Scott E. Morgan is running for Kansas secretary of state as the nominee of the United Kansas Party in the Nov. 3 general election. He faces Jennifer Day, a Democrat, and Pat Proctor, a Republican.
Asked why he is seeking the office, Morgan said in our candidate questionnaire: "The Secretary of State should be a neutral referee, not another political player. Elections are too important to be administered through a partisan lens."
He added: "I am not a Republican or a Democrat. I believe that independence would allow me to approach the office without a partisan stake in the outcome and concentrate on doing the job professionally."
Candidate information
Party: Morgan said: "I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat. United Kansas is a new moderate political party that believes Kansas needs a political home for voters who favor pragmatic, principled leadership. We believe in more doing and less yelling."
Education: Morgan said: "I graduated from Shawnee Mission public schools and earned both of my degrees from the University of Kansas: a B.S. in Journalism and a J.D. from the KU School of Law. I was admitted to the Kansas Bar."
Family: Morgan said: "My wife, Kathleen O'Leary Morgan, and I have been married for more than 40 years. We live in Lawrence and have three adult children, Kelly, Calvin and Grace. … I am a fifth-generation Kansan. My family first settled in Jefferson County in 1856, and our children are sixth-generation Kansans."
Experience and public service
Morgan said in our questionnaire: "I worked for U.S. Senators Nancy Kassebaum and Bob Dole, including service as the U.S. Senate's representative to the Federal Election Commission and as chief counsel to Senator Dole's 1988 presidential campaign. I later served as Chief Counsel for Governor Mike Hayden, who has endorsed me for this office."
He also said: "My wife Kathleen and I co-founded a small Lawrence publishing company. We operated the company for 17 years before selling it to CQ Press. I continued as an editor after the sale, retiring in 2020."
On previous public service, Morgan said: "I served two terms on the Lawrence Board of Education and was twice elected board president. … I have additionally held a number of community leadership positions, including president of the Lawrence Schools Foundation and president of the Rotary Club of Lawrence."
On the issues
Asked what distinguishes him from other candidates, Morgan said: "The most obvious difference is that I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat. I believe the Secretary of State should be a neutral referee, not a political player. Because I do not belong to either major party, I would have no partisan interest in who wins an election."
On mail ballots, Morgan said: "I support restoring the three-day grace period for mail ballots postmarked by Election Day. … Election security and voter access are not opposing goals. A ballot legally cast on time should not be rejected because postal delivery took an extra day or two."
On voter data and the federal government, Morgan said: "Personally identifiable voter information should not be handed over simply because the federal government asks for it. I would share information when federal law clearly requires it, but sensitive information such as Social Security and driver's license numbers deserves strong legal and privacy protections."
On election integrity, Morgan said: "I believe Kansas elections in recent years have been fundamentally accurate and secure. That does not mean we stop improving them. … Election officials should investigate real problems when evidence exists. But public confidence is not strengthened by repeating unsupported claims."
