(Updated to reflect comments from Greg Orman; adds comment from Steve Watkins)
President Donald Trump will visit Kansas next week to campaign for Republican Kris Kobach in the governor’s race.
Trump has scheduled a trip to Topeka for Saturday, Oct. 6 when he will attend a campaign event at the Kansas Expocentre.
“I’m honored and grateful that President Trump will be coming to Kansas,” Kobach said in a statement.
“President Trump’s success in cutting taxes at the national level unleashed economic growth and I want to accomplish the same thing in Kansas by reducing our crushing tax burden.”
The president’s trip, following up two visits made by his son on Kobach’s behalf leading up to the primary, also is intended to boost Republican Congressional candidate Steve Watkins in the 2nd District.
Watkins is in a hot race against Democrat Paul Davis in a district that is drawing millions of dollars in outside money, especially from the Republican Congressional Leadership Fund. It’s a district Trump won by 18 points back in 2016.
“Regardless of your political stripes, it is always a true honor to have an opportunity to welcome the president of the United States to your hometown,” Watkins said in a statement.
“President Trump recognizes that this upcoming election and the race for the 2nd District of Kansas, in particular, is critical to the future of our nation and the great state of Kansas.”
Kobach has been an ardent supporter of Trump, advising him on immigration matters and leading the president’s controversial now-disbanded commission created to investigate voter fraud.
Trump tweeted out an endorsement for Kobach the day before the primary election, a move that the secretary of state credited for turning the narrow primary election his way.
At a recent meeting in Overland Park, Democratic candidate Laura Kelly was asked if she was concerned about Trump’s role in the Kansas governor’s race.
The senator pointed out that Trump’s own polling numbers are dropping. Kelly said she didn’t think the president’s support for Kobach would influence the outcome of the race.
A Democratic poll done earlier this month showed that Trump had a favorability rating of 50 percent in Kansas compared to 45 percent unfavorable.
Kelly said at the meeting that Trump supporters are already behind Kobach, and the president’s opponents won’t be swayed by his endorsement of the GOP nominee.
“I don’t think that moves the needle,” Kelly said of Trump.
Independent candidate Greg Orman, meanwhile, criticized Trump’s trade policies for hurting Kansas farmers.
“The continuous implementation of Trump’s tariffs have the potential for serious long term negative impact on Kansas farmers,” Orman said in a statement.
“I hope that the president will take the time to listen to the concerns of Kansas farmers while he is in the state for his political rally.”
