Biggs, Libertarian Phillip Horatio Lucas and Reform Party candidate Derek Langseth.
| Kansas Secretary of State, General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Kris Kobach |
59% | 489,640 | |
| Democratic | Chris Biggs | 37.2% | 308,641 | |
| Libertarian | Phillip Horatio Lucas | 2.1% | 17,336 | |
| Reform Party | Derek Langseth | 1.7% | 13,896 | |
| Total Votes | 829,513 | |||
| Election Results Via: Kansas Secretary of State | ||||
| Kansas Secretary of State, Republican Primary, 2010 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Kris Kobach |
50.7% | 156,462 |
| Elizabeth Ensley | 27% | 83,275 |
| J.R. Claeys | 22.4% | 69,039 |
| Total Votes | 308,776 | |
| Election Results Via: Kansas Secretary of State | ||
2004
Kobach lost his bid for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004, losing to Democrat Dennis Moore.[7][6]
| United States House of Representatives, District 3 General Election, 2004 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Dennis Moore |
54.8% | 184,050 | |
| Republican | Kris Kobach | 43.3% | 145,542 | |
| Libertarian | Joe Bellis | 1% | 3,191 | |
| Reform Party | Richard Wells | 0.9% | 2,956 | |
| Total Votes | 335,739 | |||
| United States House of Representatives, District 3 Republican Primary Election, 2004 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Kris Kobach |
44% | 39,129 |
| Adam Taff | 43.8% | 38,922 |
| Patricia Lightner | 12.2% | 10,836 |
| Total Votes | 88,887 | |
Campaign contributions
Ballotpedia collects information on campaign donors for each year in which a candidate or incumbent is running for election. The following table offers a breakdown of Kris Kobach's donors each year.[25] Click [show] for more information.
| Kris Kobach's Campaign Contributions | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Secretary of State | 2000 Kansas State Senate, District 8 (Lost primary election) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total Raised | $299,983 | $33,242 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $315,913 | $116,328 (Primary opponent) | |||||||||||||||||
| Top 5 contributors | Kris Kobach | $11,454 | Betsy Bohrer and Carolyn Belfer | $1,000 each | |||||||||||||||
| Robert & Mary Jane Hodgon | $8,000 | Tara Rutman and Richard Ruben | $1,000 each | ||||||||||||||||
| Jim & Lois Hartman | $7,500 | Stacey Mindich and Jan Kobach | $1,000 each | ||||||||||||||||
| Lloyd & Nancy Hanahan | $5,000 | Steven Kellner and Stewart Entz | $1,000 each | ||||||||||||||||
| Eagle Forum | $4,000 | Nathaniel Bohrer and Laurence Belfer | $1,000 each | ||||||||||||||||
| Individuals | $221,073 | $22,785 | |||||||||||||||||
| Institutions | $49,235 | $1,368 | |||||||||||||||||
| In-state donations | $242,155 | $3,333 | |||||||||||||||||
| Out-of-state donations | $57,828 | $29,653 | |||||||||||||||||
Controversies
Arizona SB1070
Several days after Republican Governor of Arizona Jan Brewer (R) signed into law Senate Bill 1070 - The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, more commonly known as Arizona SB 1070, the Lawrence Journal-World & News broke the news that law professor and then-candidate for Kansas Secretary of State Kobach had a hand in helping craft the legislation. [26] [27] The Act, which did not take effect until July 28, 2010, makes it a state misdemeanor crime for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying proper citizenship papers required by federal law, authorizes state and local law enforcement of federal immigration laws, and cracks down on those sheltering, hiring and transporting illegal aliens into the United States. Kobach stated that he provided his assistance to Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce (R) for free and did not believe it would impact his campaign for secretary of state, though he was quick to argue that he would be willing to draw up a similar measure in Kansas, but only if asked to do so by a state legislator.
Civil rights groups who protested the immigration law petitioned the University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) to impose sanctions on Kobach, who has taught there since 1996. His harshest critic was J.D. Rios, an assistant Kansas City, Kansas school superintendent, who argued that Kobach "violated the general UMKC policy to promote diversity." [28] Despite threats from liberal alumni members saying they would no longer encourage Hispanic students to enroll at the university, UMKC has staunchly stood in support of Kobach, insisting they believe in academic freedom for all of its faculty members. [29]
"Illegal is Illegal" Rally
On July 14, 2010, Kobach supporters gathered for an “Illegal is Illegal” Rally at the Ritz Charles convention center after permission to hold the controversial event at MidAmerica Nazarene University was withdrawn. Sheriff Joe Arpaio from Maricopa County Arizona appeared in support of Kobach at the standing room only rally.
Several hundred held a mostly silent “Love Conquers Hate” protest along the sidewalk on the perimeter of the convention center. More than 50 from the NAACP Convention in Kansas City joined the protest, racial profiling top among their concerns, chanting “hope, not hate” as they arrived in a small parade. Video of the rally can be seen here.[30]
Birther joke
Speaking at a Leavenworth County Republican Party BBQ held in Tonganoxie shortly after the 4th of July in 2009, Kobach made a joke at the expense of President Barack Obama, stating the one thing the former Illinois senator and God had in common was that neither of them had a birth certificate. [31] The State Democratic Party sharply criticized the Republican candidate for Secretary of State for his remarks, arguing that "his latest attempt at humor has gone too far." [32] Kobach replied that it was just a joke and that Democratic critics should lighten up.
