Candidates who have entered races ahead of the filing deadline plan to focus their campaigns on bringing attention to rural Kansas, free school lunches, affordable gas and getting Kansas “back on track.”
Some rushed to make a last-minute filing at the Secretary of State’s Office on Wednesday, including Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who revealed his running mate on the GOP ticket for governor, while others had previously filed. The deadline for some races was extended from June 1 to June 10 because of redistricting litigation.
Jose Lara drove from Liberal to Topeka on Wednesday to file as a Democrat for the Kansas Senate in the 38th District. Lara, who is currently a Shelter Insurance agent and city commissioner, hopes to bring more attention to southwest Kansas.
“The biggest focus is going to be economics,” Lara said.
He believes not enough state funding is appropriated to small and rural communities. Lara referred to the BASE Grant program, which he said issued most of its funding to Kansas’ larger cities. The Kansas Department of Commerce BASE Grant program aims to develop infrastructure and economic opportunities throughout Kansas.
Lara’s filing is part of a special election. He is running against GOP incumbent Ronald Ryckman Sr., who was appointed to fill former Sen. Bud Estes’ seat after he died in February 2021.
A married couple also appeared at the Secretary of State’s Office to file. Robert Klingenberg, who had already filed, is a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, while his wife, Molly Molina, filed to run for the Kansas House as a Democrat in the 69th District.
Molina said she decided on Tuesday she wanted to file. She expected a Democrat would file in her district, and when they did not, she decided she needed to.
Molina, who works in food services at Salina Regional Health Center, said her biggest focus would be to provide universal school lunches and afternoon meals to students across the state of Kansas.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Congress signed federal waivers allowing schools to provide free meals to children. This waiver is due to expire on June 30 if lawmakers do not agree to extend the waivers.
Klingenberg agrees with Molina on several policies.
“In Kansas, especially in southeastern and a lot of areas of southwestern (Kansas), there are food deserts. There are a lot of children — just children, not even talking about families — who are hungry,” Klingenberg said.
According to FeedingAmerica, 1 in 6 children in Kansas face hunger, yet in southeast Kansas it is 1 in 4 children.
Klingenberg, who says he has been criticized for having too big of a platform, is labor-focused because of his working-class background. Klingenberg worked as a Frito-Lay driver for years and has experience as a salesman.
He also believes in universal Medicare, universal housing and universal education. Klingenberg would also focus on rural investment, as he said “progressive leftists don’t talk about it much.”
