Another candidate says he’s entering race for Kansas governor

The race to become the next governor of Kansas has picked up another contender.

Wink Hartman, a Wichita businessman who owns an oil company and restaurants, announced his bid for the top spot in Kansas politics in an email Wednesday night.

“Instead of providing stability for Kansas families, farms and businesses, Topeka is creating uncertainty,” Hartman said in a statement about his bid to become the Republican nominee. “Most importantly, instead of improving the quality of life for Kansans, Topeka is making things more difficult. I’m running for governor because it’s time to fix Topeka and that’s exactly what we’ll do.”

Hartman is also a major Republican donor, according to The Wichita Eagle.

Hartman is the second candidate to officially announce his intention to run. Former state Rep. Ed O’Malley announced his exploratory campaign last month.

Gov. Sam Brownback is term limited and cannot run for re-election.

The Republican primary is set for the summer of 2018.

This story was originally published February 15, 2017 at 6:39 PM with the headline "Another candidate says he’s entering race for Kansas governor."