Republican Derek Schmidt easily won his party primary election on Tuesday for Kansas’ 2nd District in Congress, while Democrat Nancy Boyda took a narrow victory for her party's nomination.
The 2nd District race is the state’s most competitive in 2024. General elections in November will elevate one of the candidates to the U.S. House of Representatives, where they’ll represent over 730,000 residents of eastern Kansas.
The primary wins set up a race where it appears the Republican will run a staunchly conservative campaign while the Democrat will tout that she's broken from her party on some issues.
Sitting Rep. Jake LaTurner, a Republican, triggered a stampede of candidates interested in the seat when he announced in April that he wouldn’t seek reelection. The 36-year-old lawmaker said he wanted to spend more time with his four young kids.
Schmidt, a former Kansas attorney general, fought off four fellow conservatives in his primary contest.
“America needs more effective, conservative voices in public service,” Schmidt said in a news release after his win. “I will continue to prioritize securing our border, stopping inflation, and rolling back big government’s overregulation and over-taxation of our daily lives."
Schmidt is running as a conservative aligned with former President Donald Trump on national talking points like immigration and inflation. He’s also touted his accomplishments as Kansas' top prosecutor, including his efforts to block Democratic priorities like environmental regulations and legalizing certain forms of cannabis.
Former LaTurner staffer Jeff Kahrs and feedlot manager Shawn Tiffany mounted the most serious primary challenges, with $430,000 and $380,000 in funds, respectively. But initial numbers showed them well behind Schmidt.
Two other Republican hopefuls, Mike Ogle and Chad Young, were in single digits when the Associated Press called the race for Schmidt.
In candidate forums and campaign ads, Schmidt’s opponents called him as an establishment politician and questioned his dedication to conservative policies.
Schdmidt’s campaign pushed past those critiques with half a million dollars in funds and several key endorsements — including from the Kansas Farm Bureau, the National Rifle Association and former President Donald Trump.
Outside of a polling place in downtown Baldwin City, voter Darlene Westhoff said the level of illegal immigration into the U.S. is a top issue for her.
“Too many,” she said. “Come over like you’re supposed to.”
That’s an issue Republicans have hit on repeatedly in the race and will continue to, but it's also an issue the Democratic nominee will touch on.
On the Democratic side, Boyda is attempting to take back the seat she held from 2007 to 2009. She narrowly defeated Matt Kleinmann, a community developer from Wyandotte County and a former University of Kansas basketball player.
In her campaign, Boyda has played into her brand as a centrist candidate willing to break from the party on select issues. That includes the issue of transgender girls playing on girls' teams in school sports.
Boyda celebrated her victory and immediately set her sights on the general election in a right-leaning district.
“A strong, independent, moderate voice is what we need in Kansas and across our country,” Boyda said on social media after her victory. “Solutions are in the Center.”
Kleinmann ran on a similar platform to Boyda, agreeing in candidate forums on the need for more gun regulation and stronger security at the southern border.
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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