A new candidate has emerged in the Democratic primary for House District 10, creating a three-way race to replace Eileen Horn in the Legislature.
Christina Haswood on Friday announced her candidacy for the House. She will face a primary against Brandon Holland, the son of state Sen. Tom Holland and former Baldwin City Council President A.J. Stevens.
Haswood, 26, could potentially become the youngest member of the Kansas Legislature and just one of two current Native American lawmakers.
Haswood lists her top issues as expanding Medicaid, cutting the sales tax on food, environmental protection and “sensible” gun restrictions.
Haswood currently works as a research assistant with the National Council of Urban Indian Health and the Center for American Indian Community Health.
She studies issues such as tribal youth nicotine addiction and COVID-19’s effect on native populations.
She has an associate degree in community health from Haskell Indian Nations University and a bachelor’s degree in public health from the Arizona State University.
She earned a master’s in public health management from the University of Kansas Medical Center.
In a little more than a minute-long video, Haswood said she has Horns’s backing in the race and support from Lawrence Mayor Jennifer Ananda.
The House district, which covers parts of Lawrence and Baldwin City, has been reliably Democratic over the years.
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.
