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Derek Schmidt would make a good attorney general.
He has the experience -- assistant Kansas attorney general in the consumer protection division, former general counsel to U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel and special counsel to former Gov. Bill Graves.
Schmidt currently works as a city prosecutor and private practice attorney in Independence.
As a state senator, he has been vice chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and currently serves as Senate majority leader.
In the Senate, he has played a hand in major crime legislation, including cracking down on methamphetamine production and writing the Senate's version of Jessica's Law, which puts violent sex offenders who prey on children in prison for life.
He helped push through a shield law for journalists, which protects the public's right to know from reckless prosecutors.
We like his idea of using the attorney general's office to craft a "public safety agenda" for the Legislature to consider each year.
As Senate majority leader, Schmidt is a consensus builder who can work with members of the opposing party to get things done.
He has earned a reputation as a moderate Republican who eschews ideology.
Schmidt is wrong on health care reform -- Kansas should stay out of the legal brouhaha over the insurance mandate.
And it was disappointing to see Schmidt vote against the sales tax increase to avoid further cuts to state services.
Election year nerves, perhaps.
Current Attorney General Steve Six has proven to be a competent top prosecutor and brought professionalism back to the office.
He was appointed after a scandal forced Paul Morrison to quit. But Six has been the more negative campaigner, which tarnishes his professionalism a bit.
The edge here goes to Schmidt.
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Lifelong Republican