A crowd of about a dozen Republican supporters greeted Rep. Roger Marshall and Jake LaTurner outside Pete’s Jump Start in Iola Wednesday morning. The event was organized by the Marshall campaign and marked one stop of many as the two politicians rush to make the most of the campaign’s final days.
Marshall, who currently represents Kansas’s 1st district in the U.S. Congress, is running for an open Senate seat vacated by the retiring Pat Roberts. He is locked in a tight race with Kansas State Sen. Barbara Bollier.
LaTurner, who has served as state treasurer since 2017, is running for Kansas’s 2nd Congressional District. He defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Watkins in the Republican primary and now faces Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla in the general election.
In a sign of how tight both races are, the visit from Marshall and LaTurner comes three days after both Bollier and De La Isla came to Iola.
When asked to opine on the state of the race, Marshall responded, “It’s been great. We started off on a 38-stop tour Sunday afternoon in the snow in Plainville. It’s amazing, the excitement we’re seeing. It feels like a Chiefs pre-game.”
The small group gathered to hear the two address what they believe matters most to Kansans. “I think the economy is the number one issue now,” said Marshall. “People can see that we are winning the war on COVID.”
On Wednesday, Kansas reported record highs for its seven-day rolling averages of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The death total due to COVID for Kansas now stands at 1,007. Nationally, there are more than 227,000 COVID-related deaths.
Marshall’s message to southeast Kansas? “I’m bringing a message of hope.” 
LaTurner, who at age 32 is the youngest statewide elected official in the U.S., said he feels optimistic about his race.
“We think people are motivated. There’s a stark contrast between myself and the mayor of Topeka. I think we’re going to have an amazing turnout.”
A former Kansas state senator, LaTurner tied his campaign message to that of President Trump. “I think we need to re-elect Donald Trump for four more years, and she (De La Isla) supports Joe Biden. I’m proud to be running. I think we’re going to do well. We just have to work hard for every single vote.”
Election Day is Tuesday. For Allen County voters who plan to vote absentee, ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 in order to be counted.
Alternatively, voters have until Nov. 3 to deposit absentee ballots in two drop-off boxes. One is located on the north side of Iola’s square, and the other is at Humboldt’s new ambulance station, 808 Osage St. You can sign up to track your ballot by visiting the Kansas Secretary of State’s website.
Advance voters can vote in the lower level of the Allen County Courthouse today and tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday’s hours are limited from 8 a.m. to noon. On Election Day, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Iola citizens vote at the John Silas Bass North Community Center, 505 N. Buckeye; Humboldt voters go to the Humboldt Methodist Church, 806 N. 9th; LaHarpe and Gas residents vote at the Gas Community Building, 624 W. Pine; Moran residents vote at the Moran Senior/Community Center, 407 Cedar St.
