Four-term conservative state Sen. Dennis Pyle on Wednesday joined the mushrooming Republican field for Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District.
Pyle, a Hiawatha Republican, announced his plans to run for the seat now being vacated by GOP incumbent Lynn Jenkins.
“There is a lot of talk about the number of candidates in the primary, but one thing is certain—no matter how crowded the field, there is always room for a genuine, proven conservative,” Pyle said in an email to sent to reporters.
“Conservatives in the 2nd district are still looking for someone to unite behind,” he said. “Most voters base their choices on how a candidate’s rhetoric matches with his record. With me, they will find no differences.”
Pyle is the third state senator – and the fourth sitting legislator – to run for the seat that Jenkins has held since 2009.
State Sens. Caryn Tyson of Parker and Steve Fitzgerald have already been running for a while. And former Kansas House Speaker Doug Mays announced his campaign last week.
Also running are state Rep. Kevin Jones of Wellsville, Army veteran and outdoor adventurer Steve Watkins and Basehor City Councilman Vernon Fields.
Pyle ran in the 2nd District in 2010 although that was before the state redrew congressional districts following the last census. In the 2010 race against Jenkins, Pyle finished with 43 percent of the vote.
Fundraising has already been a problem for the candidates in the field.
GOP candidates have had to rely heavily on their own wallets to fund their campaigns. Of the $1.1 million that’s been raised in the Republican primary through March 31, about $612,000 came from the candidates.
Democrat Paul Davis, the former Kansas House Minority leader from Lawrence has raised more than $1 million for the campaign and he doesn’t have a primary.
However, the political action committee aligned with congressional Republican leadership is ready to aid the GOP nominee with a heavy expenditure on television and digital ads.
The Congressional Leadership Fund announced that it was planning to spend $48 million on congressional races nationwide, including $1.25 million on television in Kansas’ 2nd District.
The party can still pull that money, however, if it decides its chances of defending the district are growing slim.
