The race to replace Kansas’s senior senator is officially on.
Republican state Treasurer Jake LaTurner is the first candidate to announce a campaign to take over for the 82-year-old Senator Pat Roberts, who won’t run for reelection in 2020.
Several other Republicans are considering a run, including Governor Jeff Colyer, Congressman Roger Marshall and Secretary of State Kris Kobach. LaTurner is expecting a crowded field, but he’s touting his conservative credentials and his age -- he’s 30.
“What sets me apart, what’s different about my candidacy, is I represent a new generation of conservative leadership,” LaTurner said in an interview.
Former Governor Sam Brownback picked LaTurner to fill a vacancy in the treasurer’s office in 2017, and LaTurner was elected to a full term last year. LaTurner previously served in the state Senate.
If he’s elected to the U.S. Senate, LaTurner said he’d push for term limits, a border wall and work requirements for welfare.