Kansas Farm Bureau endorses Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt in governor race
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas Farm Bureau PAC VOTE FBF endorsed Vicki Schmidt for governor.
- Schmidt named former lawmaker and Farm Bureau President Joe Newland as running mate.
- Schmidt was barred from GOP primary debates after refusing to sign a debate agreement.
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt on Monday scored a key endorsement from the Kansas Farm Bureau’s political action committee in her quest to become governor.
The endorsement by Voters Organized To Elect Farm Bureau Friends (VOTE FBF) comes after Schmidt, a Republican, chose former lawmaker and Farm Bureau President Joe Newland to be her running mate. Newland stepped down as president to join Schmidt’s ticket.
“Vicki Schmidt has shown throughout her distinguished career in public service she’s willing to listen and make decisions based on what’s best for Kansas,” said Glenn Brunkow, KFB’s new president, in a press release.
“Paired with Joe Newland, who has spent his career advocating for agriculture and rural communities, this ticket has the experience, vision and determination to build a brighter future for Kansas,” Brunkow said.
According to the release, VOTE FBF’s 10-member board “relies heavily on the recommendations of members across the state in elevating candidates who understand and champion agricultural issues.”
Schmidt expressed gratitude for the vote of confidence in a statement Monday afternoon.
“I’m honored to have the support of the hardworking farmers and ranchers of the Kansas Farm Bureau,” Schmidt said. “Agriculture impacts the lives of Kansans in every part of our state, and when we strengthen agriculture, we will strengthen Kansas.”
Most major endorsements in the GOP primary have broken for Ty Masterson, starting with President Donald Trump’s glowing review of the Kansas Senate president on social media in May.
Masterson has also been endorsed by the libertarian political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity and the anti-abortion advocacy group Kansans For Life PAC, which used its announcement to warn against Schmidt as an unreliable partner in the fight to end abortions under all circumstances in Kansas.
In a statement, Masterson’s campaign minimized the significance of Schmidt’s KFB endorsement.
“Ty Masterson is proud to have President Trump’s complete and total endorsement,” spokesperson Garrett Henson said.
Schmidt has been prohibited from participating in officially sanctioned GOP primary debates after she refused to sign a debate agreement that required candidates to give $10,000 to the Kansas Republican Party and agree to endorse its eventual nominee.
Despite largely keeping out of the political fray in her two terms as insurance commissioner, Schmidt has a track record of electoral success, racking up a higher percentage of the vote than any other statewide candidate the last time she was on the ballot in 2022.
Other Republican candidates for governor include Secretary of State Scott Schwab, entrepreneurs Philip Sarnecki and Stacy Rogers, former Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara and Nick Reinecker of Inman.
