Republicans hold on to competitive Kansas House seat

Kansas State Treasurer Jake LaTurner (R) is projected to win the race for Kansas’s 2nd Congressional District, defeating Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla (D).

The Associated Press called the race at 11:02 p.m. EST.

LaTurner was elected to the Kansas state Senate in 2012 and was appointed treasurer by then-Gov. Sam Brownback (R) in 2017 to replace now-Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.). He was at the time the youngest statewide official in the U.S.

LaTurner initially announced he would run in the GOP primary to replace retiring Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) but withdrew from the race in September 2019 to run in the primary for the House seat. He defeated Rep. Steve Watkins (R), who faced allegations of sexual misconduct and voter fraud, by 15 points.