REPLACING:
Jake LaTurner (R)
WORK HISTORY:
Husch Blackwell LLP (Partner); Kansas Office of the Attorney General (Attorney General); Scovel Emert Heasty & Chubb (Of Counsel); Kansas Office of the Governor (Special Counsel/Legislative Liaison); Kansas Office of the Attorney General (Assistant Attorney General); Sen. Chuck Hagel (Legislative Director/General Counsel); Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker (Legislative Assistant/Correspondent); University Daily Kansan (Chief Editor); Arizona Republic (Pulliam Journalism Reporting Fellow); Post-Tribune (Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Editing Intern); Rep. Tom Tauke (Communications Intern); L&D Lawn Service (Co-Founder) [i]
EDUCATION:
SJD, University of Kansas School of Law; JD, Georgetown University Law Center; MA, University of Leicester, BS, University of Kansas [ii]
CAMPAIGNED ON:
Inflation and The High Prices Burdening Our Families; Illegal Immigration and the Need to Secure Our Borders; Intrusion of Big Government Into Our Lives Through Overregulation and Over Taxation [iii]
ON THE ISSUES
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:
Endorsed by the Kansans for Life Political Action Committee, Schmidt has said Kansas’ 2022 statewide vote – in which voters rejected an amendment to the constitution to allow the legislature to restrict or ban abortion – “does not mean the discussion has ended.” [iv] [v] He also said he voted “yes” on the constitutional amendment and has previously praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. [vi] In the Kansas legislature, he voted several times to restrict abortion or increase oversight of late term or partial birth abortion. [vii]
IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:
During his 2022 gubernatorial campaign, Schmidt suggested he would model Kansas’ immigration policies off of those of Ron DeSantis in Florida, stating, “If rerouting the influx of migrants to sanctuary cities filled with some of our nation’s richest and most powerful elites will force Democrats to finally take this issue seriously — as Kansans have for decades — I’m all for it.” [viii] As Attorney General, Schmidt took numerous actions on immigration, including demanding Trump terminate DACA. [ix]
ECONOMY & JOBS:
Endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Schmidt has argued that the free enterprise system is the “greatest anti-poverty force in history” and that he will support “public policies that grow our economy and create opportunity.” [x]
TAXES:
Schmidt said he was running for Congress in-part to“help extend tax relief” for Kansans, citing that many of the provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expire in 2025. [xi] In May 2024, he signed Americans for Tax Reform’s pledge to not vote for any new income tax increases. [xii]
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:
Schmidt used “Defund the Police” to attack his Democratic opponent during his 2022 gubernatorial campaign and disputed systemic racism in policing. [xiii] [xiv] In his 2024 campaign, he was endorsed by the Kansas State Highway Patrol Troopers Association and the Fraternal Order of Police. [xv]
CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:
As Attorney General, Schmidt sued the Biden administration over cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline and fought the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan. He eschewed discussing climate issues during his 2022 gubernatorial campaign but has more recently advocated for America having an “abundant, affordable energy supply,” decried electric vehicle mandates, called for supporting oil and gas producers, and called for reducing reliance on “Chinese manufactured solar panels to provide unreliable energy.” [xvi] [xvii]
FOREIGN POLICY:
Schmidt has said the U.S. should be “steadfast” in its support for Israel, and that he is “dedicated to keeping it strong” due to its strategic and value alignment. [xviii] When asked whether the U.S. should do more about the war in Ukraine, Schmidt said “I do not believe we should appropriate additional resources to Ukraine until our own borders are secure,” and that he will support President Trump’s efforts to end the war “and eliminate the threat Putin’s aggression poses to our NATO allies.” [xix]
HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:
Schmidt was among a coalition of Republican attorneys general who brought a lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act. [xx] He has said “we must be realistic about the unfunded liabilities [of Social Security] and look at changing the way those funds are invested to provide a greater return.” [xxi]
DEMOCRACY:
Before the 2020 election, Schmidt sent aides to participate in a “war games” summit focused on figuring out how to respond should Trump lose – after Biden won, the group which organized that summit placed robocalls urging people to march on the Capitol. Schmidt also supported a Texas lawsuit to challenge the election result. [xxii]
SOCIAL ISSUES:
Schmidt was viewed as a moderate Republican during his tenure in the Kansas Senate, but during his gubernatorial campaign, he reportedly embraced “far-right talking points,” including about vaccines, transgender kids, and critical race theory. [xxiii] As Attorney General, Schmidt challenged the Biden administration’s guidance on transgender student sport policies. [xxiv]
[i] Incoming Rep. Derek Schmidt, LegiStorm, available at https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/495840/Derek_Larkin_Schmidt.html.
[ii] Derek Schmidt, Husch Blackwell, available at https://www.huschblackwell.com/professionals/derek-schmidt.
[iii] Derek Schmidt Twitter, October 28, 2024, available at https://x.com/DerekSchmidtKS/status/1851004574066512138.
