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 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.
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.
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.
