(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Former KS Republican Gov. Bill Graves supports Kelly over Schmidt, his former staffer [1]

[]

Date: 2022-09

Kansas Gov. Bill Graves celebrated along with the rest of the Kansas delegation as he nominated Bob Dole for President in 1996 in San Diego. [email protected]

Former Republican Gov. Bill Graves is once again supporting Democrat Laura Kelly for Kansas governor.

Graves, a moderate Republican who served from 1995 until 2003, opted to endorse Kelly over Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, the Republican nominee and one of Graves’ former staffers.

Early in his career, Schmidt worked as legal counsel to Graves’ office.

“In 2018, I broke party lines to support Governor Kelly because Kansas needed a steady hand at the wheel to put Kansas back on the map. Over the last four years, Governor Kelly has done just that. She is a common-sense leader who continues to govern from the middle to get things done for Kansans – I’m proud to join her team,” Graves said in a statement Thursday morning.

Kelly’s campaign strategy in 2018 emphasized the support of moderate Republicans who felt Republican nominee Kris Kobach was too extreme. In 2022, she has sought to recreate that coalition.

“At the end of the day, all Kansans, regardless of political party, want the same things; safe roads, a balanced budget, and high-quality schools. It is an honor to have Governor Graves on the team as we continue to deliver these results for Kansans,” Kelly said in a statement.

Schmidt’s campaign manager C.J. Grover dismissed Graves’ endorsement and took a shot at the former governor for leaving Kansas. After leaving office, Graves served as president of the American Trucking Association from 2003 to 2016, a position which took him from Topeka to Washington.

“It is no surprise that Graves has again endorsed a Democrat. After leaving Kansas 20 years ago, Graves now has the opportunity to retire tax free under strong Republican leadership in Florida,” Grover said in a statement.

The Republican has sought to tie Kelly to President Joe Biden and high inflation numbers.

In a TV ad released Thursday morning, Schmidt highlighted an unaffiliated voter that supported Kelly in 2018.

“I voted for Laura Kelly because she promised to be a different kind of Democrat. Truth is, Kelly spends too much. Just like Biden,” the voter, Chantelle Brady, says in an ad.

This story was originally published September 8, 2022 9:54 AM.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article265485386.html

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/

You are viewing proxied material from magical.fish. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.