Former AG Derek Schmidt, LaTurner staffer Jeff Kahrs announce campaigns for Congress

Two Kansas Republicans have announced campaigns for Congress to replace U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner.

Former Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and former LaTurner staffer Jeff Kahrs are running for the 2nd Congressional District.

Schmidt is seeking a return to politics after coming up short in the 2022 gubernatorial race.

"My family and I are grateful for the many friends and neighbors who have reached out to let us know they believe we have more to offer Kansas," Schmidt said in a statement. "I feel a calling to serve, so I am excited to announce that I am running. I strongly believe that America needs more effective, conservative voices in public service."

Kahrs had been a senior adviser and district director for LaTurner, but left that role to run for LaTurner's open seat in the U.S. House.

"I'm running for Congress," Kahrs said in a statement, "because I want to leave this country better than I found it for my children, and we've got work to do."

LaTurner's April 18 announcement that he wouldn't seek reelection in 2024 came as a surprise to fellow Republicans and left little time before the June 3 filing deadline. Washburn University political science professor Bob Beatty said the short timeframe advantages candidates with high name recognition or the ability to self-finance a primary race.

Who are Derek Schmidt and Jeff Kahrs, GOP candidates for Congress?

Schmidt, a Republican from Independence, should be a familiar name to Kansas voters.

After spending a decade as a state senator, including six years as Senate majority leader, Schmidt served three terms as attorney general. He ran for governor in 2022, but lost to incumbent Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

In his news release, he touted his work on criminal prosecutions, "including numerous illegal aliens who committed crimes in Kansas" and "special initiatives to protect children from sexual predators and to protect older Kansans from financial and physical abuse." He also highlighted his lawsuits against former President Barack Obama's administration and noted wins in all three cases he personally argued before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Schmidt has been working for national law firm Husch Blackwell since August.

Kahrs may not be a familiar name to many Kansans. He touted that he "is not a lifelong politician," even though he has worked in government and politics for decades.

Kahrs is a Kansas native who grew up in Wichita. He has a business degree from Wichita State University and a law degree from Washburn University. He lives in Topeka with his wife, Felita, and their sons, Samuel and William, and is a member of Topeka Baptist Church.

In his news release, Kahrs emphasized his previous work in former President Donald Trump's administration, using Trump's name to lead both the headline and first sentence.

Trump appointed Kahrs to serve as a regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in November 2017. His HHS region included Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska.

At the time of his appointment, Kahrs was working in former Gov. Sam Brownback's administration. Kahrs was deputy secretary and chief of staff for the Kansas Department for Children and Families.

Kahrs was a congressional aide before working for LaTurner and before working for state government. He spent 16 years as a staffer for U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, first as a legislative director and later as chief of staff.

Kahrs also spent two years as a law clerk for the chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court.

More: With Jake LaTurner leaving Congress, which Kansas Republicans might run to replace him?

What did Jeff Kahrs say about why he is running for Congress?

"I want my children to inherit the same free and prosperous country that my parents left to my generation, but we have work to do to make that a reality," Kahrs said in a statement. "Our nation is in peril. We have an open border, staggering debt, runaway inflation and a culture that celebrates sexual deviance and destruction of the family. We need a Congressman who will love their neighbors enough to take the tough votes necessary to protect the future of Kansas and our nation. That's why I'm running for Congress.

"I will fight to stop the flood of illegal aliens, drugs, and sex trafficking that's coming across our southern border. I will work to rein in federal spending, reduce the deficit and slow inflation. I will be a powerful voice to restore our culture from one that aborts and mutilates children to one that honors the Lord and supports families."

What did Derek Schmidt say about why he is running for Congress?

"President Biden and the radicals he enables have unleashed a dangerous agenda on our country," Schmidt said in a statement. "Those of us who represent Kansas conservative values need to stand up and fight back. In Congress, I will work to secure our border, fight overreach from a federal government that doesn't understand or respect our way of life, and stop the federal government from making daily life increasingly expensive and difficult.

"My steady guidepost will be what is best for the people of the Second District and for America. These past four years have made clear that America was stronger when President Trump served in the White House, and I look forward to working with him and others next year — yes, to truly make America great again.

"Kansans know me and my longstanding support for our freedoms that generations of Americans have sacrificed so much to defend, for law and order, for Veterans and those currently serving in our armed forces, for farmers and ranchers, for small businesses, for our great Kansas colleges and universities, for life, and for the Second Amendment. They know I am proud to be a Kansan. Always have been. It would be an honor to be your voice in Congress. I respectfully ask for your vote."

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas Republicans Derek Schmidt, Jeff Kahrs are running for Congress