11 and counting: A guide to the candidates competing for Kansas U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts’ job

by Stephen Koranda, Kansas News Service

Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts says he will not run for re-election in 2020, opening the door to a parade of candidates announcing a run or considering jumping into the race to replace him. Multiple Republicans are eyeing the seat, and it could be the first time Democrats have a competitive U.S. Senate primary since the 1990s.

Here’s the rundown of who’s seeking the seat in Washington:

Republicans

Kris Kobach
Residence: Near Lecompton, Kansas

Nationally, Kobach is known as a hardliner against illegal immigration. But in Kansas, he’s coming off a 2018 loss for the governor’s office. When he was secretary of state from 2011 to 2019, he pushed for strict voter registration changes, arguing they would help prevent voter fraud. Critics said the rules made it too difficult for eligible voters to register and the requirements were blocked by a federal court. Kobach is a long-time ally of President Donald Trump, and he says he’ll push Trump’s policies and fight what he calls the establishment in Washington. He’s currently working with a private organization attempting to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.

Dave Lindstrom
Residence: Overland Park, Kansas

Lindstrom is a former Kansas City Chief turned businessman who’s chairman of the board for the Kansas Turnpike Authority. After his NFL career, Lindstrom owned four Burger King restaurants in the Kansas City area and worked in real estate. Like other Republicans in the race, Lindstrom is voicing his support for Trump and says he’ll bring free-market ideas and a conservative perspective to the Senate.

Roger Marshall
Residence: Great Bend, Kansas

Roger Marshall was reelected last year to represent Kansas 1st District in Congress, a seat he first won in 2016. In Congress, Marshall has been a reliable supporter of President Trump and his agenda. He worked as an obstetrician and gynecologist before joining Congress. Marshall says if elected he will continue to push for a border wall with Mexico and will confirm strict constitutionalists to the United States Supreme Court. He says what differentiates him from other conservatives in the race is a concern for the national debt, which he argues can be addressed by strengthening the economy, lowering health care costs and having fewer Americans on welfare.

Bryan Pruitt

Residence: Manhattan, Kansas

Pruitt is a Wichita native who worked as a conservative political commentator and political consultant based in Washington, D.C. He has now returned to Kansas for the campaign. If elected, he would be the first openly gay senator from Kansas. Pruitt agrees with other conservatives in the race on major issues, but says the party needs to talk differently about abortion and should nominate more diverse candidates.

Susan Wagle
Residence: Wichita, Kansas

Wagle is the first woman to become president of the Kansas Senate (2013-current). A conservative who has been a vocal critic of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, Wagle and Kelly have clashed on issues like Medicaid expansion and tax policy. Wagle touts her years of work in support of abortion restrictions approved by Kansas lawmakers. She’ll continue serving as Senate president while campaigning for the U.S. Senate. Wagle is a cancer survivor, and counts health care issues among her top priorities, saying government health care isn’t the answer to challenges in the industry.

Filed paperwork to run:
• Gabriel Mark Robles, from Topeka

Democrats

Barbara Bollier
Residence: Mission Hills, Kansas

Bollier began her political career by winning a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives in 2010 as a moderate Republican. In 2016, Johnson County voters elected her to the Kansas Senate. In summer 2018, Senate Republican leaders removed her from her leadership position on the Senate health committee for endorsing Democrat Sharice Davids over 3rd District Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder. Months later, Bollier left the Republican Party. Bollier is an outspoken supporter of Medicaid expansion, and for three years was the main sponsor of legislation that would allow judges to temporarily take guns away from people determined to be risks to themselves or others, known as “red flag” laws.

Barry Grissom
Residence: Leawood, Kansas

In 2010, President Barack Obama picked Grissom to serve as U.S. attorney for Kansas. Grissom highlights his experience, as well as prosecutions of people who plotted to bomb the Wichita airport and Fort Riley. As an attorney, Grissom says he has fought against racism and unfair wages. He’s also campaigned for loosening laws on marijuana, saying it’s not a good use of taxpayer resources.

Usha Reddi
Residence: Manhattan, Kansas

Reddi serves on the Manhattan city council and was an elementary-school teacher before taking a leave to campaign for the Senate. Reddi says she’ll push for economic policies that benefit working Kansas families. She’s a sexual abuse survivor who went public with her account because she says she’s met many women with similar experiences. If elected, Reddi would be the first Hindu person to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Other Democrats who have filed paperwork to run:
• Adam Smith, from Mission, Kansas
• Robert Leon Tillman, from Wichita, Kansas

Editor’s note: This story will be updated as new people enter the race, as in the case of Democrat Barbara Bollier on Oct. 16, or drop out of the race.
Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda or email skoranda (at) ku (dot) edu.
Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.

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