Upstart candidate Katy Tyndell won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Kansas’ 4th congressional district Tuesday and will face off against incumbent Republican Rep. Ron Estes in November.
Tyndell, co-founder of the civic engagement group Leading Kansas, focused her platform on healthcare access, economic relief and opposing tax breaks for billionaires.
In an interview with KMUW earlier this year, Tyndell said she decided to run because she says Estes does not listen to or engage with constituents.
“You can’t have accountability if your lawmakers are not willing to defend their votes and their choices in front of the public,” she said.
She said she balked at entering politics at first, but was persuaded by supporters who want to see change in Washington.
"I kept hearing the words that (my father) told me when I was a kid, and that is 'Protecting freedom for future generations requires sacrifice,'" Tyndell said.
"I have to do something in this moment. Am I doing everything I can to make sure that things are on the right track?"
Estes is running for his sixth consecutive term.
At a GOP party in east Wichita, he thanked supporters and said he hopes to continue representing Kansas in Washington.
"Midterms are kind of sold as a referendum of the party that's in the White House. And while there's some truth to that, it's also a contrast of two visions for the United States of America," Estes said.
"As we move beyond the primaries and unify behind our nominees, we're facing a contrast election, and we can't ignore what's at stake. ... The differences between the Republicans and Democrats are pretty strong. I mean, it's kind of a comparison of Kansas common sense versus crazy communists in terms of the ideas."
