Derek Schmidt

Derek Schmidt

Republican Party

Candidate, U.S. House Kansas District 2

U.S. House Kansas District 2

Tenure

2025 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

0

Predecessor

Jacob LaTurner

Prior offices

Kansas State Senate District 15

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Attorney General of Kansas

Successor: Kris Kobach

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Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

High school

Independence High School

Bachelor's

University of Kansas

Graduate

University of Leicester

Law

Georgetown University Law Center

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

Derek Schmidt (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Kansas' 2nd Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Schmidt (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Kansas' 2nd Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Biography

Derek Schmidt graduated from Independence High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kansas, a master's degree in international politics from the University of Leicester, a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center, and a doctorate in law from the University of Kansas School of Law. His career experience includes working as an assistant to former U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum and former Senator Chuck Hagel, an assistant to the Kansas Attorney General, a special counsel to the Governor of Kansas, and as a lawyer with the law firm of Scovel, Emert, Heasty & Chubb. Schmidt served as the director of Independence Industries Incorporated and the Kansas State Historical Society.

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2025-2026

Schmidt was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Judiciary
• Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee
• Oversight Subcommittee
• The Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust Subcommittee
• Committee on Small Business
• Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development
• Rural Development, Energy, and Supply Chains
• House Committee on Armed Services
• Military Personnel
• Readiness
• Tactical Air and Land Forces

Elections

2026

See also: Kansas' 2nd Congressional District election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Kansas District 2

Incumbent Derek Schmidt and Don Coover are running in the general election for U.S. House Kansas District 2 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Derek Schmidt (R)
	Submit photo	Don Coover (D)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Schmidt received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

• President Donald Trump (R)

2024

See also: Kansas' 2nd Congressional District election, 2024

Kansas' 2nd Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Republican primary)

Kansas' 2nd Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Kansas District 2

Derek Schmidt defeated Nancy Boyda and John Hauer in the general election for U.S. House Kansas District 2 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Derek Schmidt (R)	57.1	172,847
		Nancy Boyda (D)	38.2	115,685
		John Hauer (L)	4.7	14,229

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 302,761
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Michael Soetaert (D)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Kansas District 2

Nancy Boyda defeated Matthew Kleinmann in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kansas District 2 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nancy Boyda	51.7	13,571
		Matthew Kleinmann	48.3	12,670

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 26,241
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joseph Swain (D)
• Eli Woody IV (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Kansas District 2

Derek Schmidt defeated Shawn Tiffany, Jeff Kahrs, Chad Young, and Michael Ogle in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kansas District 2 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Derek Schmidt	53.1	34,971
		Shawn Tiffany	19.8	13,013
		Jeff Kahrs	17.7	11,634
		Chad Young	5.2	3,412
		Michael Ogle	4.3	2,858

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 65,888
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Kansas District 2

John Hauer advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Kansas District 2 on April 20, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		John Hauer (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Schmidt received the following endorsements.

• Former President Donald Trump (R)

Pledges

Schmidt signed the following pledges.

• U.S. Term Limits

2022

Governor

See also: Kansas gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Kansas

Incumbent Laura Kelly defeated Derek Schmidt, Dennis Pyle, and Seth Cordell in the general election for Governor of Kansas on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Laura Kelly (D)	49.5	499,849
		Derek Schmidt (R)	47.3	477,591
		Dennis Pyle (Independent)	2.0	20,452
		Seth Cordell (L)	1.1	11,106

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,008,998
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Kansas

Incumbent Laura Kelly defeated Richard Karnowski in the Democratic primary for Governor of Kansas on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Laura Kelly	93.8	270,968
	Submit photo	Richard Karnowski	6.2	17,802

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 288,770
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Kansas

Derek Schmidt defeated Arlyn Briggs in the Republican primary for Governor of Kansas on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Derek Schmidt	80.6	373,542
	Submit photo	Arlyn Briggs	19.4	89,898

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 463,440
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Kent McElroy (R)
• Jeff Colyer (R)
• Richard Duncan (R)
• Chase LaPorte (R)

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Governor of Kansas

Seth Cordell advanced from the Libertarian convention for Governor of Kansas on April 23, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Seth Cordell (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Attorney General

See also: Kansas Attorney General election, 2022

Derek Schmidt did not file to run for re-election.

2018

See also: Kansas Attorney General election, 2018

General election

General election for Attorney General of Kansas

Incumbent Derek Schmidt defeated Sarah Swain in the general election for Attorney General of Kansas on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Derek Schmidt (R)	59.0	614,436
		Sarah Swain (D)	41.0	427,289

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,041,725
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Kansas

Sarah Swain advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Kansas on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sarah Swain	100.0	140,503

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 140,503
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Kansas

Incumbent Derek Schmidt advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Kansas on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Derek Schmidt	100.0	269,212

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 269,212
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

See also: Kansas attorney general election, 2014

Schmidt ran for re-election 2014. He was uncontested in the Republican primary on August 5, 2014, and faced Democrat A.J. Kotich in the general election. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

Results

Attorney General of Kansas, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Derek Schmidt Incumbent	66.8%	564,766
	Democratic	A.J. Kotich	33.2%	281,105
Total Votes				845,871
Election results via Kansas Secretary of State

2010

See also: Kansas Attorney General election, 2010

Schmidt won election as Kansas Attorney General in the November 2010 general election, defeating Democrat Steve Six and Libertarian Dennis Hawver.

