(Updated to include comments from Davis)
A Democratic primary to challenge U.S. Senate Roger Marshall in 2026 is developing with a former congressional candidate filing to run on Tuesday.
Christy Davis, who ran for Congress in 2020, filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday.
“I feel like Kansans are uniquely equipped for this moment. There are opportunities for us to have a more perfect union, and Kansans will fight to the death for it,” she said in an interview Wednesday morning.
“I feel strongly that Kansans deserve and need someone in this moment who will show up for them, who will listen to what their needs are and will find solutions to problems.”
Davis previously worked as the state director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office in Kansas during President Joe Biden’s administration.
She also has served as legislative chair for the Kansas Downtown Development Association and on the board of the Chase County Chamber of Commerce.
She previously worked as a public affairs specialist in Topeka and as a historic preservation specialist and a division director for the Kansas Historical Society.
Davis, of Cottonwood Falls, has a bachelor’s in history, historic preservation and architecture from Kansas State.
She has a master’s from Wichita State in public and applied history.
Formerly the executive director of the Symphony in the Flint Hills, Davis ran for Congress in the 1st District in 2020.
She lost in the Democratic primary to Kali Barnett with 37% of the vote.
“I’m a lot smarter than I was then,” Davis said of her 2020 campaign. “I absolutely intend to do some things differently. My approach will be different.”
Overland Park immigration attorney Anne Lea Parelkar has already filed as a Democrat to run against Marshall next year.
Parelkar has filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission and has now created
A native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Parelkar attended Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas, where she graduated with a bachelor’s in history, a political science minor and a secondary education concentration.
She earned a law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Earlier this year, Parelkar traveled from Overland Park to Oakley, Kansas, so she could question Marshall at a town hall meeting that gained notoriety because of reports that indicated the senator was shouted down.
While there has been speculation about whether Marshall might draw a primary opponent, no other candidate so far has emerged to run in 2026.
As two lesser-known candidates without significant statewide name recognition, they will have a steep hill to climb.
Former Democratic state Sen. Barbara Bollier of Johnson County raised about $29 million in 2020 and still lost to Marshall with about 42% of the vote even while winning her home county by eight percentage points.
Marshall reported raising $562,230 in the last quarter ending June 30 with about $2.7 million in cash on hand as of June 30.
“I’m sorry our political system has come to the point where it is about money, but that’s the reality,” she said.
“Unfortunately, money speaks and that’s important,” she said. “We will have to emphasize fundraising early on.”
Davis said she has an advantage because she’s worked in every county in the state and agrees that a difficult race lies ahead.
“I’m not going to say it’s going to be easy,” Davis said.
“Clearly when you make a decision like this to run, those are things you spend a lot of time thinking about,” she said.
“I know it’s an uphill battle. Fortunately, I’ve had a career of uphill battles, and I am willing to fight the uphill battle.
“I also believe that we’re in a pretty unique moment right now in history, and we need folks who will show up for Kansans and work to find solutions.”
