(UPDATED to reflect statement from Sara Weir)
Former Kansas Republican Party Chairwoman Amanda Adkins’ interest in running for Congress is picking up as she met with a group of high-profile donors last week.
Adkins confirmed for the Sunflower State Journal on Monday that she met with 35 business and community leaders as she considers challenging Democratic incumbent Sharice Davids for the 3rd District Congressional seat.
Among those at the event held at Hallbrook Country Club were construction magnate Terry Dunn, Cerner co-founder Cliff Illig, Prairie Village lawyer Fred Logan and development lawyer John Petersen.
“I can confirm that I am testing the waters, and that I met with about 35 supportive business and community leaders on Friday,” Adkins said in a short email Monday.
Adkins’ interest in the race has been known in political circles for months. The Sunflower State Journal first reported her possible candidacy in December when she acknowledged she was considering a bid for Congress, although she was somewhat circumspect.
“Right now, I am very focused on my business career in health care,” Adkins said in December. “However, I can also confirm my commitment to explore the topic with my family.”
Logan said in an interview on Monday that he believes Adkins is “very seriously” looking at running for the 3rd District seat.
“It was a good luncheon meeting. She had a great turnout. Some people, I think, were excited about the idea,” he said. “I’ve known her for a long time, and I think she’s outstanding. I think she would be an outstanding candidate for Congress.”
Logan described the group attending the meeting as donors and supporters. “I perceive there to be a pretty good cross-section of Republicans who were represented at the meeting.”
Adkins, however, may not be the only Republican candidate looking to run against Davids in 2020.
Sara Weir, former chief executive and president of the National Down Syndrome Society, also is seen as a likely candidate.
Weir just stepped down from that position in February, signaling to many that she wants to run for Congress as well.
Some see Weir as a better candidate than Adkins, who might be too closely associated with former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback.
An executive at Cerner Corp., Adkins chaired the state Republican Party at the height of Brownback’s administration.
During Adkins’ tenure as state party chairwoman, the GOP gained 16 seats in the Kansas Legislature during the 2010 midterm elections, and Brownback swept into office.
She steered Brownback’s re-election campaign to the U.S. Senate in 2004. Brownback, later as governor, appointed Adkins to the Kansas Children’s Cabinet. She also worked as executive director for GOPAC.
Weir, meanwhile, is someone who comes from outside the political scene without the baggage of holding previous elected office or being involved in politics.
She comes from the nonprofit world, where she might be viewed differently by voters.
Weir released a statement through political consultant Pat Leopold late Monday.
The statement said that Weir is conducting listening sessions with community leaders in the district as she considers a run for Congress.
“As President Trump proved in 2016, successful campaigns are built from the ground up, not the top down,” the statement said.
Davids, meanwhile, is not on cruise control.
Davids raised about $474,000 in the first quarter of this year for her re-election effort in 2020. About $107,000 of that amount came from Kansas, records show. Davids had about $365,000 on hand at the end of the reporting period on March 31.
By comparison, former Republican Congressman Kevin Yoder raised about $263,000 in the first quarter after winning the 3rd District congressional seat in 2010.
Former Democratic Congressman Dennis Moore raised about $355,000 in his first reporting period after defeating Republican incumbent Vince Snowbarger in 1998.
However, Moore’s report covered the first six months of 1999, when quarterly reports were not required in nonelection years, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Former Republican Congressman Snowbarger raised only about $22,000 for the six-month reporting period after winning the 3rd District seat in 1996. A year after that reporting period, he lost to Moore.
Republicans are eying the 3rd District seat in hopes of taking it back in 2020. Back in February, the National Republican Congressional Committee announced Davids was one of 55 Democrats it’s targeting in 2020.
And the Congressional Leadership Fund super political action committee, which played a big role in last year’s Kansas congressional races, announced in January that it was launching a six-figure digital ad campaign targeting newly elected Democrats, including Davids.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced in February that Davids would be moved to its Frontline Program, which is intended to keep the party’s majority in the House.
