When Republican U.S Rep. Jake LaTurner decided to spend more time with family instead of running for reelection to Kansas' 2nd District in Congress, a flock of candidates leapt at the chance to replace him.
The race quickly became the state’s most contested federal election this year. Five Republicans and two Democrats are running to help shape national policy and represent more than 730,000 citizens.
While Republicans have a stronger chance in this race, a surprise Democratic win could help decide which party holds a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The 2nd District covers much of eastern Kansas, including Topeka, Emporia and part of Wyandotte County. A politically fraught transition to new district boundaries in 2022 turned the solidly Republican district an even deeper shade of red.
All five Republicans in the race identify as conservatives and supporters of former President Donald Trump. They’re united behind stricter border security and lower taxes. But as primary elections on Aug. 6th inch closer, the candidates are leaning into what differences they do have.
Five conservatives choices
After arguing their cases to a sparse crowd in Lyndon, Kansas, four of the five Republican candidates swapped jokes just outside the venue. Former Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt made a joking allegation involving a competitor, Michael A. Ogle.
“We’ve got collusion here. I’m giving Mike a ride back to Topeka,” said Schmidt, getting a few laughs out of rival candidates.
Schmidt’s cheerful demeanor might be because of his apparent lead in fundraising and name recognition. Barely two years out from a near-miss bid for governor, Schmidt has raised $430,000 in donations in just over two months. Major groups like the National Rifle Association and the Kansas Farm Bureau have endorsed him over the other GOP candidates.
But Schmidt isn’t the only one with conservative credentials. Jeff Kahrs is a former staffer for two Republican congressmen, including his would-be predecessor, LaTurner. Kahrs also worked in the Department of Health and Human Services as one of thousands of federal employees the Trump administration appointed in 2017.
At a recent candidate forum hosted by WIBW in Topeka, Kahrs argued the race is between him and Schmidt.
“You can go with the go-along, get-along career politician,” Kahrs said in a jab aimed at Schmidt. “Or you can go with someone who’s got a record of a strong, consistent, courageous conservative.”
The other three Republicans in the race are looking to become first-time political officeholders.
Shawn Tiffany, a cattle feeder from Council Grove, previously served as president of the Kansas Livestock Association. He has sought to boost his funds and fame with provocative TV ads that cast him as a conservative cowboy fighting Democrats and moderate Republicans.
Tiffany released an “Order at the Border” plan that calls for an end to birthright citizenship in the United States and a prohibition of citizenship for “anyone who broke the law to enter our country.”
The other two Republican candidates, Michael A. Ogle and Chad Young, haven’t come out with TV ads. FEC campaign filings don’t include information about their fundraising efforts. But they have both hit the campaign trail with messages about their visions for the nation’s future.
“My goals if I get elected are pretty much to make Kansas the leader in agricultural development, not only here but around the world,” Ogle said.
The retired infantry officer for the Kansas Army National Guard added that he would prioritize border security and American energy independence in office.
Following a domestic dispute on Christmas morning in 2019, Ogle pled guilty to aggravated domestic battery and interference with law enforcement. Ogle blamed the incident on a habit of drinking post-deployment and noted former President Trump’s felony convictions.
Meanwhile, Young has said the current government, which he describes as “tyrannical,” should dismantle major institutions like the CIA, the FBI and the Federal Reserve.
“Big corporations, big pharma — it's the bigs knocking us around and controlling our politicians. Let's replace them with patriots,” Young urged the audience at the candidate forum in Lyndon.
Considering all of this was Howard Woodbury, a fourth-generation farmer from Osage County. He sat next to Steve Tiffany, who sported a straw cowboy hat to match his son Shawn’s. Woodbury said he agreed with each of the candidates on different points, but that political experience — or lack thereof — was a deciding factor.
“I like the idea of someone that actually is, I’m gonna say, a real person, serving in an elected office,” he said, “and then going back to whatever their job was previous to that.”
Dueling Democrats
One of the two Democratic candidates made just that career switch. After holding the 2nd District seat 15 years ago, Nancy Boyda spent some time herding goats and growing her garden in Baldwin City. Now she wants to bring her centrist brand back to Capitol Hill.
“I am a strong, independent, moderate woman who will do what she thinks is right for Kansas and for our country,” she said. “If that means breaking with the party, I think everyone understands I will do that.”
Boyda has made headlines for veering right of her party on issues like border security and transgender athletes in school sports. She says stances like this prove her bipartisan appeal — and position her better against a Republican opponent in a right-leaning rural district.
Her opponent, Matt Kleinmann, is a Wyandotte County community developer who played college basketball at the University of Kansas. In his campaign for Congress, he focuses on issues that resonate with wide audiences.
“I'm very squarely working on behalf of working families to make sure that we have better paying jobs, make sure that we have better access to health care, that we reduce the cost of child care, that we increase the rate of affordable housing so that families can have an opportunity at home ownership,” he said.
After President Joe Biden’s decision to end his campaign for reelection, Kleinmann joined a chorus of responses from candidates in the 2nd District race that mostly traced expected partisan lines.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to one of the most accomplished leaders in our nation's history,” he said of Biden on social media. He showed support for Vice President Kamala Harris as the next Democratic nominee.
Boyda, who broke with her party by calling on the president to suspend his campaign in late June, called it a “bittersweet day.” She praised Biden’s legacy and voiced enthusiasm for Harris.
“It feels like we’re marching forward with real energy and I am grateful,” she said. One reason some Democrats cited for asking Biden to cede the nomination was to help the party’s chances in congressional races.
Republicans said their ongoing criticism of Biden applied to Harris as well.
“Biden’s quitting changes nothing,” Schmidt said on social media, reiterating his support for the Trump ticket in November. Kahrs said Biden’s decision was tantamount to disenfranchising millions who voted for him in primary elections.
Voters in Kansas have until state primary elections on Aug. 6th to decide who will represent them during the next administration.
Zane Irwin reports on politics, campaigns and elections for the Kansas News Service. You can email him at zaneirwin@kcur.org.
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