U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins decision not to seek re-election drew seven fellow Republicans eager to take over the seat from the Kansas 2nd Congressional District.
Thats left them elbowing for ways to stand out in the crowded field and face a politically formidable Democrat in one of the few dozen districts across the country where oddsmakers see at least a plausible chance of a seat flipping from red to blue in the mid-term election.
Whoever wins the Aug. primary will take on Paul Davis, a well-funded Democrat who lost the 2014 general election race for governor to Sam Brownback. In that race, he beat the Republican in the 2nd Congressional District.
Six of the seven Republican congressional candidates gathered recently for a forum in a church basement in Eudora. The organizers had set up a folding table, but there were so many candidates that they couldnt fit behind it. Two sat off to the side.
Despite the number of candidates, the GOP hopefuls vary little on the major issues. Instead, theres a lot of agreement.
Take, for instance, immigration and whether the United States should build a massive wall on the southern border like President Donald Trump wants.
Do I support the wall? The answer is yes, said Basehor City Council member Vernon Fields. More than that, the wall needs to be backed by a significant policy of resources.
The wall will not fix our security entirely, state Rep. Kevin Jones said, but it without a doubt is a deterrent, and thats what we can do.
Yes, we need to build a wall, state Sen. Caryn Tyson, of Parker, told the crowd. And yes, we need to fund it.
Theres similar agreement among the candidates on other big issues, including abortion and taxes.
That sameness makes picking a candidate a little more difficult for voters such as Edmond Rea. He came to the Eudora forum because hes a dyed-in-the-wool Republican and he wanted to see the candidates face-to-face.
I like them all, and I wish we could put them all on the federal level, he said after the forum. Knowing thats not possible, Im going to have to choose.
Rea said the economy, immigration and border security are important to him, and he wants someone who will support the president and his agenda.
President Trump is just taking it from all sides right now, and he needs more supporters, Rea said.
The candidates in this race are in step with the president. Theyre trying to differentiate themselves while at the same time appealing to the conservative voters who helped put Trump in office.
