Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt announces cancer diagnosis, expects recovery
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt has been diagnosed with breast cancer and expects to make a full recovery.
The 67-year-old Republican announced her diagnosis in a press release Wednesday after sharing the information with her staff. She said the cancer was discovered as part of a routine mammogram and that she will begin treatment at the University of Kansas Cancer Center in the coming weeks.
“As Insurance Commissioner and a pharmacist, I have often played a supporting role in many Kansans’ fight against cancer,” Schmidt said. “Now that I am on the other side, their stories, their determination and their strength are the foundation on which I face this fight.”
Schmidt said she plans to continue working as insurance commissioner during treatment and that operations of the office will not be interrupted.
She was first elected to the statewide role in 2018 after 14 years in the Kansas Senate, where she represented a Topeka district. She was reelected with more than 63% of the vote in 2022. During her state Senate tenure, Schmidt was known as a moderate Republican who often worked across the aisle, including with Democrat Laura Kelly whose election as governor coincided Schmidt’s ascent to statewide office.
In her announcement, Schmidt emphasized the importance of preventative screenings like the one that detected her cancer.
“While uncomfortable, awkward and let’s be honest, painful, I am proof this preventative procedure can save lives,” she said.
