Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.), a member of the hardline conservative Freedom Caucus, lost to a political newcomer on Tuesday in the Republican primary for his Kansas district.
He was defeated by Roger Marshall, an obstetrician from Great Bend, in the primary for the First Congressional District, which covers western Kansas and much of the state’s center. Marshall won with the support of business groups and the agriculture lobby, which had opposed Huleskamp after then Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) had him removed from the Agriculture Committee in 2012, a crucial position for a legislator from a farm state.
Huelskamp was a frequent critic of Boehner, who resigned last year amid strife with the Republican Party’s right wing.
Marshall had the support of the Kansas Farm Bureau, the Kansas Livestock Association, the National Association of Wheat Growers and the US Chamber of Commerce. There is no Democratic challenger for the seat, though Alan LaPolice, a farmer and educator who challenged Huelskamp for the 2014 Republican nomination, is poised to run as an independent.
Early Wednesday morning, with 100% of the precincts reporting, Marshall led Huelskamp 57% to 44%, according to unofficial results from the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office.
Comments: The election results show the impact of agriculture in key farm states. And could be a factor in more races in the future. One such state could be Texas in 2018 when Sen. Ted Cruz is up for reelection. If he again plays negative on farm bill or other ag-related issues, look for the ag sector to try to woo a potential winning challenger, someone like former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who was also a former ag commissioner in the state. Also, Cruz has announced an agriculture roundtable in West Texas for Aug. 11, a session which came just hours after Breitbart Texas published a report suggesting Cruz had not done much to help Texas farmers, including cotton farmers who have been pressing other lawmakers for action as well.
