KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – The General Election is set for Nov. 5, and millions of Missouri and Kansas voters will cast their ballots for several candidates and issues.
HOW CAN I VOTE?
Early voting
Voters in Missouri can cast no-excuse absentee ballots at their local election offices until 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4.
Advanced voting in Kansas is allowed until 12 p.m. on Nov. 4. Voters can contact their local election offices to find locations.
For details from your county election office, see the links below:
Missouri:
Kansas:
Identification
In order to obtain a ballot, Missouri and Kansas voters must provide identification. For Missouri, those include:
- A nonexpired Missouri driver or non-driver license;
- A nonexpired military ID, including a veteran’s ID card;
- A nonexpired United States passport; or
- Another photo ID issued by the United States or the state of Missouri which is either not expired or expired after the date of the most recent general election.
For Kansas voters:
- Driver’s license or ID card issued by Kansas or another state
- U.S. Passport
- U.S. Military ID
- ID card issued by a Native American tribe
- Employee badge or ID issued by a government office
- Student ID card from an accredited postsecondary education institution in Kansas
- Concealed carry license issued by Kansas or another state
- Public assistance ID card issued by a government office
Voting by mail
Mail-in or faxed absentee ballot requests in Missouri must be received by the election authority no later than 5 p.m. on the second Wednesday prior to any election. Voters can vote absentee in the office of the local election authority until 5 p.m. the night before the election.
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Missouri voters requesting an absentee ballot by mail who have registered by mail and have not voted in person are required to submit a copy of their personal identification unless they provided a copy with their registration application. For more information, click here.
Registered Kansas voters can request a mail-in ballot, from their local election office, but must make the request by Oct. 29. The ballot can be returned through a drop-off box or through the mail. The United States Postal Service recommends completed ballots by mailed at least a week before the due date. Return ballots must be postmarked by the close of polls on election day, Nov. 5.
Polls
Polling locations in Missouri open at 6 a.m. and close until 7 p.m. Registered voters in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast their ballot. Check your polling location here.
Kansas state law mandates polling locations to be open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Check your polling location here.
RACES
PRESIDENT
Kamala Harris (Democrat) currently serves as Vice President of the U.S. and is running for the top spot with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Harris, 60, was born in Oakland, California, and is the daughter of immigrants. She is 60 years old.

Harris became a prosecutor, then was elected District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General. In 2016, Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate before being asked to be President Biden’s running mate.
The top of her platform includes promises to cut taxes for middle-class families and restore and protect reproductive freedoms.
Donald Trump (Republican) is seeking a second term as U.S. President with running mate J.D. Vance of Ohio. Trump was born in New York and lives in Florida. Trump is 78 years old, making him the second oldest major-party presidential nominee in history after President Joe Biden, 81, who dropped out of the race in 2024.

Trump won Missouri and Kansas in 2016 and 2020. Trump was elected president in 2016, but lost his re-election bid in 2020. His past experience outside of politics includes a real estate business and hosting a reality TV show.
Trump was impeached twice during his presidential term. First in 2019, then again in January of 2021 following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol. He was acquitted on all counts by the Senate.
In May of 2024, Donald Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes when he was found guilty of 34 charges that he falsified business records to cover up payoffs to porn star, Stormy Daniels.
The top of his platform includes promises to seal the border and carry out “the largest deportation operation in American History.”
Chase Oliver and his running mate Mike ter Maat are running on the Libertarian ticket. He’s 39 years old and lives in Atlanta, GA.

Oliver’s biography says he champions the rights of individuals against the growing power of politicians and bureaucrats. He believes the two-party system pits people against each other and makes people’s lives more difficult.
Oliver began his political activism opposing the War in Iraq under then-President George W. Bush, and he discovered the Libertarian Party when he stopped by a booth at the Atlanta Pride Festival in 2010.
Oliver’s campaign seeks to gain more media attention for the Libertarian party and with it, better ballot access. His hope is that the Libertarian Party will appeal to younger voters who have become disillusioned with America’s two-party system.
Jill Stein is the Green Party’s nominee for president with Butch Ware. She is on the Missouri ballot, but not on one for Kansas. Stein is 74 years old and is a medical doctor. This is her third campaign for the top job, having run in 2012 and 2016.

