Latest news with #ScottSchwab
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cindy Holscher is first major Kansas Democrat to declare for 2026 governor race
The first major Democratic candidate has declared for the 2026 Kansas governor's race: state Sen. Cindy Holscher. Holscher, D-Overland Park, announced her candidacy June 12. "Like the majority of Kansans, I just want to take a common sense approach to government and making sure that we are serving the people and working in their best interest, not extremist agendas and not dark money groups," Holscher said in an interview with The Capital-Journal. "My desire is to listen to the people and work for their best interests." Holscher has served in the Senate since 2021 and before that spent four years in the House. While a handful of big-name and longshot Republicans have declared for the GOP field — most notably Secretary of State Scott Schwab and former Gov. Jeff Colyer — no major Democratic candidates had declared. The race to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is still taking shape and more announcements are expected. The filing deadline isn't until June 2026. Holscher said some party insiders had encouraged her to wait, telling her "if a Republican comes in and does all the damage that we think they'll do, then it'll be easier for a Democrat or the party to win in 2030." But Holscher said she believes the next election is critical. "We have to make sure we have some balance in the Statehouse in terms of having a Democratic governor again to provide a check on some of the horrible policies that likely will come forward from the extremists who have control," she said. She made the decision to run for governor after traveling across the state in recent months. "Not so much to explore running for governor," she said, "but really at the end of session, I started receiving phone calls from areas saying that sometimes the local legislators wouldn't show up for town halls, or federal officials, and so I started getting invitations to come do a legislative overview." During those events, she has heard from Kansans. "What I'm hearing from voters is that they're expressing fear, they're expressing anxiety over the cuts that have been made on the federal level, and they're worried about what can happen on the state level," she said. "We have an extremist Legislature, and the concern is that that agenda will be brought to the state level, and without a Democratic governor there, those things won't be stopped." So what issues is Holscher running on? "Voters are very focused on making sure they have a leader who will protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans and farmers," she said. "They want to make sure that their schools are funded, that has been part of the key to the success of Kansas. ... In terms of cost of living, the concerns I'm hearing are access to affordable child care, access to affordable housing, just some of those basics kitchen table issues." Holscher grew up on a farm and comes from a family of veterans. "I come from very humble roots. ... I want to make sure that everybody out there has the same opportunity to be successful in life and to have a shot at the American dream," she said. She and her husband of 33 years have three children, and the youngest just graduated from high school. "All of them are products of excellent public schools here in Kansas," she said. The family had moved to the Kansas City area, where Holscher worked at Sprint as "the head of the department that developed budgets" for operations west of the Mississippi River. "Revenue-wise, we're talking about budgets larger than what we do at the state Capitol," she said. Holscher entered politics at the urging of her daughter. The family had moved to Kansas in part because "the school were great," Holscher said. But then, "about the time we had kids going into school, that's when the Brownback experiment was happening. Our schools were losing teachers because of the budget crisis and underfunding, we didn't have paras, we didn't have janitors, we didn't have supplies." Then one weekend during a trip to Target, her oldest daughter saw one of her teachers working there. "She asked me why her teacher was working at Target on a weekend after having worked a full-time job all week and she had a family, and I remember telling her we were in a budget crisis and our schools were underfunded and her teacher probably wasn't making enough money to pay the bills," Holscher said. "My daughter looked at me and said, 'You go fix that.'" Holscher said she has taken a collaborative approach to politics. "My first term (I) was a co-founder of the women's bipartisan caucus, and we worked to formulate the plan that ended the Brownback tax experiment," she said. "So obviously, when you're talking about a Legislature that has a majority of the other party, collaboration, reaching across the aisle, is going to be very important." Democrats have performed better in northeast Kansas communities like the Kansas City metro, Lawrence and Topeka. Appealing to voters in other parts of the state starts with "actually going to those places," she said. "I grew up in a rural area, so I enjoy going to those areas," she said. "And at the heart of it, a lot of our issues are the same. Sometimes we don't always see that, but a lot of our issues are the same. But I think it also helps too in respect that my district that I serve is Republican leaning. That obviously kind of makes a difference in having an understanding of who all you are serving. "I'm not here just to serve a certain segment. I'm here to serve all Kansans." Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@ Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Cindy Holscher is first major Kansas Democrat in 2026 governor's race
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kansas governor candidate Scott Schwab certain voting secure, eager to cut property taxes
