A former U.S. Navy intelligence officer is running as a Democrat for Congress in eastern Kansas. Patrick Schmidt, 30, announced his candidacy Tuesday and is the first Democrat seeking to challenge freshman Republican Rep. Jake LaTurner in 2022.
Schmidt’s campaign finance director said he moved to Topeka after leaving active duty military service earlier this year and that five generations of his family lived in Pittsburg in the district’s southeast corner.
LaTurner's campaign spokesperson took a dig at Schmidt for so recently moving to Topeka, saying LaTurner's campaign is happy to recommend a good realtor if that’s helpful.