[iv] John Hanna, “GOP nominee for Kansas governor tries to flip abortion issue,” AP News, September 10, 2022, available at https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-presidential-legislature-cd8d1d6f24da4612b7faeb325a4611bf.
[v] Derek Schmidt for Congress, available at https://derekschmidt.com/.
[vi] American Bridge 21st Century: Repro Files, Derek Schmidt, available at https://repro-files.com/candidates/derekschmidt/abortion.
[vii] Derek Schmidt’s Political Summary on Issue: Abortion, Vote Smart, available at https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/34451/derek-schmidt?categoryId=2&type=V,S,R,E,F,P.
[viii] Savannah Hawley-Bates, “Derek Schmidt pledges to model Kansas immigration and school policies off Ron DeSantis,” KCUR 89.3, September 18, 2022, available at https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-18/derek-schmidt-pledges-to-model-kansas-immigration-and-school-policies-off-ron-desantis.
[ix] Rachel Mipro, “Derek Schmidt reflects on his 12 years as Kansas attorney general in farewell letter,” Kansas Reflector, January 5, 2023, available at https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/05/derek-schmidt-reflects-on-his-12-years-as-kansas-attorney-general-in-farewell-letter/.
[x] Press Release, “U.S. Chamber Endorses Candidate Derek Schmidt for Kansas’s 2nd Congressional District” US Chamber of Commerce, October 24, 2024, available at https://www.uschamber.com/improving-government/elections/u-s-chamber-endorses-candidate-derek-schmidt-for-kansass-2nd-congressional-district.
[xi] Derek Schmidt Twitter, May 17, 2024, available at https://twitter.com/DerekSchmidtKS/status/1791517295639982493.
[xii] Preston Shirazi, “Derek Schmidt Makes “No New Taxes” Promise to Voters in KS-02 Race” Americans for Tax Reform, May 23, 2024, available at https://www.atr.org/derek-schmidt-makes-no-new-taxes-promise-to-voters-in-ks-02-race/.
[xiii] Shawn Loging, “Fact Check: Derek Schmidt’s ‘Back the Blue’ ad campaign,” KWCH, October 24, 2022, available at https://www.kwch.com/2022/10/24/fact-check-derek-schmidts-back-blue-ad-campaign/.
[xiv] Katie Bernard, “Schmidt disputes systemic racism in policing, calls George Floyd’s murder an isolated incident,” Kansas City Star, October 11, 2022, available at https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article267160636.html.
[xv] Derek Schmidt for Congress, available at https://derekschmidt.com/.
[xvi] The Kansas City Star Editorial Board, “Derek Schmidt’s GOP ex-boss has seen the light on climate change. Has the Kansas AG?” The Kansas City Star, May 5, 2022, available at https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article261077187.html.
[xvii] Laura McMillan, “Derek Schmidt – Republican for US House District 2” KSN News, October 15, 2024, available at https://www.ksn.com/news/your-local-election-hq/candidates/derek-schmidt-republican-for-us-house-district-2/.
[xviii] Laura McMillan, “Derek Schmidt – Republican for US House District 2” KSN News, October 15, 2024, available at https://www.ksn.com/news/your-local-election-hq/candidates/derek-schmidt-republican-for-us-house-district-2/.
[xix] Laura McMillan, “Derek Schmidt – Republican for US House District 2” KSN News, October 15, 2024, available at https://www.ksn.com/news/your-local-election-hq/candidates/derek-schmidt-republican-for-us-house-district-2/.
[xx] Bryan Lowry, “Kansas and Missouri AGs on the losing side as Supreme Court upholds Obamacare – again,” Kansas City Star, June 17, 2021, available at https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article252183453.html.
[xxi] Laura McMillan, “Derek Schmidt – Republican for US House District 2” KSN News, October 15, 2024, available at https://www.ksn.com/news/your-local-election-hq/candidates/derek-schmidt-republican-for-us-house-district-2/.
[xxii] Sherman Smith, “Derek Schmidt announces run for Congress, pays tribute to Donald Trump and MAGA,” Kansas Reflector, April 26, 2024, available at https://kansasreflector.com/2024/04/26/derek-schmidt-announces-run-for-congress-pays-tribute-to-donald-trump-and-maga/.
[xxiii] Sherman Smith, “Derek Schmidt announces run for Congress, pays tribute to Donald Trump and MAGA,” Kansas Reflector, April 26, 2024, available at https://kansasreflector.com/2024/04/26/derek-schmidt-announces-run-for-congress-pays-tribute-to-donald-trump-and-maga/.
[xxiv] Rachel Mipro, “Derek Schmidt reflects on his 12 years as Kansas attorney general in farewell letter,” Kansas Reflector, January 5, 2023, available at https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/05/derek-schmidt-reflects-on-his-12-years-as-kansas-attorney-general-in-farewell-letter/.