She is on the ballot in all but 11 states, including key battleground states. Stein campaigns on a climate platform and believes the environment is a human health issue. She condemns both what she calls “zombie political parties” as tools of big business.
Her platform revolves around three tenets—people, planet and peace. Stein claims the U.S. healthcare system is in crisis—spending more on healthcare than any other high-income country but with the worst health outcomes. She also wants to declare a “climate emergency” focusing on renewable energy and clean transportation technologies.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. remains on the Kansas ballot, even though he suspended campaign activities in August. He is the son of Robert F, Kennedy (assassinated in 1968) and nephew of John F. Kennedy (assassinated in 1963).

He left the Democratic Party and initially campaigned as an independent candidate. But when he suspended his campaign, he threw his support to Donald Trump.
There has been speculation, specifically from Kennedy’s running mate, Nichole Shanahan, that Kennedy could join Trump’s administration if Trump wins the election.
ALSO READ: Why do TV stations run political ads, and do they have to be factual?
MISSOURI
Governor
Gov. Mike Parson is stepping down due to term limits.
Mike Kehoe is the Republican Candidate and the current lieutenant governor. Kehoe, 62, was a Missouri State Senator from 2011 through 2018. At one time, he was the Senate majority floor leader.

Kehoe grew up in St. Louis. He was an owner, operator and sales manager of a number of car dealerships, and was a manager at Osage Industries (an ambulance manufacturing company). He now runs a cattle farm in mid-Missouri.
Kehoe’s campaign website says he believes it is time to restore freedom, secure borders and increase manufacturing jobs. It also says he is 100 percent pro-life and that he’s a strong protector of Second Amendment rights.
Crystal Quade is the Democratic candidate. Quade, 39, is the current Missouri House Minority Leader. She grew up in rural Missouri and now lives in Springfield.

Her campaign says she’s the first in her family to graduate from high school. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in social work and has worked for nonprofits.
Quade says she’s running for governor to take on “extremists” in Jefferson City. She says she will work to restore reproductive freedom, stand up to corporate “special interests” and stop China and Russia from buying Missouri farmland.
Paul Lehmann is the Green Party candidate. He has never held an elected office, but ran unsuccessfully for Secretary of State in 2020.
Lehmann is a retired farmer in Fayette, Missouri, and was a minister in the United Church of Christ. He believes Missouri needs to adopt environmentally friendly policies and says the state needs a green economy.
He is supportive of a woman’s right to choose on abortion, saying it’s not a government decision, but up to the woman.
Bill Slantz is the Libertarian candidate for governor. He’s from New York, but has lived in St. Charles County for nearly 30 years. Slantz is the former state chair of the Libertarian Party of Missouri.
This is the first time Slantz has run for political office. He founded a television consulting firm and moved it to Missouri in 1997.
On his campaign material, Slantz says he will remove barriers to economic participation, bring economic growth, and spread it more inclusively. He goes on to say that he’ll protect individual freedoms, and strive to help every Missourian flourish.
U.S. Senate
Republican incumbent Josh Hawley is running for re-election. Before being elected to the U.S. Senate, Hawley served as the Missouri Attorney General.

Hawley, 44, grew up in Lafayette County and then graduated from Stanford and Yale Law School before returning to the state.
Hawley has been a staunch supporter of Donald Trump. He supports the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V. Wade, calling it “one of the worst constitutional decisions in American history.” He also supports increasing security along the southern border and protecting the Second Amendment.
Lucas Kunce is the Democratic candidate running for the U.S. Senate. Kunce ran for the U.S. Senate in 2022 losing to Eric Schmitt, who was the Attorney General.

