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Kansas' 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (August 4 Republican primary)
- Primary date: Aug. 4
- Primary type: Semi-closed
- Registration deadline(s): July 14
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Early voting starts: July 15
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Aug. 4 (postmarked)
- Voter ID: Photo ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
2022 →
← 2018
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| Kansas' 1st Congressional District |
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 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: June 1, 2020 |
| Primary: August 4, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: Roger Marshall (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Kansas |
| Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th Kansas elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 |
Tracey Mann defeated Bill Clifford, Jerry Molstad, and Michael Soetaert in the Republican primary for Kansas' 1st Congressional District on August 4, 2020. Mann received 54% of the vote. Clifford was second with 33%.
Incumbent Rep. Roger Marshall (R) ran for U.S. Senate, leaving this safe Republican seat open.
Mann was the lieutenant governor of Kansas from 2018 to 2019. Jeff Colyer (R) appointed him, and they lost the 2018 Republican primary to Kris Kobach and Wink Hartman. Mann emphasized his background growing up on a farm and working in real estate, saying, "My experience in agriculture and business has taught me that politicians don’t create jobs; risk-takers and entrepreneurs create jobs." The Kansas Farm Bureau endorsed him.
Clifford was elected to the Finney County Commission in 2014 and previously served four terms on the Garden City Community College Board of Trustees. He was an ophthalmologist as of his 2020 campaign and is a former fighter pilot. His campaign website said he was the only candidate who "spent his life defending our freedoms, balancing budgets, creating jobs, and serving western Kansas." With Honor Fund endorsed him.
For more on candidates' backgrounds and key messages, click here.
As of August 3, 2020, satellite spending in the race focused on Clifford and Mann:[1]
- With Honor Fund had spent $418,000 supporting Clifford.
- American Values First spent $298,000 opposing Clifford and $34,000 supporting Mann.
- Americans for Prosperity Action spent $137,000 supporting Mann.
- Conservative Outsider PAC spent $102,468 opposing Mann.
This page focuses on Kansas' 1st Congressional District Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Kansas' 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (August 4 Democratic primary)
- Kansas' 1st Congressional District election, 2020
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Political party events in Kansas were modified as follows:
- Political party events: The Democratic Party of Kansas canceled in-person voting in its presidential preference primary, originally scheduled to take place on May 2, 2020. Voting instead took place by mail. The receipt deadline for mail-in ballots was May 2.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and election results
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Kansas District 1
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tracey Mann | 54.2 | 65,373 |
 | Bill Clifford | 33.1 | 39,914 | |
 | Jerry Molstad | 7.9 | 9,545 | |
 | Michael Soetaert | 4.8 | 5,756 | |
| Total votes: 120,588 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
 = 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
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[2] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Finney County Commission (Assumed office: 2015)
- Garden City Community College Board of Trustees
Biography: Clifford graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and served as an F-15 fighter pilot. He graduated from the University of Southern California Medical School and completed his residency at the University of Oklahoma. Clifford was on the faculty at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. He was a business owner, ophthalmologist, and president of the Fry Eye Surgery Center as of his 2020 campaign.
Show sources
Sources: Bill Clifford's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed July 21, 2020; YouTube, "Bill Clifford TV Ad #4 2020 Kansas 1st District Congress GOP Primary - July 6, 2020," July 6, 2020; YouTube, "Bill Clifford TV Ad #6 - 2020 KS 1st District Congress GOP Primary - July 14, 2020 - Anti-Mann," July 15, 2020; United States Air Force Academy, "Bill Clifford," accessed July 21, 2020
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Kansas District 1 in 2020.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: Lieutenant Governor of Kansas (2018-2019)
Biography: Mann grew up on a farm. He received a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Kansas State University. While in college, he interned for U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kans.). Mann has worked in commercial real estate and served on the boards of Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership and the Kansas Chamber of Commerce. Gov. Jeff Colyer (R) appointed Mann lieutenant governor in 2018. Colyer and Mann lost the August 2018 primary election to Kris Kobach and Wink Hartman.
