Politics

Kansas Republican Launched Senate Campaign by Misspelling His Own Name Before Declaring Candidacy

The Kansas Republican spelled his own first name as "Chris" multiple times on a document filing to run for Senate

Published on July 8, 2019 02:45 PM

Kris Kobach’s Senate campaign has barely started, but it’s already off to a rocky start.

The Kansas Republican misspelled his own first name as “Chris” multiple times on a document filing to run for Senate in 2020 on Monday, including his signature on the electronically filed form. The typo was corrected shortly after.

Kobach, who previously served as secretary of state from 2011-19 under Governor Sam Brownback, announced his candidacy that same day. The race would be for the seat being vacated by long-serving Republican Pat Roberts at the end of the term.

Kobach — controversial in the Republican Party for his hardline stances on immigration and voting rights, along with being one of President Donald Trump’s earliest and most vocal supporters — lost Kansas’ race for governor to Democrat Laura Kelly in 2018 by five percent of the vote. The National Republican Senatorial Committee recently criticized Kobach’s candidacy.

“Just last year Kris Kobach ran and lost to a Democrat. Now, he wants to do the same and simultaneously put President Trump’s presidency and Senate Majority at risk,” Joanna Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the NRSC, told the Kansas City Star. “We know Kansans won’t let that happen and we look forward to watching the Republican candidate they do choose win next fall.”

Last year, a judge ordered Kobach, who has a Yale law degree, to take remedial legal classes after he was found in contempt of court for defending his Kansas law requiring voters to provide documents proving citizenship. He completed these classes in January.

This past May, The New York Times obtained Kobach’s list of demands to be considered for Trump’s “immigration czar.” It included 24/7 jet access for weekly trips to the Mexican-American border and a promise to be nominated for homeland security secretary by Nov. 1, 2019.

Kobach joins two other announced Republicans running for Roberts’ Senate seat — including Jake LaTurner, the Kansas treasurer who at 29 became the youngest statewide elected official in 2017.