Kansas GOP bus tour rolls through state
By Lily O’Brien
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KINGMAN, Kansas (KAKE) — With a visit from President Donald Trump just days away, Republicans in Kansas are heading out on a bus tour, trying to get voters in counties they typically perform well in to get out and vote for a Republican slate on their ballots.
With 21 cities to cover over six days, members of the Kansas GOP are reaching more than 1,200 people across Kansas as part of its “Take Back Kansas” campaign.
The group says it is making stops in communities — large and small — to energize voters, share messages, and “keep Kansas conservative.”
One of the stops Tuesday morning was Kingman, Kansas — a town with a population of less than 3,000.
With a decorated KS GOP bus came several Kansas Republicans seeking a midterm win.
“Speaker Hawkins talked a little bit about what a stark contrast we have in these statewide offices,” says Secretary of State hopeful Pat Proctor. “I would submit that my race is probably the starkest contrast of them all.”
Kansas State Treasurer Steven Johnson says the tour is “a good tradition” and “a chance to see people across the state.”
He says this tour has been done in the past, and it’s something he looks forward to as part of the campaign and as a way to meet more people across the state.
Tuesday’s stop in Kingman included Marshall, Proctor, Johnson, Kansas Insurance Commissioner candidate Dan Hawkins, among others who might not typically be seen in small-town Kansas.
All made speeches in front of a crowd at one of Kingman’s parks.
Also in attendance were local figures and leaders, like Kevin Schwertfeger, a Republican serving in the Kansas House of Representatives, serving District 114.
“We’re all on one team together,” he said. “I enjoy doing that… being a voice for agriculture, being a voice for my people, and you recognize socialism isn’t the way to go…it’s eye-opening in Topeka to really see this firsthand as I’m new at the job… I’m running for a second term and hoping to continue doing that job.”
“Sometimes being out in the middle of nowhere, you kind of feel like maybe you’re not being heard,” said Zakaree Blake, who came to the event. “But they’re coming out here and talking to all of us.”
The bus tour comes as the race between incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall and Democrat Adam Hamilton is reportedly tight; Republican groups are spending millions of dollars in several states on advertising campaigns, and the president is holding multiple rallies around the country in hopes of keeping Congress republican.
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