OVERLAND PARK, Kansas — The final challenge for Republican Kris Kobach’s political rebound may depend on how strongly Kansas voters feel about national Democrats and how much they fear a liberal agenda seeping into their state.
Or it may hinge on how they perceive his firebrand reputation that made him a polarizing, national figure.
After losing a run for governor four years ago and the Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat two years ago, Kobach returns to Kansas voters with the same hot-button issues and a plea to be their attorney general.
He promises to make a nuisance of himself to the Democrat in the White House.
“And we will win,” Kobach said. “I’ll wake up every morning having my breakfast thinking about what our next lawsuit against Joe Biden is going to be.”
But in a state where Republicans dominate, Kobach is in many ways campaigning against himself and how some Kansas voters love to loathe him.
His opponent, Democrat Chris Mann, has kept the race close by capitalizing on anti-Kobach sentiment and focusing on the traditionally bland state issues the state’s lawyer normally concentrates on. He’s also touting his background as a former police officer, one-time prosecutor and a private attorney.
The relatively unknown candidate points to Kobach’s high-profile failures, like his voter registration ID law that was struck down in federal court. Kobach’s defense of that law cost the state nearly $2 million and resulted in a federal judge ordering him to take remedial law classes.
“My opponent, Kris Kobach, has already proven he’s a threat to democracy in Kansas,” Mann said. “The last thing that Kansans need is a politician like Kris Kobach.”
Kobach attaches Mann’s candidacy to a leftist agenda and other national Democrat policies Kansans generally oppose, like lowering bail bond costs for alleged criminals.
But the Republican establishment didn’t back Kobach in the GOP primary. As beloved as he is among grassroots Republicans, he’s a bit of a boogeyman to Democrats and many moderates.
Groups that almost always back Republicans are drifting away, leaving the reliably conservative candidate to see if he can win mostly on his own.
Kris Kobach
Republican Kris Kobach’s bid for Kansas attorney general may hinge on how voters perceive his firebrand reputation that made him a polarizing, national figure.
Kobach has made a political career out of two main issues — illegal immigration and his unsubstantiated claims that voter fraud is a widespread problem.