Kunce grew up in Jefferson City, went to Yale University, then law school at the University of Missouri. He served 13 years of active duty in the Marine Corps, where he says he “learned firsthand what service and sacrifice for your country really means.”
Kunce has campaigned on getting federal funds to Missouri, vowing to work with whoever is president to “deliver for Missouri.” He believes in increasing teacher pay and keeping manufacturing and agriculture in Missouri.
Nathan Kline is the Green Party candidate running for Hawley’s seat. He says he’s been a supporter of the green parting since 1996 after “coming to the realization that the two corporate parties are irredeemably corrupt.”
Kline is a lifelong resident of Kansas City, lives in the Plaza-Westport area and is a graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute.
Kline has worked as an executive assistant to the director of City Planning and Development in Kansas City and has worked as a manager in the hospitality industry. He has run for a state senate seat and for Jackson County Executive.
Kline says he’s passionate about how the distribution of wealth as changed. He’s also passionate about providing quality healthcare, affordable housing, and investing in education.
Attorney General
Incumbent Republican Andrew Bailey was appointed to the office of Attorney General by Governor Mike Parson, after the previous AG, Eric Schmitt, was elected to the U.S. Senate.

Bailey attended the University of Missouri on Army scholarships and after the September 11th attacks on the U.S., Bailey volunteered to go to Iraq. He served two tours. He returned and earned a law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Bailey is a staunch supporter of Donald Trump and has taken up lawsuits defending him. He supports Missouri’s ban on abortion.
Elad Gross is the Democratic challenger. Gross is a lifelong Missourian. He attended Duke University and Washington University School of Law and worked as an assistant attorney general through 2016.

His campaign website says he’s running for attorney general to sue scammers, prosecute corruption and protect families.
Gross has defended Missouri’s Sunshine Law at the state Supreme Court and worked to secure the release of innocent Missourians from illegal imprisonment.
Ryan Munro is the Libertarian Party candidate for Attorney General. Munro is a native of Florissant, Missouri, and has been an attorney for most of his professional career.
Munro says he’s running for office to tackle government overreach and empower the citizens of Missouri.
He says he believes in safeguarding the right to personal freedom, where individuals can express themselves without interference from the government.
Lt. Governor
Current Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe is running for governor, meaning a new candidate will be elected in November.
Richard Brown is the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor. He was born at a U.S. military base in Ft. Riley, Kansas, but grew up in the 18th and Vine area of Kansas City.

Brown is a retired public school teacher and has served in the Missouri House of Representatives since 2017. Brown says as a teacher, he learned about the challenges children face each day outside the school building.
Brown says his goals for his political service are affordable housing, affordable childcare and healthcare.
Republican David Wasinger is a lifelong Missourian, born and raised in Hannibal. Wasinger graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia and earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University.

Wasinger has specialized in business law and says his “clear focus (is) on defending the interests of Main Street against the greed of Wall Street.”
Wasinger’s campaign material says he wants to disrupt the political establishment, fight back against the federal government, and bring accountability to state government.
Ken Iverson is U.S. Navy veteran, former defense analyst and engineer. He is the Libertarian candidate for Lt. Governor.
Iverson was born in Ada, Minnesota. He studied at the University of Minnesota, the University of North Texas and South Dakota State University.
Iverson believes Missourians are overtaxed and that voluntary charity giving is the only efficient, sustainable and moral way to care for others in need. He wants to end state income tax and personal property taxes.
Danielle Elliott is the Green Party candidate. She works in healthcare as a medical coder for a healthcare system. She has not previously run for office.
Elliott says he refuses corporate money and wants to be the “voice of Missourians.” She says her loyalty is to the people of the state, not a political party.
Her goals are to establish property tax waivers for the elderly in Missouri, housing and economic development in the state, tourism and agriculture.
Secretary of State
Jay Ashcroft served as secretary of state for two terms but failed to win the Republican party’s nomination for governor.
Denny Hoskins, the Republican Candidate is a member of the Missouri State Senate, and before that, was in the Missouri House of Representatives.

