Norman Mallicoat, Democrat running to represent Baldwin City, Eudora and eastern Douglas County as part of Senate District 9, shared his views on health care, separation of church and state and more.
We initially reached out to incumbent Republican Beverly Gossage with a questionnaire ahead of the primary election. She did not respond until after the deadline had passed to apologize and say that she “responded to LJW and thought their request was the same as yours.” She did not respond to the questionnaire for the general election.
We did not give candidates a word count limit but advised them to keep answers concise. Mallicoat’s answers appear below verbatim.
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Early voting began Wednesday, Oct. 16. Voters can request a ballot to vote early by mail through Tuesday, Oct. 29 at KSVotes.org. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
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Jump to a topic:
• Meet the candidate
• Experience and qualifications
• Top 3 issues
• Legalizing cannabis
• Expanding Medicaid
• Public funds to private schools
• Local control
• Abortion regulations
• LGBTQ+ rights and transgender kids
• Top concerns heard from voters
• Question for opponents
• Free space
• Just for fun
This district
Kansas Senate District 9 spans parts of Douglas, Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties.
The district is shown in green in this map.
In Douglas County, it includes Baldwin City and Eudora, as well as parts of Eudora and Palmyra townships.
A squarish portion of the district includes Douglas County from East 1400 Road to the county line, and from North 900 Road south to Woodson Road.
Click here for a PDF map of the full district.
Meet the candidate
Norman Mallicoat
Age: 75
Hometown, and time in Douglas County (or in your current town, for candidates who reside outside of Douglas County)?
Olathe KS since 1988
Where you currently reside: Olathe
Day job: Retired IT and Telecom Engineer
How voters can reach you: norm@mallicoat4ks9.org
Website; social media links: mallicoat4ks9.org
About you and your positions
A * indicates an answer was required to submit this questionnaire.
Q: What specific experience and qualifications do you possess that make you the best candidate for the seat you’re seeking?*
Working in IT and Telecom I have worked with virtual United Nations of people and personality types.
Q: Please list the top three issues motivating you to run for this office. What concrete ideas do you have to make a difference on each issue if you are elected? Please be as specific as possible.*
Medicaid Expansion – Lack of participation in the medicaid expansion actually costs the state and hurts over 150,000 people that would qualify and benefit.
Full support of public education to include special education
Legalize medical marijuana
Oppose further attempts erode reproductive rights
Q: Would you support legalizing cannabis in Kansas?*
Options given: Yes, for any use (medicinal, recreational, etc.); Yes, for medicinal use; No
Yes, for medicinal use
Q: Would you support expansion of Medicaid in Kansas?*
(Only yes/no options given)
Yes
Q: Would you support initiatives to spend more public money on private schools, such as through vouchers, charter schools, tax credits and so forth?*
(Only yes/no options given)
No
Q: Please elaborate on any of your answers to the yes/no questions above if you’d like to.
Voucher plans will reduce funding of public schools and will be completely unfeasible in rural Kansas counties with small and dispersed student populations.
Q: Please share your views on local control. Do you believe the Legislature should seek to enact state laws that affect municipalities’ ability to self-govern? If so, in what circumstances? If not, how will you stand up for local control?*
Context given to candidates: The Lawrence City Commission in 2022 stripped some protections of immigrants from local ordinances in response to changes in state laws.
The city in 2023 passed a safe haven ordinance to create additional protections for transgender people in response to anti-trans legislation (SB 180 in particular).
The city also approved a ban on single-use plastic bags, which legislators attempted to nullify with a new law that was vetoed this year.
As to the issue of sanctuary cities I think both the legislature and city are wrong. Immigration policy and enforcement is totally within the scope of the federal government and local modifications and enforcement should not be allowed. I support Governor Kelly’s veto of SB 180 and support the rights of trans people and parents of trans children. The attempt to ban single use plastic bags is a classic example of legislative legislative overreach.
Q: Kansas voters in August 2022 soundly rejected a constitutional amendment that would have opened the door to extreme restrictions on abortion. Still, the Legislature has passed or attempted to pass more laws regulating abortion. Please share your stance on what actions the Legislature should or should not take regarding abortion.*
The legislature should stop trying to erode abortion rights
Q: In recent years, the Legislature has increasingly passed or attempted to pass legislation that could have potential negative outcomes for LGBTQ+ people. Please explain your stance on the rights of LGBTQ+ people — particularly transgender kids — and what the Legislature’s role in their lives and health care should be.*
Gender affirming care should be allowed and I will oppose legislation aimed at restricting the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
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Optional questions
Q: What would you say is the top concern you’ve heard from voters as you’ve been campaigning, and what actions would you take to better that problem?
Legislative disfunction. The people expect more middle ground and compromise than exists between the Kansas Republican and Democratic parties. We are currently governed by a cycle of veto and attempted or successful override. I am not sure I can change this much as a single senator but we can all try to be our better selves.
Q: Please share a question we didn’t ask that you’d like your fellow candidates to answer. How would you respond?
Do you believe the United States was founded as a Christian nation? Do you believe the Christian Nationalist movement is a danger to our democracy? I believe the United States was founded upon the principle of clear separation of church and state and the Christian Nationalist movement alive with Republican party is a dangerous stealth movement designed to undermine democracy as we know it.
Q: Free space: Please share anything you’d like voters to know about you and your stances that we haven’t asked here.
I am a liberal Christian. I believe that that all religious literature needs to be read in context and if anything the Beatitudes should inform our behavior and voting more than Leviticus. Even though I am Christian and believe in a Judeo-Christian God any attempt to erode the separation of church and state must be strongly resisted.
Just for fun
Candidates were not required to answer any of these questions, but we wanted to give our readers a chance to get to know them a little better and have some fun with this.
Favorite color? Green
Zodiac sign? Gemini
Do you have any pets, and/or what’s your favorite animal? None at the moment. I had an English Pointer bird dog that I loved but she is in doggie heaven now.
What’s a fun fact our readers may not know about you? (Have a hidden talent? Interesting hobby?) When I was in the Army I had the pleasure of meeting General Cavazos a couple times at Ft. Hood which now carries his name. He was funny and humble and a genuinely good guy. Critics may call this a DEI move but read your Civil War history. John Bell Hood was hardly a great General.
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