The Kansas Chamber, a top lobbying group, invited candidates to speak to its members and other voters.

Candidates running for U.S. Congress in Kansas offered their views on some of the country’s greatest ongoing debates on Wednesday at a forum hosted by the Kansas Chamber in Topeka.

Each candidate had about 10 minutes to respond to questions on a variety of topics, including health care, immigration and taxes. Six of the eight major-party candidates running in Kansas for the U.S. House attended the event.

Across party lines, candidates emphasized their support for what they called free trade policies, such as a general opposition to tariffs and subsidies.

Former Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican who is running for the open seat in the 2nd District, said one of his top priorities is reining in what he calls “overregulation” by federal agencies.

“Nobody’s arguing you don’t need federal agencies and you don’t need federal regulations, but it’s an order of magnitude … greater today than it was just two generations ago,” he said.

“It’ll take a long time to get out, and it’s not going to be headline-grabbing.”

Schmidt also said the U.S. needs to renegotiate portions of major trade deals like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

The Kansas Chamber previously endorsed Schmidt in state races for attorney general and governor.

Schmidt’s opponent, Democrat Nancy Boyda, represented the 2nd District for one term starting in 2007. Boyda describes herself as a centrist, having switched from the GOP to the Democratic Party more than 20 years ago.

At the forum, she said Congress has failed to do its job because of continued partisan gridlock. That has caused presidents to issue more executive orders in recent decades, she said.

“This dysfunction is absolutely killing our country,” she said. “Doing anything I can to get the right and the left to speak to each other – that’s just what I’ve been about for 20 years.”

Boyda also emphasized her support for reproductive rights and indicated she believes the corporate income tax is too low in the U.S.

The 2nd District seat is open this November because Republican incumbent Jake LaTurner did not seek reelection to spend more time with his young children.

Candidates from both parties at the forum advocated reforms to the immigration system, like expanding work visas or easing the pathway to citizenship.

Dr. Prasanth Reddy, a Republican running to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids in the 3rd District, immigrated to the United States from India with his family as a child. He said immigrants are the “driving engine” of the country.

“We should be pro-immigration. The question is: What’s the right policy?” he said. “The folks that are doing it the right way are being punished, and we’re letting people kind of jump the line.”

Reddy’s opponent, Davids, did not attend the forum due to a scheduling conflict. The chamber says she plans to attend one of its other events soon.

Candidates for the 1st District, Republican incumbent Tracey Mann and Democrat Paul Buskirk, also attended the forum, along with Republican incumbent Ron Estes from the 4th District. Estes’ opponent, Democrat Esau Freeman, did not attend. It’s not clear if Libertarian candidates John Hauer and Steve Roberts were invited.

The Kansas Chamber is one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Topeka, with member businesses like Spirit AeroSystems, Cox Communications and Koch Industries. The group’s positions often influence Republican-led state policy on taxes and the workforce.

Daniel Caudill reports on the Kansas Statehouse and government for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can email him at dcaudill@ku.edu.

The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.

Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.

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