Scott E. Morgan, a Lawrence attorney running on the United Kansas Party ticket, is seeking the Kansas secretary of state office in the Nov. 3 general election. He faces two major-party opponents: Jennifer Day, a Democrat, and Pat Proctor, a Republican.

Asked why he is running, 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. I am running because I believe Kansas needs calm, competent leadership that puts voters ahead of political parties."

Candidate information

Party: "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," Morgan said in our questionnaire.

Education: "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," Morgan said.

Family: "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," Morgan said. "… I am a fifth-generation Kansan. My family first settled in Jefferson County in 1856, and our children are sixth-generation Kansans. Over many camping trips, we took our three children to all 50 states, 48 of them in a minivan."

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."

"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," Morgan said.

On 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."

Morgan previously ran and lost for U.S. Congress and the Kansas State Senate, according to The Lawrence Times. He also sought the 2014 Republican nomination for secretary of state, losing to then-incumbent Kris Kobach, according to the Kansas Reflector.

On the issues

What sets him apart: "The most obvious difference is that I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat," Morgan said in our questionnaire. "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 … My approach can be summarized simply: competence over conflict and voters over party."

Election security: "Yes. I believe Kansas elections in recent years have been fundamentally accurate and secure," Morgan said. "… Kansas has important safeguards, including paper ballots, voting equipment that cannot be connected to the internet, pre-election testing and post-election audits. As Secretary of State, I would strengthen those safeguards, provide county election officials with the technical and financial support they need, and continue improving cybersecurity and physical security."

Mail ballots and advance voting: "I support restoring the three-day grace period for mail ballots postmarked by Election Day," Morgan said. "… 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. I strongly support advance voting, both in person and by mail."

Voter data and roll maintenance: "Personally identifiable voter information should not be handed over simply because the federal government asks for it," Morgan said. "… Before an eligible voter could lose registration, there should be verification, appropriate notice and a meaningful opportunity to correct an error."