Vermin Supreme running for KS AG

[bernorange 8346]

It's the feel good story of the year.

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The sedate race for Kansas attorney general took a turn toward the bizarre Thursday with an announcement by political performance artist Vermin Supreme of plans to launch a campaign to become the state’s No. 1 prosecutor.

Vermin Love Supreme, a 50-something resident of Baltimore and frequent candidate for president of the United States, said in a statement he would file for attorney general before the deadline Friday. He intends to then host a noon rally on the steps of the Capitol in Topeka.

Supreme, who appears in public dressed as a twisted wizard, has campaigned in the past on a platform that included mandatory dental hygiene and government distribution of free ponies. On the stump, he has worn a boot as a hat and carried a large toothbrush.

In an interview Thursday, Supreme said he initially contemplated seeking the nomination for governor in Kansas. He decided against that race because of strong interest among teenagers in campaigning for the job. At this stage, three teenagers have filed for governor in Kansas.

“I didn’t want to step on any of the kids’ toes,” he said. “I didn’t want to split the kids’ vote.”

As he considered options, Supreme realized there were no Democratic candidates for attorney general. He raised the $1,600 filing fee and caught a plane to Kansas.

“The theory being, people don’t like lawyers. And, I’m not a lawyer,” Supreme said. “Just because my bag is made of carpet, it doesn’t necessarily make me a carpetbagger. I look forward to serving the Sunflower State.”

So far, the only official candidate for attorney general in Kansas is incumbent Republican Derek Schmidt. In 2010, Schmidt defeated Democratic Attorney General Steve Six and Libertarian Dennis Hawver, who wore a 1776 suit and wig to impersonate Thomas Jefferson at campaign events. Schmidt earned 66 percent of the vote to win re-election in 2014.

Supreme is apparently exploiting a supreme loophole in state election statute.

The 2018 Legislature approved a bill signed by Gov. Jeff Colyer that will require candidates for attorney general to have a license to practice law — starting Jan. 1. Not until that date will Kansas mandate that all statewide candidates for political office be a resident of the state.

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http://www.cjonline.com/news/20180531/vermin-supreme-dental-activist-horse-lover-to-file-as-candidate-for-kansas-attorney-general

[bernorange 8346]

I know that this story has captivated the hearts and minds of the Surly political crowd, so I feel it incumbent upon me to share the bad news...

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Prospective candidate Vermin Supreme was denied ballot access on Monday by the State Objections Board on the grounds that Supreme is not from Kansas.

A court decision handed down recently that confirmed that candidates for Governor have to be from Kansas was instrumental in Monday’s decision, according to Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach.

“The Secretary of State’s office has taken a posture through our representative that if there is ambiguity, either in the statutes or in the case law, that we would err on the side of ballot access,” said Kobach.

It was Kobach’s contention that the recent case regarding the Governor’s office changed that calculation for this particular office.
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https://www.wibwnewsnow.com/challenge-to-ag-candidacy-of-vermin-supreme-upheld-name-removed-from-ballot/