DeZago endorses Schmidt for Attorney General

JUNCTION CITY -- (August 21, 2010) -- Junction City Prosecutor Ralph DeZago, who sought the GOP nomination for attorney general earlier this month, endorsed his former Republican competitor on Saturday.

"It is with extreme pleasure that I endorse my friend, Derek Schmidt, for Kansas attorney general," said DeZago, of Herington, who serves as city prosecutor for Junction City.  "If you were following our race, you know that the differences between Derek and me were only in the type of experiences we have had, never in beliefs or philosophy.

"I oppose the Washington knows best philosophy of our current, unelected attorney general," DeZago continued.  "We need a Republican attorney general who will respect local control and fight for public safety, stand up against Obamacare, and restore some sensible leadership to the attorney general's office.  Derek is philosophically in tune both with Kansans generally, and with the will of most Americans. He has the experience, the ability and the determination for the job. I endorse Derek for attorney general without hesitation."

DeZago endorsed Schmidt during a joint appearance at the Junction City meeting of the Kansas Federation of Republican Women.

Schmidt, an Independence Republican who serves as Senate Majority Leader, won the Republican nomination for attorney general in the primary election earlier this month. 

"I have great respect for Ralph's years of legal experience and service to Kansas, and I'm really honored and grateful to have his support in the fall election," Schmidt said.  "His endorsement is a powerful statement that Kansas Republicans are unified behind our campaign as we head toward November."

Like DeZago, Schmidt is a former assistant attorney general for Kansas and also serves as a city prosecutor for Independence.  He also is former general counsel to U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska, and former special counsel to Kansas Governor Bill Graves.  In the Senate, Schmidt led the fight to enact Jessica's Law, to put violent sex offenders who prey in children in prison for life, and the Sheriff Matt Samuels Act, which reduced the number of methamphetamine labs in Kansas by about 70 percent.  He also has fought for stronger consumer protection laws, stronger anti-fraud laws for Medicaid, and tougher anti-child pornography laws.

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