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a 2026 candidate for the Republican nomination for governor, discusses election politics during a recording of the Kansas Reflector podcast. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Secretary of State Scott Schwab takes exception to anyone insisting on a state criminal investigation of Kansas elections based on the assumption evidence of misconduct waited to be found. Schwab, the state's top election official and a candidate for the Republican Party's nomination for governor, said Kansas elections were secure, fair and accurate. He was aware GOP rival Doug Billings said if he were elected governor in 2026 that he'd order the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to launch an inquiry into election irregularities. Billings asserted anyone who said Kansas didn't have election integrity issues was lying or ill-informed. 'He's not attacking me,' Schwab said on Kansas Reflector's podcast. 'He's attacking the lady that's retired, that volunteers at church and wants to volunteer as a poll worker. That's who he's attacking. And, if that's who you're attacking, your character is seriously in question. If you're calling her a liar, OK, that's between you and God.' He said anyone running for Kansas governor should be familiar enough with state government to know the KBI was under jurisdiction of the attorney general — not the governor. Schwab, 52, of Overland Park, graduated from Fort Hays State University, worked for a medical equipment company and entered the Kansas House in 2003. He unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination to a U.S. House seat in 2006, but returned to the Kansas House in 2009. He left the Legislature after elected secretary of state in 2018 and was reelected to that job in 2022. He declared his Republican gubernatorial candidacy in January and revealed he was being treated for cancer in March. He said testing showed a lung abnormality that required surgery. 'They said, 'Wow, we caught this thing really early. We're rounding up to stage one lung cancer, but we're gonna go in, take some significant margin, and you're good,'' he said. Aside from Schwab, the most prominent politician preparing for the GOP gubernatorial primary in 2026 was former Gov. Jeff Colyer. He replaced Gov. Sam Brownback when he resigned in early 2018 to work in the first administration of President Donald Trump. Colyer, who lost the GOP primary for governor in 2018 to Kobach, was recently endorsed by former Trump cabinet Secretary Ben Carson. Schwab said Colyer hadn't held public office for years, and 'he doesn't win primaries.' Other potential GOP candidates for governor included Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, state Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, former Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O'Hara, businesswoman Stacy Rogers and former Wichita school board member Joy Eakins. Only Billings has paid the filing fee to be a candidate. Schwab said it was significant U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, U.S. Reps. Derek Schmidt, Tracey Mann and Ron Estes and former U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner wouldn't enter the governor's race. 'Suddenly, what was considered a very crowded field doesn't get nearly as crowded,' Schwab said. He said candidates expecting to mount a competitive campaign would need to raise about $1 million this year. Schwab said he would campaign on a platform that included a commitment to lowering the property tax burden on Kansans. He said the county-by-county property appraisal process needed to be updated. He previously criticized the 2025 Legislature and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly for not taking substantive action to get a handle on property taxes. On abortion rights, Schwab said he remained an opponent of abortion. He said a fetus deserved personhood status and legal protections afforded Kansans at birth. 'The question we've got to ask yourself is, when does a person get access to constitutional and legal protections? Is it after they're born? A minute before they're born?' he said. 'Personally, I believe when there's implantation into the uterus, and then because there's a connection to the mother, that exists. That's my personal religious belief.' The Kansas Supreme Court issued an opinion in 2019 that said the Bill of Rights of the Kansas Constitution contained a fundamental right to bodily autonomy and that women in Kansas had the right to end a pregnancy. In 2022, Kansas voters rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have nullified the state court decision. 'I know where I would like to go, but it's unrealistic, and I get it. I want everybody in the world to love Jesus. That's unrealistic. I get it. I accept that. Does that make me an extremist? No, no,' he said. Schwab said he was comfortable with Kansas voters casting ballots ahead of Election Day, but would prefer ballots were deposited in drop boxes operated by county election offices rather than relying on the U.S. Postal Service. 'There's a few people that'll say, 'Hey, Election Day should be Election Day. Nothing early. Nothing by mail.' But that's an extreme minority. There's three ways to vote in Kansas: In-person on Election Day, in-person early or vote with an advanced mail ballot. We don't need more ways.' Kansas lawmakers approved a bill requiring special elections to be conducted in early March, at the August primary or the November general election. Schwab welcomed a law granting access to information from the Kansas Department of Revenue's motor vehicle division to better identify noncitizens registered to vote. In addition, legislators said online obituaries could be used by election clerks as a reference source for removal of deceased individuals from voter registration rolls. Schwab said he was disappointed the Legislature declined to enact his recommendation to make it a crime to harass an election worker. 'These are volunteers who are getting paid, but not much,' the secretary of state said. 'To threaten them when they're just doing what they were trained to do, it's pretty ridiculous. Some people are just mean.'
