Kansas Congressman Mike Pompeo has been confirmed as the country’s new CIA Director. Once Pompeo formally resigned from his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he has represented the Fourth Congressional District since 2011, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback was required to set a date for a special election to replace Pompeo in Congress.

This week Brownback set April 11 as the date for the special election. Brownback chose the first Tuesday allowed under the new state law aimed at giving military personnel an additional month to receive and return their ballots.

This will be the state’s first special congressional election since 1950.

There is no statewide election planned this year. If nothing changes then the race for Pompeo’s seat would be the only one on the ballot for 425,000 registered voters in the Fourth District. One candidate from each party will be included on the ballot.

Candidates will have had 25 days from when the election date was announced to obtain signatures from 4 percent of registered voters in the district.

The Republican, Democrat and Libertarian parties are all working on the details for the special election.

At the Republican and Democratic conventions, delegates will vote for the candidate they want. Republicans have 126 delegates and Democrats have 46.

The Libertarian party is expected to hold a convention for its voters.

The Kansas Republicans will host their convention to select a delegate on Feb. 9 at Friends University, Davis Administration Building Auditorium, Wichita. Doors open for delegate credentialing at 6 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7. The convention is open to the public.

The Kansas Democrats will conduct a special election convention at 1 p.m. on Feb. 11 at the Sedgwick County Court House jury room, 525 N. Main, Wichita.

The April 11 special election will be conducted at the counties’ expense and handled like any other election.

Counties in the 4th Congressional District are: Barber, Butler, Chautauqua, Comanche, Cowley, Edwards, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Kiowa, Pawnee, Pratt, Sedgwick, Stafford and Sumner.

The candidates are:

Republicans:

Ron Estes

Ron Estes wants to make a difference in Washington, D.C., and he wants to serve as the next congressman in the 4th District.

“I think a lot of it is we all feel like we need to change Washington,” he said. “In the private sector, Sedgwick County and State Treasurer’s offices, I’ve been able to solve problems, find efficiencies and get results. I understand how to engineer conservative change.

“I will take that track record to Washington where I will work every day to cut spending, protect our country, eliminate excessive regulations, and fight for the traditional Kansas values we share.”

He said they were under laws and regulations from the federal level. He said instead of just figuring out how to work under those laws, they needed to figure out how to change them.

Estes said the things he would focus on would be similar to those he saw as state treasurer, an office he was elected to in 2010 and re-elected to in 2014. Those issues include the Dodd-Frank law which he said has an impact on the financial services industry, as well as pensions.

“We’ve seen important mutual fund companies and investors who can’t work with us,” he said.

The budget is another important issue for him.

“We can’t keep spending more than we bring in,” he said.

Estes filed earlier this week, holding his kickoff on Wednesday.

“I’ve really been encouraged with the amount of support,” he said. “I’ve been at the grassroots for years. They know me already and encouraged me to run.”

Some of that experience includes being a precinct committeeman for 18 years and being involved as a delegate for the 4th District. he also served as the vice chair of the state party. Before that he was in the Young Republicans.

“Part of the exciting part is President Trump campaigned as an agent of change,” he said. “The American people are really looking for change in a lot of ways.”

He said Trump has made good appointments and started the week with several good executive orders.

“I think the whole general economic outlook is better,” Estes said. “We’re excited about where we are.”

Now Estes is working on talking with the delegates and getting their support.

“We’ve got a lot of delegates committed to us,” he said.

Todd Tiahrt

The crowded field of people interested in the seat include Republican Todd Tiahrt, former congressman. Pompeo won the seat in 2010 when Tiahrt gave it up to run unsuccessfully for the Senate. Pompeo defeated Tiahrt in the 2014 Republican primary race.

Tiahrt has recently stated that his experience and conservative credentials matter because the 4th District will need to have representation who can be engaged and active from day one. He is hosting a special meeting from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. today at the American Legion Hall in Newton.

