By Mike Sherry/
Contributing Writer
The Nov. 3 election proved to be a mixed bag for Kansas City-area Jewish candidates seeking state legislative seats in Kansas.
Democrat Ethan Corson won his bid to represent District 7 in the Kansas Senate, but fellow Democrat Joy Koesten lost in her race for the District 11 Senate seat.
According to unofficial results from the Kansas Secretary of State’s office, Corson defeated his Republican opponent, Laura McConwell, by a margin of 59% to 41%. Republican Kellie Warren beat Koesten by a margin of 53% to 47%.
“I’m humbled at the trust our community has placed in me and thankful for the opportunity to serve you in the KS Senate,” Corson said in an election night tweet. “Whether you supported me or my opponent, I will work tirelessly to represent you in Topeka. Let’s work together to keep trying to perfect the state we love.”
Koesten thanked her supporters in a post on her campaign Facebook page, and also congratulated Warren on the win. She said the more than 45,000 votes cast in the election “is a credit to our amazing team of supporters, and to my opponent and her team, as well.”
Both candidates, Koesten said, “worked hard to put our case in front of the electorate, and the electorate responded with enthusiasm. This vigorous demonstration of civic engagement gives us hope for the revitalization of our democracy.”
Another Jewish candidate won a seat while mired in controversy.
Aaron Coleman, a Democrat, will represent the 37th District in the Kansas House. The 20-year-old community college student is the great-grandson of a Holocaust survivor, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
The seat is in Wyandotte County. Coleman faced a write-in challenge from the incumbent he beat in the August primary, state Rep. Stan Frownfelter, who is also a Democrat.
Coleman has faced accusations of bullying, revenge porn, and abuse against women. And a day after his election, Coleman tweeted a message that some construed as a threat to Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly.
There is talk of blocking Coleman from taking the seat by declaring him unfit for the office, but the effort appears to be a longshot because it would require Republican support.