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘I will make a full recovery': Scott Schwab announces cancer diagnosis
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab issued a statement Friday stating he will be undergoing treatment soon for cancer in one of his lungs. Schwab made the announcement on social media on March 21 stating he has an upcoming appointment to treat a cancerous nodule inside one of his lungs. He said he remains committed to serving the people of Kansas despite the diagnosis and his upcoming treatment. 'During a routine cancer screening in December doctors found that I have a lung nodule that is cancerous, and I will be undergoing surgery next week to have it removed. It has not spread or changed. My doctors have confirmed it was found very early, and no further treatment will be required post-surgery. I will make a full recovery. While I will take some time to recover, I remain committed to serving Kansans as Secretary of State.' Scott Schwab social media statement Schwab recently announced his bid for governor of the State of Kansas in early 2025. He defeated his opponents Democrat Jeanna Repass and Libertarian Cullene Lang in the 2022 midterm elections to keep his spot as secretary of state. 10 measles cases identified in Kansas children, teens For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scott Schwab aims GOP gubernatorial campaign at property tax reform
Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a candidate for the Republican Party's nomination for governor in 2026, says he's preparing to focus on property taxes, reducing the size of government, election security and foreign threats if elected governor. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Secretary of State Scott Schwab elaborated Monday on plans to seek the Republican nomination for Kansas governor in 2026 by emphasizing the need to limit residential property taxes, forbid land acquisition by China and reduce the size of state government. Schwab, who served Johnson County in the Kansas House prior to election as secretary of state, has sought to stake out positions on policy issues ahead of potential GOP rivals in the contest to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. 'I have a proven conservative record and a servant's heart,' he said a two-page statement. 'It's important for Kansans to take the right path. That's why I'm running for governor.' Schwab, 52, was elected in 2018 to the job of secretary of state. In that job, he's the state's supervisor of elections and responsible for business filings. He won reelection in 2022 after a primary showdown with Mike Brown, who went on to serve a term as chairman of the Kansas Republican Party. In January, Schwab confirmed he would run for governor. Brown has been mentioned as a possible GOP candidate along with Senate President Ty Masterson and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. Schwab said the alarm among taxpayers about rising property assessments and taxation was a key issue for Kansans. 'Small towns are getting smaller. Rural communities are falling further behind. Kansans want their state to be great, not middle of the road or mediocre,' Schwab said. 'We must find a long-term solution to the state's growing property tax problem. It makes no sense for our senior citizens, who worked all their lives to build a retirement, to see unrealistic property taxes force them from their home.' Schwab said higher property taxes were also making it more difficult for a younger generation to afford a home in Kansas. It doesn't help Kansas to create new jobs if people capable of filling those positions can't afford to live in the state, he said. In 2024, the Kansas Legislature focused on lowering state income and sales taxes — work that included passage in June of a bill lowering state tax collections by $1.2 billion over three years. The Legislature's property tax debate was put off until the 2025 legislative session, but the state has a modest role in raising revenue from that source. Property tax is the domain of cities and counties, which take in sales tax revenue but derived much of their operating capital from property taxes. Local units of government typically resist actions by the Legislature to restrict property tax revenue to cities and counties. 'It cannot be a quick fix with unintended consequences for our state's economic stability,' Schwab said. 'Sound, equitable solutions for the next generation are a must to provide stability for taxpayers, local governments and our vibrant business community.' He didn't offer an opinion on a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would cap annual increases in appraised property values. Escalating valuations can raise property taxes paid by residential or commercial owners even when mill rates remain flat. Schwab, who has repeatedly assured Kansans that elections in the state were fair and accurate, said he worked with the Legislature to advance a bundle of election security bills. He said he extended cybersecurity resources to county election officials and launched a certification training initiative to assist local election workers. He noted his support for President Donald Trump's quest to prevent China from purchasing real estate adjacent to U.S. military facilities. The 2024 Legislature passed a foreign-adversary bill prohibiting certain countries, including China and Iran, from owning nonresidential property within a 100-mile radius of a military installation or some other vital infrastructure. Kelly vetoed the measure because it was viewed as unconstitutional. 'Our nation's adversaries have no business setting up covert operations next to critical infrastructure, whether it's a military base, world-class animal health facility in Manhattan or a nuclear power plant in northeast Kansas,' Schwab said.
