Leawood senator gains key endorsement over Kobach in Kansas attorney general race
In a rare move, one of Kansas’ most powerful lobbying interests endorsed state Sen. Kellie Warren in the Republican primary for attorney general.
The Kansas Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday that it would break its pattern of withholding endorsements in statewide primaries to support Warren, a Republican from Leawood.
Warren is competing against two GOP rivals: Kris Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state who lost his bids for governor and U.S. Senate, and Tony Mattivi, a former federal prosecutor.
Though the chamber did not mention Kobach, the organization’s vice president alluded to him in a statement, saying the chamber wanted to support a candidate who “best supports business but also has a path to victory.”
“Our state needs a chief legal advocate who is focused on Kansas and is dedicated to protecting our rule of law and ensuring a stable legal climate,” Jennifer Baysinger, vice president of political affairs, said.
When Kobach announced his candidacy, the chamber said the business community held “great concerns” over whether he could “adequately and effectively” represent Kansas businesses in court.
Kobach’s court record has been mixed. He was found in contempt of court when defending state voter ID laws he had championed.
Warren served one term in the Kansas House of Representatives and is now a first-term state senator. She chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and played a key role drafting revisions to Kansas’ emergency management law that are currently being challenged in state court.
In a statement Tuesday she underlined the importance of the office in pushing back against the Biden administration — especially as it pertains to COVID-19 vaccine requirements.
“We simply cannot trust such an important role to an individual who has repeatedly failed conservatives so visibly in past court cases,” Warren said.
In a statement, Kobach thanked the chamber for endorsing him during his 2018 gubernatorial race.
“For more than a decade I battled the ACLU in federal courts across the country showing I will be an effective defender of Kansas businesses in court,” Kobach said.
Mattivi, the federal prosecutor running for the office, said in a statement that he has “never been and never will be beholden to any special interest.”
Mattivi later announced he’d been endorsed by three county sheriffs.
A former police officer and prosecutor, Chris Mann, is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for the office being vacated by Derek Schmidt as he runs for governor.
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 10:12 AM.
