The frontrunners for Republican primaries in Kansas’ 2nd and 3rd districts are a contrasting pair of familiar and fresh faces. Former three-term Attorney General Derek Schmidt remains the favorite in the 2nd District primary, even as outgoing Rep. Jake LaTurner’s district director tries to claim his boss’ open job. A win for the well-known Schmidt would be something of a consolation prize after he narrowly failed to unseat Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly in 2022.
Meanwhile, GOP voters in the 3rd District appear poised to nominate a relative newcomer. But the general election remains an uphill climb for Republicans, mostly because Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids — a lesbian, Native American mixed martial arts fighter — has built a uniquely strong brand and remains popular with independents. Even GOP leadership’s ideal candidate would have a tough time knocking Davids out of the suburban seat.
KS-02: OPEN (LaTurner) (R) - East and southeast: Topeka, Kansas City, PittsburgSolid Republican. In a cycle brimming with House retirements, Rep. Jake LaTurner’s decision to step aside was among the more surprising. The ambitious 36-year-old only got
What is The Cook Political Report?
The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the US House of Representatives, US Senate, Governors and President as well as American political trends.
Subscribe Today
Our subscribers have first access to individual race pages for each House, Senate and Governors race, which will include race ratings (each race is rated on a seven-point scale) and a narrative analysis pertaining to that race.