The former Baldwin City Council president who made news for creating a political action committee to draft Oprah Winfrey to run for president has announced his candidacy to run for the Kansas House.
A.J. Stevens, CEO of Baldwin City & Southern Railroad Co., is running for the District 10 seat that will come open with Eileen Horn’s decision not to seek reelection.
Stevens has filed as a Democrat for the seat, setting up a primary against Brandon Holland, the son of Democratic state Sen. Tom Holland.
Brandon Holland, 31, is a graduate of the University of Kansas with a degree in political science. He now manages a liquor store.
Stevens said he wanted to run for the seat eventually but thought Horn was doing a good job and didn’t want to run against her.
Stevens said he wants to emphasize economic development, something he believes will be important to the state as it recovers from the economic damage brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Right now, that’s so important with what’s going on and what’s going to be going on for a couple years,” he said.
“Everybody is arguing about whether we should be open or not. I’m not really too worried about that,” he said. “I think we have good people making decisions on that.
“What I am worried about is what happens six months from now, a year from now and two years from now as far as the well-being of our citizens.”
Two years ago, Stevens gained national attention when he registered the Draft Oprah 2020 PAC with the Federal Election Commission.
He also started a website and created a Twitter account promoting a Winfrey candidacy.
“She’s just the right person at the right time,” Stevens told ABC News two years ago. “I was never a big fan of her, but what she does is refreshing and it’s needed.”
Stevens has a long history with lacrosse, serving as the head coach of the men’s team at the University of Illinois and an assistant coach of the men’s team at Dartmouth College.
He also helped Planet Fitness expand from three locations in New Hampshire to other markets around the country.
The fitness center describes itself as one of the largest health club franchises in the country.
The House district, which covers parts of Lawrence and Baldwin City, has been reliably Democratic.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly carried it by 42 percentage points in 2018 over Kris Kobach.
The district went for Hillary Clinton with 56% of the vote in 2016 and Paul Davis with 69% of the vote in the 2014 governor’s race.
District 15 news
Democrat Cole Fine on Monday announced his candidacy for House District 15 against Republican state Rep. John Toplikar.
Fine graduated with a degree in political science from the University of Central Missouri, where he served as student body president. He grew up in Johnson County.
“This is an incredible opportunity to give back to my community,” Fine said in a statement.
“I believe that every Kansan has a story to tell, regardless of their political affiliation,” he said.
“It’s time for the 15th District to have representation that listens to the many diverse voices within our community with an open mind, rather than one entrenched in partisan politics. I vow to carry out selfless and sharp decision-making in Topeka.”
Gov. Laura Kelly carried the district by 14 percentage points over Kris Kobach in 2018.
The district went for President Donald Trump with about 49% of the vote in 2016 and former Gov. Sam Brownback with 50% of the vote in 2014.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romey had 57% of the vote in 2012.
Toplikar beat Democratic challenger Chris Haulmark by 236 votes in 2018.
The Democratic Party distanced itself from Haulmark after two women accused him of emotional abuse.
Republican Erin Davis held the seat before Toplikar, winning the 2016 general election with 58% of the vote.
