At least from the Republican side, the race for governor is getting more crowded.
Current Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt has announced she will run for governor next year, citing her over 40 years of experience as a pharmacist, as well as time serving Wabaunsee and Shawnee counties in the Kansas Senate and her current service in the Department of Insurance, which began in 2018. She is touting her experience in eliminating inefficiencies.
As announced Republican candidate Jeff Colyer, a former governor and lieutenant governor, says “Never Trumpers have their candidate” in Schmidt, fellow Republican and gubernatorial candidate Joy Eakins criticized Schmidt for being pro-abortion while highlighting her “unapologetically pro-life” campaign.
So far, the only candidate who has filed for the office — Republican or Democrat — is conservative Republican talk show host Doug Billings, although Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, another Republican, and Cindy Holscher, a Democrat, have also announced campaigns for governor. Democrat Laura Kelly is nearing the end of her second term and is ineligible to run for a third.
