Erich Bishop
Erich Hugh Bishop was a 2012 Democratic candidate for District 102 of the Kansas House of Representatives.
When asked why he ran, Bishop stated, "The current, 20-year incumbent, no longer represents my district. My goal is to put Kansans back to work and to represent the hard working, law abiding Kansans in my district. I stand in strong opposition to the destructive "slash and burn" policies promoted by Governor Brownback and his supporters in the legislature."[1]
Issues
Campaign themes
2012
On his campaign website, Bishop listed four top priorities:[2]
- Good paying jobs
- Strong schools
- Access to health care
- Fair treatment for all
Gay rights
Gay rights was an issue in the 2012 race. Bishop, who is openly gay, grew up with a father who was at the time a member of the Ku Klux Klan. In announcing his candidacy, Bishop stated, "To call my household as a child racist and homophobic would be an understatement. My father rightly faced opposition from people like you."[3]
In 2011, according to an article in the Topeka Capital Journal, his opponent in the Democratic primary, Jan Pauls, argued against the removal of an anti-sodomy law.[3]
Elections
2012
Bishop ran in the 2012 election for Kansas House of Representatives District 102. He faced Jan Pauls in the August 7 Democratic primary. The race remained too close to call, with Pauls leading Bishop by 7 votes.[4] Following a recount, Pauls was declared the winner on August 20 by a margin of 428-420.[5]
Dakota Bass was unopposed in the Republican primary. The general election took place on November 6, 2012.[6][7]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
 Janice Pauls Incumbent |
50.5% | 428 |
| Erich Bishop | 49.5% | 420 |
| Total Votes | 848 | |
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Erich + Bishop + Kansas + House"
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Hutchnews, "Kansas House Primary Candidate Survey: Erich Bishop (102nd District)," July 14, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ Erich Bishop, "Homepage," access July 30, 2012
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Topeka Capital-Journal, "Ex-Klansman's gay son to challenge conservative Dem," April 26, 2012
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Two state House races await provisional ballot counts," August 9, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ Kansas City Star, "Conservative Kansas House member wins recount," August 20, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "Candidates for the 2012 primary (official)," accessed July 13, 2012
- ↑ C-SPAN, "Kansas - Summary Vote Results," accessed August 7, 2012
