Scott Schwab wins Republican nomination for Kansas Secretary of State in primary race

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab has defeated a primary opponent who sought to attack him using unfounded conspiracy theories of election fraud.

The Associated Press called the Republican primary for Secretary of State at 10:34 p.m. Tuesday, closing the door on former Johnson County Commissioner Mike Brown’s attempt to challenge him.

Schwab defeated Brown with about 55% of the vote, according to unofficial election results.

Schwab told supporters in a brief statement broadcast over Facebook at 11 p.m. on Tuesday that his win sends a message that “overwhelmingly Kansas trusts our election systems.”

“This is not just about elections. It’s about people wanting this office to take care of business services going forward,” he said.

“We’ve been accused of voter fraud in this state, and we’ve proved through over 300 post-election audits that have zeroed out perfectly, it wasn’t true.”

Moving into the general election, he expects allegations of voter suppression, he said.

“I’m here to tell you, it ain’t true, either. So if the Democrats are going to start making that accusation, even (Gov.) Laura Kelly says we get it right.”

Schwab will go on to seek a second term in November against Democratic candidate Jeanna Repass, an Overland Park mom and former director of urban mission outreach for the United Church of the Resurrection in Leawood.

Brown did not return phone and email messages seeking comment Tuesday night after the race was called.

Brown, who lost his reelection campaign in 2020 after becoming something of a pariah on the Johnson County board, launched his campaign against Schwab late last year.

Schwab had been an outspoken advocate for mail-in voting ahead of the 2020 election, contradicting former President Donald Trump. In the aftermath of the 2020 election and Trump’s claims of voter fraud, Schwab insisted that Kansas elections were secure, among the safest in the nation.

Throughout his campaign Brown attacked Schwab for those statements.

Brown narrowly outraised Schwab this year by about $1,500, but Schwab’s campaign, which raised more than Brown in 2021, spent more than twice as much on campaigning as the newcomer.

Schwab, a former state lawmaker, was first elected as Secretary of State in 2018.