Show sources
Sources: Tracey Mann's 2020 campaign website, "News," accessed July 21, 2020; YouTube, "Tracey Mann TV Ad #3 - 2020 Kansas District 1 GOP Primary - July 15, 2020 - 'Liberal Mob,'" July 15, 2020; YouTube, "Tracey Mann TV Ad #4 - 2020 Kansas 1st District Congress GOP Primary - July 19 - 'Clifford Liberal,'" July 15, 2020; Tracey Mann, "Get to Know Tracey," accessed July 21, 2020
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Kansas District 1 in 2020.
Campaign finance
This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[3] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[4] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Clifford | Republican Party | $1,230,461 | $1,203,883 | $26,578 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Tracey Mann | Republican Party | $1,558,493 | $1,282,296 | $276,197 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Jerry Molstad | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Michael Soetaert | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Primaries in Kansas
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Kansas, parties decide who may vote in their primaries. As of September 2025, the Democratic Party held an open primary and the Republican Party held a closed primary. Regardless of the party's rules, an unaffiliated voter can declare their affiliation with a party on the day of the primary and vote in that party's primary. Previously affiliated voters who want to change their affiliation to vote in a different party's primary must do so before the candidate filing deadline, which is June 1 or the next business day.[5][6]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[7]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[8][9][10]
| Race ratings: Kansas' 1st Congressional District election, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+24, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 24 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Kansas' 1st Congressional District the 19th most Republican nationally.[11]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.88. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.88 points toward that party.[12]
District election history
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Kansas District 1
Incumbent Roger Marshall defeated Alan LaPolice in the general election for U.S. House Kansas District 1 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Roger Marshall (R) | 68.1 | 153,082 |
 | Alan LaPolice (D) | 31.9 | 71,558 | |
| Total votes: 224,640 | |||
| = 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 U.S. House Kansas District 1
Alan LaPolice advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kansas District 1 on August 7, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Alan LaPolice | 100.0 | 17,195 |
| Total votes: 17,195 | |||
| = 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 U.S. House Kansas District 1
Incumbent Roger Marshall defeated Nick Reinecker in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kansas District 1 on August 7, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Roger Marshall | 78.7 | 64,843 |
| Nick Reinecker | 21.3 | 17,593 | ||
| Total votes: 82,436 | |||
| = 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
- Tim Huelskamp (R)
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Roger Marshall (R) defeated Alan LaPolice (I) and Kerry Burt (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Marshall defeated incumbent Tim Huelskamp in the Republican primary on August 2, 2016. No Democrats filed to run.[13][14]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Roger Marshall |
65.9% | 169,992 | |
| Independent | Alan LaPolice | 26.3% | 67,739 | |
| Libertarian | Kerry Burt | 7.5% | 19,366 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0.3% | 874 | |
| Total Votes | 257,971 | |||
| Source: Kansas Secretary of State | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Roger Marshall |
56.6% | 59,889 | ||
| Tim Huelskamp Incumbent | 43.4% | 45,997 | ||
| Total Votes | 105,886 | |||
| Source: Kansas Secretary of State |
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2014
The 1st Congressional District of Kansas held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Tim Huelskamp (R) defeated James Sherow (D) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Huelskamp Incumbent |
68% | 138,764 | |
| Democratic | Jim Sherow | 33% | 65,397 | |
| Total Votes | 204,161 | |||
| Source: Kansas Secretary of State Official Results | ||||
See also
- Kansas' 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (August 4 Democratic primary)
- Kansas' 1st Congressional District election, 2020
- United States House elections in Kansas, 2020 (August 4 Democratic primaries)
- United States House elections in Kansas, 2020 (August 4 Republican primaries)
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2020
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2020
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2020
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Open Secrets, "Kansas District 01 Race, Outside Spending," accessed August 3, 2020
- ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
- ↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, "Kan. Stat. Ann. § 25–3301," accessed September 12, 2025
- ↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, "Kan. Stat. Ann. § 25–3304," accessed September 12, 2025
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "Candidates for the 2016 Primary," accessed June 2, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Kansas House Primaries Results," August 2, 2016
