Manhattan Mayor Pro Tem Usha Reddi visited with a group of Johnson County Democrats Thursday night, talking about a potential run for the U.S. Senate.
Reddi met with congregation of between 75 and 100 Democrats at Mission’s Lucky Brewgrille, the site of many party functions in Johnson County.
While word filtered out of the meeting that she indicated she was running, Reddi re-emphasized that she was still only exploring a run.
“I said I was considering my run for U.S. Senate,” Reddi said late Thursday night, adding that she hoped to make a decision by the end of August.
“I need to figure out a few more things and see where we’re going to go with all this,” Reddi said.
“There are a lot of moving pieces in this. I am just weighing everything out right now.”
Reddi said she has been traveling the state as she contemplates a run. She’s visited Lawrence and Wichita. She’s also traveled to Butler, Reno and Wyandotte counties as well.
“I think she’s obviously giving it very serious thought about jumping in,” said Democratic state Rep. Jerry Stogsdill of Prairie Village who met her at the meeting.
“I guess she’s been down here in Johnson County and Wyandotte County all day today just kind of testing the waters,” he said.
Reddi would face a primary election that at the very least would include former U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom and former Congresswoman Nancy Boyda. Democratic state Sen. Barbara Bollier also is considering a run for the Senate.
Reddi was first elected to the Manhattan City Commission for a four-year term in April 2013 and re-elected in 2017. She’s lived in Manhattan for more than 25 years.
Reddi has a bachelor’s degree in developmental psychology from Ohio State University, a bachelor’s in elementary education and a master’s in educational Leadership from Kansas State University.
She’s taught first grade for more than 10 years and is currently a math teacher in the Manhattan-Ogden School District. However in June, Reddi took a leave of absence from her teaching position for the 2019-20 school year.
“I’m going through some personal changes in my life, and I just didn’t want to have to worry about having to take days off here and there,” Reddi told the Manhattan Mercury.
“I didn’t want to take away from teaching children because I have to do other stuff. I thought this might be in the best interest for at least a year while things change, or if I choose to come back to education.”
Reddi revealed for the first time she was considering a run for the U.S. Senate about a week ago.
Reddi signaled that she was considering a Senate run after disclosing during a radio interview on KMAN that she had been sexually assaulted by her father during her childhood.
On July 19 in Virginia, her father pleaded guilty to raping her. It was the first time Reddi had discussed the assault publicly.