Hoskins grew up in mid-Missouri and earned a degree from the University of Central Missouri. He lives in Warrensburg and works as a certified public accountant.
Hoskins voted to increase voter identification requirements and has proposed getting rid of voting machines and hand-counting votes.
Barbara Phifer is the Democratic candidate. Currently, she represents District 90 in the Missouri House of Representatives.

Phifer was born in Washington, D.C. and lives in Kirkwood, Missouri. Before being elected as a state representative, she served as a United Methodist pastor for more than 40 years.
If she’s elected, she says she will ensure Missouri’s elections are free, fair, transparent and accessible to every eligible voter. She is a strong supporter of public libraries and local control over them.
Jerome Bauer is the Green Party candidate. He has run unsuccessfully for offices in St. Louis, for governor, and for the U.S. Senate.
Bauer does not have a campaign website or campaign social media profiles.
There is also little on Carl Herman Freese, the Libertarian candidate for Secretary of State—he ran for the same office in 2020 but lost to Republican Jay Ashcroft.
His campaign Facebook page shows he’s a member of the National Rifle Association and the United Church of Christ.
State treasurer
Vivek Malek was appointed Missouri State Treasurer in 2022 after Scott Ftizpatrick was appointed state auditor by Governor Mike Parson. Malek, a Republican, was the first person of color in state history to win a statewide election when he secured his party’s nomination in August.

Malek returned more than $1.7 million of unclaimed property to Missouri taxpayers within his first three days of office, which set a record for the most unclaimed property returned within the start of an administration, according to the state website. Malek says his priorities are promoting taxpayer investments, promoting opportunities for Missourians, emphasizing the promise and possibilities of America and standing up to the woke agenda.
Mark Osmack is running as a Democrat for the state treasurer position. He announced that the three items he would look to address are championing Missouri families, protecting funding for Missouri retirees and farmers, and increasing resources for first responders and teachers.
AMENDMENTS
Sports betting
Amendment 2 seeks to put Missouri in the company of 38 other states that allow sports betting.
The “vote yes” ad promotes it would be a boon for education as Missouri would receive millions of dollars in revenue to go to public schools and higher education.
ALSO READ: Missourians prepare to vote on Amendment 2 as television ads continue to sway
But, the “vote no” advertisement questions just how much money would go to Missouri schools and says those looking to legalize sports betting are being “deceptive.”
The Kansas City Chiefs, the Royals, the Kansas City Current and the St. Louis Cardinals have all endorsed Amendment 2.
Abortion
A measure undoing Missouri’s near-total abortion ban will appear on the ballot.
ALSO READ: Kansas City area mother shares story of being an abortion survivor
If passed, Amendment 3 would enshrine abortion rights in the constitution and would be expected to broadly supplant the state’s abortion ban.
Missouri banned almost all abortions immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
ALSO READ: Missouri mother who needed lifesaving abortion care speaks out on Amendment 3
Another Casino
Missourians will vote on Amendment 5 which could mean the state having another casino, this time in the Lake of the Ozarks region.
The state currently allows 13 gambling boat licenses, and a “yes” vote would bump that number to 14.
The casino would be constructed on a portion of the Osage River from the Missouri River to the Bagnell Dam.
Court fee
Amendment 6 reads: “Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to provide that the administration of justice shall include the levying of costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for certain current and former law enforcement personnel? State and local governmental entities estimate an unknown fiscal impact.”
If the vote passes, the loss of a previously-established $3 fee would be reinstated supporting the retirement system for sheriff’s offices. After being in effect for 40 years, it was ruled unconstitutional by the Missouri Supreme Court in 2021.
Rank-choice voting
Amendment 7 reads: “Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
- Make the Constitution consistent with state law by only allowing citizens of the United States to vote;
- Prohibit the ranking of candidates by limiting voters to a single vote per candidate or issue; and
- Require the plurality winner of a political party primary to be the single candidate at a general election?“
Ranked-choice voting occurs when voters are asked to rank candidates from favorite to least favorite instead of requiring them to pick only one candidate.
Minimum wage
Missouri voters will get to decide on Proposition A if the state’s minimum wage should increase and if employers should offer paid sick leave.
If approved, the state’s minimum wage rise to $13.75 per hour on Jan. 1, 2025, and then to $15 per hour in 2026.
Feature races
4th Congressional District
Republican Mark Alford is running for re-election to represent Missouri’s 4th Congressional District in the House of Representatives.

