Two political comeback bids in primary for open congressional seat in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kansas — A vacant congressional position in eastern Kansas prompted two political comebacks in the state’s primary on Tuesday, one from the former Democratic occupant and the other from a past Republican attorney general who was defeated in the 2022 gubernatorial race.
Former Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who served for three terms, has secured former President Donald Trump’s backing in a Republican contest with five candidates in the 2nd District. His main rivals are Shawn Tiffany, a rancher, and Jeff Kahrs, a former top health official during Trump’s administration.
The Democratic competition features former U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, who previously held the position in 2007 and 2008, against Matt Kleinmann, a community health advocate and member of the 2008 University of Kansas men’s basketball championship team. Boyda has positioned herself toward the center of the political spectrum, causing some discontent among party activists.
The district’s current two-term Republican incumbent, Jake LaTurner, is not seeking reelection.
Republican voters will also decide contested primaries in two other districts with incumbents running for reelection.
In the 3rd District around Kansas City, physician Prasanth Reddy is up against small business owner Karen Crnkovich for the opportunity to challenge three-term U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the lone Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation.
In the 1st District, which covers western Kansas, two-term U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann is expected to win over Eric Bloom, a farmer and real estate investor.
There are also competitive primaries in some of the 40 state Senate and 125 state House districts, as well as various county offices in Kansas. Polling stations are open statewide from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time.
In the 2nd Congressional District, many Republicans viewed Schmidt as the frontrunner even before Trump’s “Complete and Total” social media approval, due to Schmidt’s name recognition from his narrow defeat in 2022 against incumbent Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
The former president described Schmidt as an “An America First Patriot” and stated, “HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
However, Kahrs highlighted that Trump selected him to be a regional director at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and served as a district director and senior adviser for LaTurner. Kahrs’ campaign portrayed him as a “conservative warrior,” capitalizing on skepticism from the far right that has surrounded Schmidt during his time in politics.
“I am the only proven conservative in this race,” Kahrs stated during a candidate forum broadcast by Topeka-area public television’s KTWU, an event that Schmidt chose not to attend.
Tiffany ran as an outsider to politics, often wearing a cowboy hat at public events. During a forum on WIBW-TV in Topeka in mid-July, he criticized the “extreme left” for undermining the American dream and accused “politicians — seasoned politicians — of failing to protect our interests.”
In the Democratic primary, Boyda expressed support for LGBTQ+ rights in general but opposed allowing transgender girls and women to participate in female sports teams. She also urged President Joe Biden to withdraw from his reelection campaign the day after his disastrous debate performance, much earlier than other Democrats.
During a KTWU-TV forum last week, Boyda defended her strategy of running a center-focused, “general election” campaign from the beginning. She highlighted the Democrats’ series of losses since her victory in 2006. Eight of them were by margins of 14 percentage points or more.
“To be honest, much of the 2nd District will not trust a Democrat heading to Washington, D.C.,” she remarked. “They want to ensure that you are moderate and independent.”
However, Boyda’s position on transgender athletes was swiftly criticized, with the Kansas Young Democrats labeling it “shameful” on X.
“I believe that Democrats deserve to have a voice,” Kleinmann, Boyda’s opponent in the primary, said during last week’s forum. “Some of the bravest people I know in Kansas are Democrats in a very red district because they’re fighting for Kansas values, and that’s the values I want to defend in Congress.”