Bitter Democratic primary narrows options in newly created Kansas Senate district • Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Democrat Patrick Schmidt brought old-fashioned door-to-door campaigning to east Topeka on a scorching day before the primary, but the 36-degree temperature was overshadowed by the opinions of some voters who took to their porches to talk about the Kansas Senate primary.

Schmidt, who walked the block east of the Capitol in a long-sleeved Navy shirt, reminded people that he was running in the newly created District 19. He walked those streets knowing that Gov. Laura Kelly’s Middle of the Road PAC had his back. Schmidt’s primary rival was Kansas House Minority Leader Vic Miller, who spent decades in public life in state and county government and as a Topeka municipal judge.

“Can I do something for you?” Schmidt asked repeatedly. “Can I count on your vote?”

Most declined to share a personal political agenda. There were verbal offers of support for Schmidt. A registered Libertarian wished him luck. Others were unsure whether they would vote in the Aug. 6 primary. Several who opened their doors along Lime and Lake streets said they were irritated by Miller’s style of politics and ready to see a new generation of Democratic candidates on the ballot.

“We voted for you, buddy,” the older man told Schmidt.

It was anecdotal evidence that the Senate campaign would be no cakewalk for Miller, who was the most recognizable figure and had the greatest store of policy decisions to criticize.

Kelly’s nudge

Registered Democrats put an end to the speculation Tuesday. Schmidt won 53 percent of the vote, with 2,554 Democrats supporting him. Miller was second with 1,638 votes, or 34 percent of the total. In third place was Topeka community activist ShaMecha King Simms, who won 601 votes, or 13 percent.

“I was truly honored and grateful for the trust and support of everyone I met,” said Schmidt, who gained financial and electoral support from Kelly’s endorsement. “I knew Laura Kelly was highly respected and talented in this district.”

During the campaign, Miller told voters that the gap between him and the governor was not large. He said that “be there to help Governor Kelly ensure the safety, security and financial stability of Kansas, lower residential property taxes and implement expanded Medicaid for 150,000 uninsured Kansans.”

In May, Miller sparked controversy at a candidates forum by telling Simms, who is black, that she should run for office “another day, another place.” The governor’s Middle of the Road PAC condemned Miller for supporting a Republican bill that would have established a flat income tax rate in Kansas, which Kelly opposed.

Schmidt, a Navy Reserve officer, said the 19-point lead between him and Miller in the primary was something of a surprise.

“It’s hard to read a label from inside a bottle,” Schmidt said. “I thought we were somewhere near that, just from what I heard when I was knocking on the door.”

Schmidt, who was born in Johnson County and moved to Topeka, lost his campaign for U.S. House of Representatives by 35,000 votes against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner in 2022. Schmidt entered the state Senate race in late 2023.

The new Senate district up for grabs stretches from central Topeka to northern Lawrence. It includes a swath of rural Shawnee and Douglas counties that includes the cities of Lecompton and Tecumseh and parts of Kanwaka, Wakarusa and Soldier townships. Overall, the district leans Democratic.

‘Don’t say bad things’

In the November general election, Schmidt will face Republican candidate Tyler Wible, a Topek resident who defeated moderate Cynthia Smith in the primary 61 percent to 39 percent.

Wible said he was constitutional conservative concerned about the erosion of individual rights. He said he brought to his Senate campaign an appreciation for the region where He attended school, lived in poverty, bought his first house and started a construction company.

He said vElsewhere, there was a lack of a representative committed to cutting taxes and minimizing the size of state government.

“We need to keep government out of private industry,” Wible said. “The bigger the government, the more it interferes with our rights.”

Wible said he didn’t know Schmidt’s position on key issues but said he had no intention of participating in a Miller-Schmidt-style campaign.

“I refuse to speak ill of anyone,” Wible said, noting that Schmidt could pursue him during the fall campaign. “I’m ready for that. I’m not going to lose myself to run for politics.”

Miller and Schmidt have been battling each other in a series of flyers sent to potential Democratic voters, with Schmidt including a photo of Miller from a 2019 drunken driving arrest on the postcards, and Miller placing an image of Schmidt’s face on the body of a woman spinning yarn on a wooden spindle.

At the center of their conflict was Miller’s vote in favor of a 2017 law that expanded state regulation of abortion clinics. The law was struck down by the Kansas Supreme Court. Schmidt called Miller’s vote a “betrayal” of women and a vote that helped “extremist Republicans.”

In response, Miller sent a colorful postcard claiming that “Schmidt and his shady financial interests are working overtime to spin stories about Vic Miller.” Miller, who did not respond to a request for comment after the election, said in his emails that he voted for abortion rights and reproductive freedom 16 times during the last two legislative sessions.