Alford anchored a morning news program in Kansas City before his election to Congress. He says his time in the television business connected him to Missouri families and provided him insight to their struggles.
Alford serves on the House Agriculture Committee and is a strong supporter of farmers. He says he’s committed to developing farm policies that shield farmers from undue government interference. He has also worked to give veterans more healthcare options and says the Second Amendment is “our God-given right.” He will first to ensure that the Second Amendment stays intact.
Jeanette Cass is Alford’s Democratic challenger. She said she never expected to be running for political office, but she says she wants to help clean up “the mess of bills that the 118th Congress was unable to complete.”
Cass was born and raised on a dairy farm in Webster County. She says she is pro-farmer, pro-family and pro-small business. She wants to protect Social Security and Medicare-earned benefits and believes in “common sense gun laws.”
Thomas Holbrook is the Libertarian Party’s candidate. This is his third campaign for the 4th District seat. He moved to Missouri as a child, when his father was stationed at Whiteman Airforce Base and now lives in Warrensburg.
Holbrook supports legalizing marijuana use and gun rights. He opposes bans on books and TikTok and government interference in health issues, such as a woman’s right to an abortion.
5th Congressional District
The incumbent in Missouri’s 5th Congressional District is Democrat Emanual Cleaver. He is serving his tenth term in the House and is running for re-election. Prior to serving in the House, Cleaver served as the mayor of Kansas City from 1991 through 1999. He was the first African-American mayor of Kansas City. Before his election to mayor, Cleaver was a Kansas City Councilman from 1979 through 1991.

Cleaver is a native of Texas and graduated from Prairie View A&M University. He went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree from St. Paul School of Theology. He was the senior pastor at St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas City for more than three decades. His son, Emanuel Cleaver III, now serves as senior pastor in the same church.
Throughout his tenure, Cleaver has worked to bring greater civility to Congress. His focus has been getting federal funding for his district. He is on the Committee on Financial Services and the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance. He has worked on legislation to lower housing costs and expand funding to programs like Meals on Wheels and Head Start. He supports abortion rights and a ban on assault-style weapons.
The Republican challenger in the race is Sean Smith. Smith currently serves on the Jackson County Legislature and has twice run unsuccessfully for the Missouri House of Representatives.

Smith was born in California and earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach. He has worked as a computer software consultant and owns rental properties.
In his campaign materials, Smith says he believes we need to revitalize the American Dream. As a Representative, he will focus on what he calls “kitchen-table issues that impact working families everywhere.” He says it’s the government’s obligation to promote safety, security and success across the nation.
Bill Wayne is the Libertarian Candidate. He was born in Iowa and now lives in Warrensburg. He served 21 years in the U.S Air Force and retired from service in 1986. Wayne has previously run unsuccessfully for U.S. House in Missouri’s 5th district and for the Missouri House of Representatives. He’s 80 years old.
6th Congressional District
Republican Sam Graves is running for re-election in Missouri’s 6th District. He has been in the U.S. House for 24 years.

Gaves is a lifelong resident of the district he represents. He’s worked as a small businessman and is a sixth-generation family farmer. Graves served in the Missouri State Senate for six years, and the Missouri House for two. Graves is a graduate of the University of Missouri—Columbia with a degree in agronomy.
Graves is the Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is a member of the House Committee on Armed Services. He says he is determined to “protect Missouri’s various military installations and all of the brave men and women who serve in uniform.”
In his campaign material, Graves says that Congress must learn to budget property and live within its means, and that he will continue to push for fiscal discipline. He believes the lives of the unborn must be protected in all but the direst of circumstances. He is also a supporter of the Second Amendment.
Pam May is the Democratic challenger and is a newcomer to politics. She grew up in Tarkio, Missouri, graduated from high school in Maryville and is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University. She is a retired legal secretary.

