The election season is heating up. Two Kansas congressional candidates are clashing in the Second District race. It’s raising questions about residency requirements for candidates in Kansas. Democrat and former congresswoman, Nancy Boyda, claims her Republican opponent and former Kansas Attorney General — Derek Schmidt — doesn’t actually live in the district he’s hoping to represent and is “playing farmer”. She says you only have to sleep at an address for one night, and then you can claim that as your residence for voting purposes only for as long as you would like. The ballot this November will declare Derek to be a resident of Independence. But let’s be clear, he is not a resident of Independence. She adds that voters are not fooled by this, just like they weren’t fooled when he tried to play maga during the governor’s race.
Schmidt’s campaign responded saying Schmidt has lived in Independence his entire life and though Boyda calls for unity and civility, her long string of political failure and attack on the Schmidt family is an attempt to distract people. They call it ineffective and sad.
Kansas law states that Kansas congressional candidates don’t have to live in the district they’re running to represent. They only have to live within their state. Also, states cannot impose additional residency requirements for congressional candidates, because the qualifications listed in the constitution are exclusive.
