FORMER U.S. SENATOR NANCY KASSEBAUM, THE FIRST WOMAN TO REPRESENT KANSAS IN THE U.S. SENATE AND THE DAUGHTER OF 1936 G.O.P. PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE ALF LANDON, HAS ENDORSED DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR LAURA KELLY’S CAMPAIGN FOR REELECTION. KASSEBAUM, A REPUBLICAN, CITES KELLY’S BIPARTISANSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO “WORK WITH BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE FOR SOLUTIONS TO REAL PROBLEMS.” KASSEBAUM SAYS THAT MAKES KELLY THE BETTER CHOICE OVER REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE DEREK SCHMIDT OR INDEPENDENT DENNIS PYLE. SCHMIDT, WHO IS CURRENTLY SERVING AS KANSAS ATTORNEY GENERAL, WORKED AS A LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT TO SENATOR KASSEBAUM FOR SIX YEARS IN THE 1990S. KASSEBAUM ALSO WAS A CO-CHAIR OF SCHMIDT’S INITIAL CAMPAIGN FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL IN 2010 BUT HAS OFTEN ENDORSED DEMOCRATS IN RECENT YEARS. SHE ENDORSED KELLY IN HER SUCCESSFUL 2018 CAMPAIGN AGAINST REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE KRIS KOBACH. KASSEBAUM, SERVED IN THE U.S. SENATE FROM 1979 TO 1997. HER FATHER, ALF LANDON, WAS KANSAS GOVERNOR AND WAS NOMINATED IN 1936 BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO CHALLENGE PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT.