Kansas Attorney General, General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Derek Schmidt	54.9%	458,497
	Democratic	Steve Six	41.9%	349,340
	Libertarian	Dennis Hawver	3.2%	26,867
Total Votes				834,704
Election results via Kansas Secretary of State

Kansas Attorney General, Republican Primary, 2010
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Derek Schmidt	76.4%	208,611
Ralph J. De Zago	23.6%	64,493
Total Votes		273,104
Election results via Kansas Secretary of State.

2008

Schmidt won re-election to Kansas State Senate District 15. He was unopposed in both the general election and primary.

Kansas State Senate, District 15 General Election, 2008
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Derek Schmidt Incumbent	100%	24,259
Total Votes				24,259

2004

Schmidt won re-election to Kansas State Senate District 15. He was unopposed in both the general election and primary.

Kansas State Senate, District 15 General Election, 2004
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Derek Schmidt Incumbent	100%	24,307
Total Votes				24,307

2000

Schmidt won election to Kansas State Senate District 15, defeating Democrat Johnetta C. Shelton in the November general election.

Kansas State Senate, District 15 General Election, 2004
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Derek Schmidt	73.4%	17,230
	Democratic	Johnetta C. Shelton	26.6%	6,240
Total Votes				23,470

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Derek Schmidt has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Derek Schmidt asking him to fill out the survey. If you are Derek Schmidt, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

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You can ask Derek Schmidt to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing derek@derekschmidt.com.

2024

Derek Schmidt did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Candidate statement

Schmidt’s campaign website stated the following:

“	President Biden and the radicals he enables have unleashed a dangerous agenda on our country. Those of us who represent Kansas conservative values need to stand up and fight back. In Congress, I will work to secure our border, fight overreach from a federal government that doesn't understand or respect our way of life, and stop the federal government from making daily life increasingly expensive and difficult. My steady guidepost will be what is best for the people of the Second District and for America. These past four years have made clear that America was stronger when President Trump served in the White House, and I look forward to working with him and others next year - yes, to truly make America great again. Kansans know me and my longstanding support for our freedoms that generations of Americans have sacrificed so much to defend, for law and order, for Veterans and those currently serving in our armed forces, for farmers and ranchers, for small businesses, for our great Kansas colleges and universities, for life, and for the Second Amendment. They know I am proud to be a Kansan. Always have been. It would be an honor to be your voice in Congress. I respectfully ask for your vote.	”
—Derek Schmidt’s campaign website (2024)

2022

Derek Schmidt did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Derek Schmidt campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House Kansas District 2	Candidacy Declared general	$329,632	$102,012
2024*	U.S. House Kansas District 2	Won general	$1,266,628	$1,228,127
2022	Governor of Kansas	Lost general	$4,634,549	$0
2010	Kansas Attorney General*	Won	$852,754	N/A**
2008	Kansas State Senate District 15	Won	$119,229	N/A**
2004	Kansas State Senate District 15	Won	$69,184	N/A**
2000	Kansas State Senate District 15	Won	$62,201	N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable ballot measure endorsements by Derek Schmidt

Measure	Position	Outcome
Kansas Constitutional Amendment 1, Legislative Veto or Suspension of Executive Agency Regulations Amendment (2022)  source	Support	Defeated
Kansas Constitutional Amendment 2, County Sheriff Election and Recall Amendment (2022)  source	Support	Approved

Personal finance disclosures

Members of the House are required to file financial disclosure reports. You can search disclosure reports on the House’s official website here.

Analysis

Below are links to scores and rankings Ballotpedia compiled for members of Congress. We chose analyses that help readers understand how each individual legislator fit into the context of the chamber as a whole in terms of ideology, bill advancement, bipartisanship, and more.

If you would like to suggest an analysis for inclusion in this section, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.

119th Congress (2025-2027)

Rankings and scores for the 119th Congress

• GovTrack Ideology scores

Ideological scores for members of Congress based on patterns of co-sponsorship

• Center for Effective Lawmaking scores

Effectiveness scores based on bills sponsored, actions taken on sponsored bills, and substantiveness of bills

• Lugar - McCourt Bipartisan Index

Bipartisan rankings based on cross-party bill co-sponsorship

Ballot measure activity

The following table details Schmidt's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:

Ballot measure support and opposition for Derek Schmidt
Ballot measure	Year	Position	Status
Kansas Constitutional Amendment 1, Legislative Veto or Suspension of Executive Agency Regulations Amendment (2022)	2022	Supported	d Defeated
Kansas Constitutional Amendment 2, County Sheriff Election and Recall Amendment (2022)	2022	Supported	a Approved

See also

2026 Elections

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Candidate

U.S. House Kansas District 2

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U.S. House Kansas District 2

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Jacob LaTurner (R)	U.S. House Kansas District 2 2025-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Attorney General of Kansas 2011-2023	Succeeded by Kris Kobach (R)
Preceded by -	Kansas State Senate District 15 2001-2011	Succeeded by -

[show]

Kansas' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Roger Marshall (R)

Jerry Moran (R)

Representatives

District 1

Tracey Mann (R)

District 2

Derek Schmidt (R)

District 3

Sharice Davids (D)

District 4

Ron Estes (R)

Republican Party (5)

Democratic Party (1)