(Updated to include fresh comments from Reddi; political science professor)
Manhattan Mayor Pro Tem Usha Reddi on Thursday morning launched what could potentially be a historic drive to represent Kansas in the U.S. Senate.
Reddi, an Indian American who immigrated to the United States with her family when she was 8, announced that she would join the Democratic field for the Senate. She could be the first woman of color elected to the Senate from Kansas.
“This is a difficult decision because it takes a lot of time and is very competitive,” Reddi said in an interview Thursday morning. “I just felt like this is a good time for me to make a difference.”
Reddi shrugged off any suggestion that she would struggle with name identification as she moves from local government onto the state’s political stage.
“This is not just about name recognition part, it’s going to be about meeting with people, visiting with everybody, giving them a reason to vote for me,” she said.
“I think my message will resonate with people. I think my energy will resonate with people. And I think my resume will resonate with people.”
Reddi joins a Democratic field that already includes former U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom and former one-term Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Boyda.
State Sen. Barbara Bollier of Mission Hills also has been considering a run but this week wouldn’t give a hint about how she might be leaning.
The Republican field seems to still be fluid with Kansas Treasurer Jake LaTurner now pondering a run for Congress after announcing he would run for the Senate.
Other Republican candidates include former Secretary of State Kris Kobach, Senate President Susan Wagle and former Johnson County Commissioner Dave Lindstrom.
And Congressman Roger Marshall and Kansas Chamber of Commerce executive Alan Cobb are also looking at running in the Republican primary. There’s also the possibility that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo could decide to run and clear the GOP field.
Reddi said she’s not running because she’s unhappy with the choices offered by the Democratic Party in the election.
“I feel like this is something that I needed to do at this time,” she said. “It wasn’t based on who was running and who’s not running.
“I rarely base any decisions because somebody is running for the same thing,” she said. “I just feel like I can make a difference at this moment.”
Reddi’s entrance into the campaign raises a couple of key questions that could influence the campaign: Who would former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius endorse in the Senate race and what role might Emily’s List play in the campaign.
Sebelius looms large in the Democratic universe and was seen as an important factor in Gov. Laura Kelly’s decisive win in last year’s Democratic primary for governor.
“Sebelius is maybe one of the most well-connected Democrats in the entire state and maybe one of the most influential. Any candidate who has her assistance is going to be greatly benefited,” said Washburn political scientist Bob Beatty.
Emily’s List also needs to be watched, especially after the difference it made in the Kansas 3rd Congressional District last year when it funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Democratic primary on behalf of Congresswoman Sharice Davids.
The money catapulted Davids past a crowded field, including Brent Welder and Tom Niermann who had been campaigning and raising money for months before she entered the race.
“Emily’s List could potentially be incredibly helpful in the primary because this is a unique situation for a Kansas to have competitive Senatorial primary,” he said.
“As much as politicos know Barry Grissom, Usha Reddi and Nancy Boyda, most people don’t know them,” he said. “Money is going to be vital for all these candidates to introduce themselves to primary voters.”
Emily’s List is watching the race and hasn’t endorsed anyone but is hopeful for a woman to be the Democratic nominee.
While word of Reddi’s possible candidacy has been circulating in political circles for a while, she went public with her interest in running for the Senate last month when she revealed that she had been sexually assaulted by her father 40 years ago. He was just convicted of felony rape last month in Virginia.
Reddi has lived in Manhattan for the past 27 years, serving as a Manhattan city commissioner since 2013. She was mayor in 2016 and 2017.
Among the accomplishments she considers the most significant is the signing of a law that protects sexual orientation and gender identity from discrimination.
Reddi grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and later earned a bachelor’s degree in developmental psychology at The Ohio State University in 1988 before coming to Kansas.
She was a stay-at-home mom until 2003, when went back to school to earn a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Kansas State University. She received a master’s degree in educational leadership from K-State in 2011.
Reddi has been a teacher at Ogden Elementary School in the Manhattan-Ogden school district since 2005.
She taught first grade for 10 years and was a math teacher until 2019. She has already taken a leave of absence from teaching.