Alan Cobb

Introduced by Bob Dool, former 4th Congressional District Republican Party Chairman, as “not only a friend of the president, a friend of mine, but also a friend of Kansas, of Wichita and the US Constitution,” Alan Cobb announced his candidacy this week for the 4th District seat.

Cobb, who was adopted at six weeks old and raised in Andover and Wichita, said that defending the sanctity of life is very personal to him. “I am so thankful my birth mother did not choose abortion. She gave me an opportunity for an incredible life – and I will never – never stop fighting for the rights of the unborn,” Cobb stated.

Cobb also advocated for protecting personal liberties, such as the right to bear arms and for religious liberty, saying “Government should protect these rights, not stymie them. These rights are endowed by our Creator, not by government.”

Cobb also spoke about national security, the importance of McConnell AFB, and the need for the nation to secure its borders.

“Protecting our citizens should be the first role of any government,” Cobb stated. “I embrace immigrants who come to our country the right way, who follow our laws, but it is unfair to those immigrants, and to the American people, to have a porous border where we have no controls and no knowledge of who our new neighbors might be.”

On the economy, Cobb expressed a free-market approach is the best for encouraging entrepreneurship and economic growth. Cobb, 51, has spent much of his life working to promote lower taxes and free-market principles.

Until last week, Cobb was serving on the Trump administration’s transition team, working on national outreach and with the Department of Agriculture, after having served as Director of Coalitions for the presidential campaign.

Cobb has also served as deputy state director for then Senator Bob Dole, been an advocate for Wichita companies involved in manufacturing parts for the aviation industry, as a senior advisor to Mike Pompeo, and as an employee of Koch Industries.

“I have been fortunate to have broad experiences, which share a common goal of making government more efficient, promoting our conservative Kansas values, and allowing families to keep more of their hard-earned dollars,” stated Cobb. “With this experience and my understanding of the new Trump administration, I know I can hit the ground running and effectively represent our values in Washington.”

Joseph Ashby

Joseph Ashby also hopes to be the next congressman in the 4th District.

“This is the only the third time in the post-war era that the GOP has had majorities in the House and Senate and held the White House,” he said of what made him decide to run. “I think we have a real chance to do right by future generations, by the constitution and preserve what’s great about America for another generation. To do that we’re going to need as many people as possible who are willing to buck Washtontonian politics and make tough but correct decisions.”

There are several issues important to him.

“Tax, regulatory and spending reform are high on to-do list,” he said. “We can’t keep burdening our job creators with impossibly complicated rules. We also can’t be spending hundreds of billions more than we take in. Restoring each individual’s choices in healthcare by repealing Obamacare and putting forth a free-market alternative is key to medical affordability. My own family had our insurance policy cancelled because it no longer complied with all the new rules. The approved alternatives had higher premiums and much higher deductibles. That kind of destructive policy must be undone.”

Ashby has experience as an aerospace engineer, a classroom teacher and entrepreneur, which he said has helped him understand the challenges facing the major industries and the individuals of the 4th district.

“Also my years as a talk radio host uniquely prepared me to understand the issues and operation of the political world, while still allowing me to bring an outsider perspective to the issues,” he said. “The radio station even prepared me to have an informed voice on agriculture issues as KQAM is the flagship of the Mid-America Ag network and routinely reported on the world of agriculture.

“Politicians routinely disappoint us,” he continued. “They promise to bring common sense and bravery to office and seemingly abandon both as soon as they arrive in Washington. I don’t think we can afford to let it happen this time. The country has too much debt, the culture had too far degraded. Now more than ever we don’t need people who say their conservative to win elections, but who are conservative, through and through.”

Democrats:

Laura Lombard

Laura Lombard has announced she is seeking Democrat Party’s nomination for the 4th District seat.

