(Updated to include comments from Poskin)
Republican state Rep. Jan Kessinger is drawing opposition from a Republican-turned-Democrat who launched her candidacy for the Kansas House on Thursday night.
Mari-Lynn Poskin, who is a Democratic precinct committee woman, calls herself a “high-energy champion” for the 20th District. She registered as a Democrat last Dec. 17.
Her website doesn’t list any issues, but she is mounting a challenge against Kessinger, who as a moderate Republican supported Medicaid expansion, reversed the tax cuts enacted under former Gov. Sam Brownback and backed increased funding for schools.
Poskin said she considers herself “very good friends” with Kessinger and worked on his campaign in 2018. She acknowledged they would likely share similar voting records in the statehouse.
Poskin said she thinks she’s in a better positon to represent the district because she won’t be exposed to pressure from Republican leadership in the Kansas Legislature.
She doesn’t view this as a campaign against Kessinger, leaving open the possibility he could be defeated by a conservative in the primary.
“In no way, shape or form am I running against Jan Kessinger,” Poskin said in an interview late Thursday afternoon before her announcement in south Overland Park.
“We will not know who the GOP candidate is for District 20 until August of 2020,” she said. “I’m approaching it independent of who the candidate is because I won’t know that until August of 2020.”
Yet, she said, “I’m in it to win it.”
“I am in it to bring Laura Kelly the Legislature she needs to get her agenda passed,” Poskin said.
“What she deserves and really needs is a Legislature that is unfettered, unencumbered and undistracted by obstructionist leadership. That means a Democrat needs to hold the seat. Anybody else would be subject to arm twisting.”
Kessinger declined comment on Poskin’s candidacy.
Poskin has appeared in a couple news stories in recent years, including one in which she protested former Secretary of State Kris Kobach at an event attended by Donald Trump Jr.
In that story, Poskin described herself as a lifelong Republican who never voted for a Democrat for president until Donald Trump ran in 2016.
Last year, Poskin was among three people who spoke out against Johnson County Commissioner Mike Brown for a Facebook post they considered offensive and demeaning to women. The post was ultimately removed.
Poskin said she was Republican for 35 years before changing parties last December.
Following the lead of state Sens. Barbara Bollier, Dinah Sykes and former state Rep. Joy Koesten, Poskin became a Democrat. She said the Republicans became too conservative for her liking.
“Kansas GOP is pushing the moderates out,” Poskin said. “There is not a place for us. There is no power for us. There is no way for us to get things done.”
Poskin lists herself as an independent education consultant for KC College Connect, which advises college-bound students and their parents.
She also worked as an intern for the MainStream Coalition and as an information and resource specialist for Johnson County Community College. She has bachelor’s degrees in English, psychology and education from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
House District 20 covers parts of Leawood and Overland Park and borders part of the Kansas-Missouri state line.
About 53% of the district is Republican and 22% is made up of Democratic voters. Twenty-four percent of the district is unaffiliated.
Kessinger was first elected to the Kansas House in 2016, defeating Republican incumbent Rob Bruchman before going on to win the general election. He is now serving his second term in the Kansas House.