In her campaign materials, May says that while the Affordable Care Act was a first step, healthcare is still too expensive. She says she’s committed to improving healthcare access for all Missourians.
She also says she’s committed to finding sustainable and obtainable solutions to climate change, and protecting personal freedom for women’s reproductive rights and “to love, to vote to live free from violence.” May also supports term limits at all levels of government.
Andy Maidment is the Libertarian party candidate. He was born in South Carolina, graduated from Park Hill High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University. He is a U.S. Army and U.S. Army National Guard veteran. Maidment’s career experience includes working as a defense analyst.
Maidment says he’s not a politician but Congress, and all of Washington need real change. Maidment’s campaign material slogan is “Less government, more Liberty.”
If elected, Maidment says he would work for to eliminate federal departments that have no Constitutional bases—starting with Education, Commerce and Homeland Security. He wants to extend the right to keep and bear arms, and would end the federal income tax because he says, “taxation is theft.”
Mike Diel is the Green Party candidate. The Missouri Green Party website says he’s an outdoorsman, business owner and a retired factory worker.
Diel claims Missouri needs someone who isn’t afraid to get out in the weeds. He believes insurance companies decide if someone can go to the doctor, and what treatments are allowed. He wants a healthcare system focused on caring for health, and not their bottom line.
He asks Missourians to vote for him, a candidate who cares about Missouri’s cities and families.
Jackson County Prosecutor
Kansas City has been put on the map for some of the wrong reasons lately thanks to crime. Both Democrat Melesa Johnson and Republican Tracey Chappell believe they have the answers to stop it if elected as prosecutor for Jackson County.
“I’ve been both a head prosecutor, I have also been a criminal defense attorney,” Chappell championed. “So, I am well-balanced. I have worked with police officers.”
“I have brought over $1 million of Department of Justice Grant Funding to this community,” Johnson referenced, citing her time as Director of Public Safety in Kansas City. “I have drafted municipal laws, most recently a law that makes it easier to impound cars believed to be involved in street racing.”
From January through September this year, Kansas City police report the city has experienced 5,725 property damages, 1,960 burglaries, and over 6,060 cars stolen. Both candidates laid out their vision for minimizing property crimes.
READ MORE: Candidates for Jackson County prosecutor provide their visions for improving public safety
KANSAS
1st Congressional District
The district is commonly referred to as “The Big First” as the district spans more than half of the state.
Incumbent Tracey Mann is a Republican and was first elected to Congress in 2020. Before representing Kansas’ 1st district, Mann served as Lieutenant Governor under Jeff Colyer.

Mann’s campaign site says Mann is a fifth-generation Kansas, born and raised on his family farm. He learned the value of hard work by working in the fields and feed yard. Before getting into politics, Mann worked in commercial real estate.
Mann is a strong supporter of Donald Trump. He supports securing the southern border by building a wall and is anti-abortion, believing that life begins at conception
Paul Buskirk is the Democratic challenger. He lost his bid for the U.S. Senate in 2022 and turned his attention to the House of Representatives.

Buskirk, the son of a preacher and teacher, earned a bachelor’s degree and a graduate degree from the University of Kansas and now works as a special advisor KU’s Athletics Department.
Buskirk says elected and appointed representatives in Washington have lost their way and have forgotten what it means to serve. He says that’s why he’s running—to listen and serve as the voice of the people in the 1st district.
Buskirk believes that reproductive rights are human rights and that the U.S. needs a common-sense approach to gun control. He believes that the borders should be monitored and properly managed, with clear policies for “these new neighbors” to be able to work.
2nd Congressional District
The Kansas Second District is wide open after incumbent Jake LaTurner decided not to run for reelection.
Nancy Boyda is the Democratic nominee. Boyda made a name for herself when she ran against Jim Ryun in Kansas’ Second District in 2004. She challenged Ryun again in 2006 and won the seat, but served just one term.