“Prior to this past election cycle, I was content to work on building my international business development organization,” she said. “Like many, however, I became deeply concerned about the future of our country. In the days and weeks following the election, I felt as if I was going through a personal loss. This loss was for the future we hoped for ourselves and for future generations. At first, I felt disheartened and that there was nothing I could do. But then Congressman Pompeo was selected as the new CIA director, opening the Congressional seat for my hometown district. I realized now is the time to fight for a better future. Now is the time to step up and become more politically involved.”

She said there are three main issues on which she would like to focus: job creation through bringing in new businesses and supporting entrepreneurship, education at all levels (primary, college, vocational training, and adult education), and national security.

When asked what experience qualifies her for this position, she said, “My educational and career background is in international relations, economics, trade, and business development. I have a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Kansas in Political Science and a Master's of Arts from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in International Relations and Economics. I worked for Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen at The Cohen Group and then founded MENA Consultants, an organization that facilitates exports and business development internationally. I am the president of the Board of Directors and executive director of that organization. I am also on the Board of Directors for the C3 Summit, and I am the co-chair of the Middle East & North Africa committee for the Women in International Trade.”

Lombard is a fifth generation Kansan.

“Now, I am excited to utilize my education and work experience to make a positive difference for the community that gave me so much and to fight for a brighter future for Kansas and our country,” she said.

Dennis McKinney

Dennis McKinney is seeking the Democrat Party’s nomination to run for the 4th District Congressional seat.

McKinney, former State treasurer and House Democratic leader, was elected to nine terms in the State Legislature representing a large, rural district in south-central Kansas that includes Barber County, Kiowa County, Kingman County, Comanche County, and parts of Harper County.

“Kansas desperately needs tested leadership in these times of adversity,” said McKinney. “We cannot take Gov. Brownback’s agenda of failure to Washington.”

McKinney is a fourth generation farmer and rancher in Comanche and Kiowa counties. Throughout his two decades serving Kansas, he is well known for reaching common sense solutions for Kansans.

“Kansans are struggling each day to make ends meet. I will work diligently to reverse the decades long decline of jobs and economic opportunities for the 4th District. We cannot allow the failed policies of Topeka to infect Washington, where we shower the wealthy with large tax cuts while cutting social security, Medicare and child care tax benefits,” McKinney remarked.

He is a graduate of Wichita State University earning both a bachelor's degree as well as a master’s degree in Public Administration. He is a member of the Greensburg Methodist church. Dennis and his wife Jean make their home in Greensburg. They have two adult daughters and one grandson.

Charlie Walker

Charlie Walker also is running to be the Democrat nominee for the 4th Congressional District.

“I am a police officer in Andover; I have a master’s in Theological Studies, and I'm proud to live with my family in Augusta,” he said.

“I'm running because for too long Kansas has been moving backwards. People want an elected leader who actually works for the people. People who have been in this position have been acting just as petty and reckless with their position as many in Topeka have been.

“The Sam Brownback ‘failed experiment’ model is being championed by the new administration, and Kansas, nor the American people can afford it,” he continued. “I'm running not only to be a voice of reason against such bad policy, but specifically on securing Social Security for our retirees, my generation, and my children's generation. I'm running to secure and expand the highly successful programs of Medicare and Medicaid doing so will be the real healthcare solution that Obamacare was not. And we need to revitalize the economy of the Kansas 4th. We have a highly trained manufacturing and aviation workforce. That skilled workforce gives us an advantage here in the Kansas 4th to attract several new industries, such as green energy companies. I will be fighting for these things while at the same time protecting women's rights and civil rights. Equality for all is at the heart of what makes Kansas people some of the most tolerable and respectful people in the union.

“I believe that our platform appeals to all Kansans, not just Democrats. I look forward to representing the great people of this district, and giving them a voice for all in Washington for a change.”

Other candidates who have said they are running for the seat but did not reply before press time include Republicans George Bruce and Pete Meitzner and Democrats Robert Tillman and James Thompson.