WASHINGTON — Today, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) announced our slate of candidates running in target races across Kansas to combat extreme Republican supermajorities in the state legislature. These ten Spotlight candidates provide strong opportunities to flip competitive seats and chip away at the toxic GOP stronghold in both chambers.
The Spotlight candidates unveiled today are:
- Sen. Jeff Pittman (SD-5) is a supply-chain professional running for reelection to the Kansas Senate. Jeff earned post-graduate degrees from both MIT and Oxford University, but his path to success began in the Kansas public school system. Now, Jeff uses his position in the Senate to fight for the issues that most affect working families. He supported legislation to increase access to education, remove barriers to the ballot box, and give communities the power to raise their local minimum wage.
- Andrew Mall (SD-10) is a lifelong resident of his state and wants future generations of Kansans to have the same opportunities to thrive that his family has had. For Andrew, this starts with ensuring public schools are fully funded and increasing access to quality health care. As the former president of the Kansas Association of Realtors, Andrew worked with lawmakers to expand health care for thousands of his organization’s members.
- Karen Thurlow (SD-11)is a legal professional running to flip a seat in the Kansas Senate and push back against the far-right majority’s extremism. Karen believes in strong public schools and is tired of state lawmakers trying to divert public funds to private institutions while refusing to support vital programs like special education. These same lawmakers are also responsible for attacking women’s bodily autonomy, and Karen will be a staunch advocate in the fight to protect and expand reproductive freedom in Kansas.
- Stacey Knoell (SD-23) is a community advocate running to flip her Kansas Senate district blue and provide honest, responsive representation. As the Executive Director of Gov. Kelly’s Kansas African American Affairs Commission, Stacey bridges the gap between the people and their elected officials. She sees a growing disconnect between the shared values of working families in her state and the extremist legislation coming out of Topeka, and she’s eager to continue advocating for the Black community and the rights of all Kansans.
- Rep. Allison Hougland (HD-15) first decided to run for the state House to stand up for all Kansans, and now she’s ready to keep up the fight for another term. Allison is passionate about ending homelessness, which drives both her career as a realtor and her public service in the legislature. She’s proud to have been born and raised in Olathe, and she’s determined to give back to her community by advocating for affordable housing, increasing public school funding, and expanding health care access.
- Vanessa Vaughn West (HD-39) is a management professional focused on inclusion and belonging running for the Kansas House to flip her district blue. Vanessa wants to be a voice for the people while providing thoughtful, detail-oriented leadership to uplift every member of the community. If she wins her election, she’s committed to working with businesses, constituents, and her fellow lawmakers to find sensible solutions for funding public schools, easing economic burdens on working families, strengthening transit infrastructure, and protecting reproductive freedom.
- Lt. Col. (Ret.) Aimee Bateman (HD-41) is an attorney, entrepreneur, West Point graduate, and U.S. Army veteran running for the Kansas House to unseat an unpopular incumbent who tried to legislate COVID-19 misinformation. Aimee’s platform is built around her drive to advocate for the unheard, and as a representative, she will draw on her years of experience in the legal system to fight for Kansas’s working families just like she did for her country for over 20 years.
- Jacquie Lightcap (HD-52) is a born-and-raised Kansan and nonprofit volunteer coordinator running for the State House. As a highly involved member of her community, Jacquie works every day to bring positive change to the people of Topeka. Jacquie first started volunteering at a hospital as a teen, and today she has expanded that work to include efforts with the League of Women Voters, her local school board, and various roles within her church.
- Veronica Gillette (HD-88) has seen how lawmakers in Topeka ignore communities like hers as the cost of living skyrockets and working families struggle to make ends meet. As both a realtor and an award-winning Wichita Public School educator, she’s dedicated her career to giving members of her community the tools they need to thrive– regardless of their background. Veronica is ready to flip her district and get to work making necessities like housing, health care, and high-quality public education accessible for every Kansan.
- Rep. Jason Probst (HD-102) used his position in local news to highlight issues that mattered to working families, hold people in power accountable, and uplift voices in overlooked corners of the community. Now, as an elected representative, he continues to push for progress, advocating for lower taxes for workers and their families, increased access to health care, affordable childcare options, and strengthening public education.
Republicans currently hold narrow supermajorities in both chambers and have repeatedly used their power to hurt Kansas families. State Republicans have repeatedly blocked Medicaid expansion that would help 152k uninsured Kansans. They also introduced a near-total abortion ban this year – flying in the face of voters’ mandate in 2022 for reproductive freedoms to be protected – and passed hateful anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Protecting Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s veto power is key to checking GOP extremism in the state, and breaking the Republican supermajority is a priority for the DLCC building off of strong candidate recruitment.
These fierce Kansas candidates join hundreds of candidates who are mounting inspiring campaigns in every corner of the country to build Democratic power and counter MAGA control of state legislatures.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“Building Democratic power to break the GOP supermajorities in states like Kansas is a priority for the DLCC, and we’re closer than ever to delivering a necessary check on Republican extremism in the Sunflower State. Flipping just a handful of seats in each chamber would protect Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto power and restore a critical line of protections for fundamental freedoms. Kansas Republicans have shown their penchant for ignoring the will of voters and pushing extreme attacks on abortion and core rights – voters have an opportunity this cycle to ensure Republicans’ unchecked crusade is stopped.
“These ten Spotlight candidates represent the best opportunities to hold and flip seats to challenge the GOP’s unchecked, dangerous stronghold on power in the state legislature. As the DLCC works to strengthen Democratic power across the country, we’re proud to champion these Kansas Democrats and their fight for restoring balance in the legislature.”
The DLCC is the official arm of the Democratic Party with the sole mission of building Democratic power in the states and setting the national agenda at the state level. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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