Following serving her House term, Boyda worked in the Obama administration as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Personnel.
In her campaign, she says Kansans are tired of the dysfunction in Congress and will work to bring people together.
She says the U.S. needs a balanced approach to Immigration which includes increased border security, the immediate deportation of drug cartel members, and visa programs that are flexible to ensure businesses have the workers they need.
And Boyda believes “women must have the freedom to make their own decisions without government intrusion into their personal lives.”
Derek Schmidt (Republican) was the Attorney General of Kansas for 12 years. He is also a former Kansas State Senator and served as the Senate majority leader from 2005 until he left in 2011 to become the Attorney General.

Schmidt earned a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and a doctorate in las from the University of Kansas School of Law. Schmidt worked as an assistant to former U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum and former Senator Chuck Hagel. He is a partner in an Independence, Kansas, law firm.
His campaign says his top priorities include inflation and controlling federal spending, and securing the border.
John Hauer is the Libertarian candidate. Hauer has not previously run for public office, but his campaign website says he’s pro-freedom, pro-family, pro-life and pro-tax cuts.
It also says he’s against war, drug war, foreign intervention, government spending and income tax.
3rd Congressional District
Sharice Davids is a Democrat and is running for re-election. The 44-year-old was first elected in 2018.

Davids earned an associate degree in liberal arts from Johnson County Community College then a bachelor of arts degree in business administration for the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She earned a law degree from Cornell Law School.
Before being elected to the U.S. House, Davids, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, worked as a lawyer and nonprofit executive serving Native American communities.
Davids says she has centered her work in office on putting Kansans first, fighting to limit the influence of special interests and make health care more affordable and accessible to everyone.
Prasanth Reddy is the Republican candidate. He immigrated with his family to Kansas when he was a child.

Reddy earned a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University then went on to earn a medical degree from the University of Kansas Medical Center. He’s board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and hematology.
After years of serving patients, Reddy moved on to research. He joined the United States Air Force Reserve after 9/11 and is a Lt. Colonel.
Reddy says one of his priorities, if elected, would be to secure the southern border and end illegal immigration.
Steve Roberts is the Libertarian candidate. Roberts is an engineer and a licensed teacher of mathematics, physics, and earth/space science.
Roberts has taught in public and private schools. He served on the Kansas State Board of Education from 2013 through 2020.
Roberts’ campaign says he believes abortion should remain legal because it is sometimes healthcare, but life itself is a “Gift from God”
Roberts also supports term limits for Congress.
Feature race
Johnson County Sheriff
Incumbent Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden lost his bid for re-election in the August primary.
Doug Bedford is the Republican candidate who defeated Hayden in April. Bedford is a former Navy SEAL and a former Undersheriff in Johnson County. He was raised in De Soto, Kansas, and his first job was with the Sheriff’s Office. He enlisted in the Navy two years later but returned to DeSoto and the office.
Bedford says the Office of the Sheriff must return to its original principles of leadership and fiscal responsibility. He believes it’s important to empower the people and respect the voices of employees in the department.
He believes in building relationships and trust with other law enforcement agencies and developing a drug task force with other agencies to curb drug trade along the I-35 corridor.
Byron Roberson is the Democratic candidate. Roberson is the chief of the Prairie Village Police Department but has been a police officer for 30 years. He says he has the experience of being in charge and making tough decisions.
He’s also a Marine veteran, having served eight years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Jackson State University and a master’s from the University of Central Missouri. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Missouri Kansas City in the Criminal Justice Department.
Roberson says one of his main priorities if he’s elected Sheriff is to improve communications between law enforcement agencies. He wants collaboration between agencies to address mental health, crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques.
ALSO READ: Pair of Johnson County Sheriff candidates outline differences in election race
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