Chuck Schumer will help Bollier raise money for Kansas Senate race in D.C.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will appear at a fundraiser for Johnson County Democrat Barbara Bollier in Washington next month, a sign of the party’s interest in Kansas in 2020.
A Democrat has not won a Senate race in Kansas since 1932 and in most recent elections the national party has written off the state.
In 2014, national Democrats put pressure on the party’s nominee, then-Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor, to drop out of the race for Senate to clear a path for independent Greg Orman.
But Bollier’s recent endorsement by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Schumer’s appearance at an early fundraiser suggests the national party is taking the open seat more seriously.
Bollier, a state senator from Mission Hills, received national attention when she switched parties last year. An invitation for the Dec. 3 fundraiser suggests contributions from $150 to $2,800.
Bollier’s campaign confirmed the fundraiser and Schumer’s involvement, but noted that it was being organized by Kansans.
Former Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson and former Kansas Democratic Reps. Jim Slattery and Dan Glickman will all serve as hosts for the event, according to a copy of the invitation.
Manhattan Mayor Pro Tem Usha Reddi is also running for the Democratic nomination. A crowded Republican field includes Rep. Roger Marshall, former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle among other candidates.
This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 10:14 AM.