Personal
Kobach resides with wife, Heather, and daughters Lilly, Reagan and Molly, in Piper, Kansas. He is a member of Christ Church, Anglican, and an eagle scout.
Recent news
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This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term "Kris + Kobach + Kansas + Secretary"
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Kris Kobach News Feed
- Fight brewing in Kansas over gun-control nullification laws - Washington Post - Washington Post (blog)
- Kris Kobach set to pursue longstanding voter fraud allegations - Raw Story
- Kobach considering appeal of redistricting ruling - KSN-TV
- Kansas Secretary Of State Close To Expanding His Own Voter Fraud ... - ThinkProgress
- Kansas secretary of state close to expanded power on election fraud - Kansas.com
- Key Republican insists 'self-deportation is not some radical idea' - Raw Story
- Heritage Foundation Bigotry Exposed: Jason Richwine Resigns, but Kris Kobach ... - Tucson Citizen
- Kansas gov. insists it's OK to ignore federal gun laws - TucsonSentinel.com - TucsonSentinel.com
- Restricting immigration will not help Kansas - Kansas City Star
- Kobach testifies against immigration bill before US Senate committee - The Kansas City Kansan
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
Contact Information
Capitol Address:
Kansas Secretary of State
Memorial Hall, 1st Floor
120 SW 10th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66612-1594
Phone: (785) 296-4564
E-mail: sos@kssos.org
See also
External links
- Official Kansas Secretary of State website
- Kris Kobach for Secretary of State Campaign website
- Kris Kobach's Facebook profile
- New York Times - Kris Kobach profile
- University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law - Kris Kobach biography
- Project Vote Smart - Kris Kobach biography
References
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Secretary Kris Kobach's Biography," accessed September 15, 2012
- ↑ Governing, "State Republican Officials to Watch in 2013," February 6, 2013
- ↑ The Topeka Capital Journal, "GOP primary assured", Mary 29, 2009
- ↑ White House Fellows - About
- ↑ U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Special Registration
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kansas Secretary of State - 2004 Primary Election Results
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kansas Secretary of State - 2004 General Election Results
- ↑ Colbert Report, The "Video of Kris Kobach's Aug. 2008 appearance"
- ↑ Capital-Journal "Kobach gives up top GOP position" 9 Dec. 2008
- ↑ The Topeka Capital-Journal "GOP primary assured" 26 May, 2009
- ↑ Politico "Kobach’s win" 4 Aug. 2010
- ↑ Michelle Malkin "Kris Kobach wins GOP Secretary of State nomination in Kansas" 4 Aug. 2010
- ↑ "Secretary of State Kobach introduces voter ID bill (video)," Kansas Watchdog, By Earl Glynn, January 19, 2011
- ↑ Wichita Eagle, "Kobach: Voter ID law working", February 2, 2012
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 The Kansas City Star "Voter fraud and illegal immigration work brings Kansas Secretary of State Kobach praise, scorn," April 9, 2012
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 The Topeka Capital-Journal, "Kobach blasts immigrant worker bill", February 14, 2012
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Associated Press, "Kansas secretary of state puts records access online," April 17, 2012
- ↑ KWCH, "Activists say they'll seek to recall Kris Kobach," October 4, 2012
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Huffington Post, "Kris Kobach, Kansas Secretary Of State, Faces Recall Attempt," October 4, 2012
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedrecallS - ↑ Salon, “Kansas Secretary of State faces recall effort,” October 5, 2012
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 The Republic, "Kansas legislative Democrats to introduce measures targeting GOP Sec. of State Kobach," December 4, 2012
- ↑ NTV, "Kan. sec of state endorses Romney for president," January 11, 2012
- ↑ DodgeGlobe.com, "Kobach confirms he's an unpaid adviser to Romney", February 2, 2012
- ↑ Follow the Money.org
- ↑ Lawrence Journal-World & News "Kansan Kris Kobach helped write controversial Arizona immigration law" 27 April, 2010
- ↑ New York Times "Why Arizona Drew a Line" 28 April, 2010
- ↑ KMBC 9 News "Kobach's Immigration Role Leads To Questions" 3 May, 2010
- ↑ Red State "Let’s Burn Kris Kobach at the Stake" 4 May, 2010
- ↑ "Illegal Immigration Rally: Kris Kobach and Sheriff Joe Arpaio," Watchdog.org, July 15, 2010
- ↑ Everyday Citizen "Kobach's 'birther' joke is no laughing matter" 16 July, 2009
- ↑ Lawrence Journal-World & News "Kobach says statement about Obama ‘just a joke’" 14 July, 2009
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Chris Biggs (D) |
Kansas Secretary of State 2010–present |
Succeeded by NA |
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