In the Republican primary for KS Governor: Stand Up Blue Valley endorses Vicki Schmidt

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗿:

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝗽 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗞𝗦 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗦 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗶𝗱𝘁.

Vicki Schmidt has a long history of public service in Kansas. She served as a state Senator from 2005 - 2018 and is now serving her second term as KS Insurance Commissioner. Schmidt is widely respected and viewed as a moderate Republican. She has a strong pro-public education voting history. In the KsLeg, her votes mirrored Blue Valley’s moderate Republican Senator John Skubal. As KS Insurance Commissioner, Schmidt has earned praise for bringing efficiency and professionalism to the department.

We urge voters who are registered Republican to vote for Vicki Schmidt in the Republican primary on Tues., Aug. 4, 2026 (with Advance Voting starting on Sat., July 18) . Unaffiliated voters can request a R or D ballot and choose to vote in either party’s primary. In the November general election, voters can select from ANY candidate on their ballot, regardless of political party. The primary election serves to narrow the field to one Republican and one Democrat for the November general election.

There are 7 total candidates for KS Governor on the Republican primary ballot. 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗶𝗱𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗽𝗿𝗼-𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆.

Let’s take a brief look at the other candidates:

𝘛𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯, in his role as KS Senate President. has been the ringleader of the legislative supermajority responsible for anti-public education, anti-voting rights, and anti-parents’ rights legislation. 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦 𝘖’𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘢, well-known to many JoCo voters, has described herself as pro-voucher for decades. She was supported by Johnson County Moms for Liberty in her failed 2022 bid for re-election to the Johnson County Commission. According to ksnt.com, “𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘙𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳 said in a press release that he is running on a campaign to de-schedule cannabis and to oppose what he called Marxist ideologies.” 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘙𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴’ answers to a Ballotpedia survey are straight out of the anti-public education playbook of lies from Americans for (Their Own) Prosperity (AFP) and the Kansas Policy Institute (KPI) - dark-money, anti-public education organizations that actively work against our kids’ BV Schools. 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘚𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘪 supports vouchers and irresponsible tax cuts (we saw the damage that resulted when Brownback & Co. attempted their “March to Zero”). 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘣 served in the KsLeg before being elected as KS Secretary of State - where he’s tried to appear moderate. But in KsLeg, he voted 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 funding our public schools and 𝗳𝗼𝗿 vouchers (2014, 2016); as Secretary of State, he joined KS Attorney General Kris Kobach in spreading 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 lies. 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘣 𝘪𝘴 𝘕𝘖 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 - 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘥.

While in the Kansas Senate, Vicki Schmidt voted to oppose the 2015 budget bill that raised sales tax rather than rescind the 2012 Brownback tax disaster; she voted against voucher-like tax credit scholarships, and voted against campus carry of guns (2016). She voted in 2017 to support fully funding public education, and for a comprehensive tax reform package that passed despite a veto from Gov. Brownback (joining a bipartisan majority of legislators to override his veto). In 2018 she again voted for responsible tax policy and in support of fully funding public schools (per-pupil funding) via the finance formula.

Vicki Schmidt knows that strong public schools are one of the most valuable commodities we have in Kansas. She recognizes that Blue Valley Schools attract people and businesses to the area. She understands that any discussion of tax cuts must ensure schools stay funded. Stand Up Blue Valley’s Steering Committee recently met with Vicki Schmidt to discuss her views on public education. We have her word that fully funding public schools - including excess Special Education costs - will be a priority for her administration.

Earlier this week, we endorsed KS Sen. Cindy Holscher in the Aug. 4, 2026 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺. Remember that voters can only cast a ballot in ONE party primary for governor. Unaffiliated voters can “affiliate” at the time they vote, by requesting a ballot for either party. 

Kansas voters are fortunate to have highly qualified, pro-public education candidates on both primary ballots. We’ll talk more soon about the Constitutional amendment that EVERY voter should vote NO on, as well as other candidates you’ll see on your primary ballot.

If you want to vote by mail, go ahead and request that ballot NOW - there’s a link below. If you want to vote in person, advance polls will open Sat., July 18 at 12 JoCo locations including BV Hilltop Campus and Overland Park Arboretum Longhouse.

Aug. 4 primary election voting info:

https://www.jocoelection.org/voting-election-info/advance-voting 

Request a mail ballot for the August primary online: 

https://www.jocoelection.org/voting-election-info/advance-voting 

Voting scorecards from Mainstream Coalition

https://www.mainstreamcoalition.org/voting_scorecards