The state Senate, 5th District race involving Sen. Kelly Kultala and former Sen. Mark Gilstrap is heating up, all the way from Topeka.  

   Democrats last week raised questions about Mark Gilstrap’s honorary chairman, Kris Kobach, in Gilstrap’s Republican Senate campaign for the 5th District. A news release from Senate Democratic leaders questioned the ethics of an elections official serving in a campaign. Although Gilstrap, Kultala and Kobach are all in the Piper area of Kansas City, Kan., a lot of statements are coming from Topeka.

   “I think it’s kind of unseemly that the person who’s in charge of our elections in our state of Kansas is the honorary chairperson of a candidate’s campaign,” Kultala said Monday night about Kobach’s involvement.

   Gilstrap disagrees.

   “I do not think it’s unethical,” Gilstrap said Tuesday morning. “I think Secretary Kobach has freedom of speech like anyone else and can endorse anyone he wants.”

   Moreover, Gilstrap said there is a precedent. He said that Ron Thornburgh, the former secretary of state, had endorsed Sam Brownback in his race for governor, and had also endorsed Kobach’s opponent during the secretary of state’s contest. Gilstrap also pointed out that former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Sen. Anthony Hensley endorsed Kultala over Gilstrap during a primary campaign in 2008 in which they were all Democrats.