Alva Review-Courier -

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Kris Kobach's top Republican rivals are trying to sound the right notes on illegal immigration to appeal to business and agriculture leaders without conceding too many conservative votes to a hardliner who's made tougher state policies a key theme in an increasingly contentious race.

Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, is trying to unseat Gov. Jeff Colyer in the state's Aug. 7 primary. He argued during a debate Saturday that Kansas is too lax in dealing with people living in the U.S. illegally, pushing initiatives such as requiring state contractors to verify the status...