Kris Kobach defeated Tony Mattivi and Kellie Warren in the August 2, 2022, Republican primary for Kansas attorney general. The seat was open because incumbent Derek Schmidt (R) is running in the Republican primary for Kansas Governor. Kobach served as the Kansas secretary of state from 2011 to 2019.
Kobach ( Republican Party) was the Kansas Secretary of State. He assumed office on January 10, 2011. He left office in 2019. Kobach was a candidate for governor of Kansas. He lost the general election on November 6, 2018. Kobach ran on a joint ticket with the lieutenant gubernatorial nominee, Wink Hartman (R).
Kris Kobach is a Republican candidate for Governor of Kansas. Kobach is running in the general election on November 6, 2018, after advancing from the primary on August 7, 2018. Kobach was first elected as secretary of state in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014.
Kobach will now advance to the November general election and face Democratic candidate Chris Mann, an attorney, former police officer and former local prosecutor, who went unopposed in the primary. Kansas voters have said no to Kobach twice over the past four years. But he’s betting this can be the year he makes a political comeback.
Madison, WIKris Kobach / Place of birth
Kris William Kobach (/ˈkoʊbɑːk/ KOH-bahk; born March 26, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 31st Secretary of State of Kansas.
November 8, 2022NomineeLynn RogersSteven JohnsonPartyDemocraticRepublican1 more row
Republican PartyKris Kobach / PartyThe Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP, is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. The GOP was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which allowed for the potential expansion of chattel slavery into the western territories. Wikipedia
New York, NYLaura Kelly / Place of birthKelly was born in New York City to a military family that moved often and was stationed overseas. She studied at Bradley University, earning a Bachelor of Science in psychology, and at Indiana University, earning a Master of Science in therapeutic recreation.
November 8, 2022NomineeLaura KellyDerek SchmidtPartyDemocraticRepublicanRunning mateDavid TolandKatie Sawyer1 more row
He left office in 2019. Kobach ( Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Kansas. He lost in the Republican primary on August 4, 2020. Kobach was the Kansas secretary of state from 2011 to 2019. He was first elected as secretary of state in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014.
He lost the general election on November 6, 2018. Kobach ran on a joint ticket with the lieutenant gubernatorial nominee, Wink Hartman (R).
Kobach first expressed his concern that most Kansans were insufficiently versed in state and U.S. government civics while on the campaign trail in 2010. When he took office, he ordered his staff to develop an online resource for educating Kansas residents on their state's history, the structure, and functions of the government and information about the state's individual counties. The site, CyberCivics, can be accessed here.
Kobach was one of nine delegates from Kansas bound by state party rules to support Donald Trump at the convention. As of July 13, 2016, Trump had approximately 1,542 delegates. The winner of the Republican nomination needed the support of 1,237 delegates. Trump formally won the nomination on July 19, 2016.
A trial court ruled against Kobach in a lawsuit regarding the dual registration system for voters. The Shawnee County District Court ruled on January 15, 2016, that Kobach had no legal right to prevent voters who use a federal registration form from voting in local and state elections.
In January 2018, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion asking Robinson to hold Kobach in contempt of court for failure to send the postcards and update the state's election manual.
Kobach was defeated in the Republican primary election for state Senate District 8 in 2000.
Kris Kobach, right, seen here conceding the Republican primary for U.S. Senate on Aug. 4, 2020 in Leavenworth, Kan. His wife, Heather Kobach, is to his left. Thursday he announced his run for the office of Kansas attorney general.
Kobach raised the profile of the secretary of state's office by bringing it to the forefront of voter security fights. That office typically flew under the radar.
Kobach pushed through the passage of a strict Kansas voting law that required proof of citizenship , arguing it kept elections secure. Critics said it prevented thousands of eligible Kansans from registering to vote.
Kobach called the office a last line of defense against policies pushed by President Biden and Democratic leaders in Congress. He raised concerns about limiting gun rights, the federal government setting election laws and immigration policy.
Kobach had filed documents late Wednesday night to appoint a treasurer for his campaign. That's the initial step for raising money.
Kobach has also been a close ally of former President Donald Trump, winning Trump's 11th-hour endorsement in the GOP primary for governor. Kobach also led a voter fraud commission created by Trump that Trump dissolved after pushback from states and a lack of evidence of widespread cheating.
The Kansas Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that the Kansas Constitution protects the right to an abortion. Voters will decide in the August 2022 primary, when Kobach seeks his party's nomination for attorney general, whether to reverse that ruling.
If elected, Kobach is already promising major changes to the attorney general's office.
While polling is limited, a survey released by Kobach's campaign in April shows him with 52% of the vote, well ahead of Warren, who has 12% and Mattivi with 7%.