Candidates running to represent Lecompton and parts of northwestern Lawrence and Douglas County included in Kansas Senate District 19 shared the top issues motivating them to run and much more.
Democrat Patrick Schmidt and Republican Tyler Wible will face off in the Tuesday, Nov. 5 election to represent Senate District 19.
We did not give candidates a word count limit but advised them to keep answers concise.
Will this race be on my ballot? Check which legislative districts you’re in at myvoteinfo.voteks.org.
Early voting began Wednesday, Oct. 16. Voters can request a ballot to vote early by mail through Tuesday, Oct. 29 at KSVotes.org. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Find out more at lawrencekstimes.com/election2024.
Jump to a topic:
• Meet the candidates
• Experience and qualifications
• Top 3 issues
• Legalizing cannabis
• Expanding Medicaid
• Public funds to private schools
• Local control
• Abortion regulations
• LGBTQ+ rights and transgender kids
• Top concerns heard from voters
• Question for opponent
• Free space
• Just for fun
This district
Senate District 19 has changed as a result of 2022 redistricting. Much of what was District 19 is now District 3.
District 19 now includes much of northern Douglas County and some parts of Lawrence north of Sixth Street. It’s shown in light blue on this map.
Its southernmost boundary is Sixth Street between Queens Road to the west and Kasold Drive to the east; its boundaries meander north along Kasold and east along Tomahawk Drive to include Deerfield Elementary School.
North of Princeton Boulevard, homes west of Arrowhead Drive are included, as are the areas north of Interstate 70 but south and west of the Kansas River, which creates the district’s easternmost boundary. West of Lawrence, the district includes Lecompton and parts of rural Douglas County, and parts of Tecumseh and Topeka in Shawnee County.
Click here to see a PDF map of the full district.
Meet the candidates
Patrick Schmidt
Age: 33
Running as: Democrat
What’s your hometown, and how long have you lived in Douglas County (or in your current town, for candidates who reside outside of Douglas County)? Topeka, KS 4 years
Where you currently reside: Topeka, KS
Day job: Navy Intelligence Officer in the Naval Reserves
How voters can reach you: patrick@patrickforkansas.com
Website; social media links: patrickforkansas.com
Tyler Wible
Age: 26
Running as: Republican
What’s your hometown, and how long have you lived in Douglas County (or in your current town, for candidates who reside outside of Douglas County)? Topeka, KS… Been here my whole life
Where you currently reside: Topeka, KS
Day job: I am a Property Developer and Class A General Contractor
How voters can reach you: 785-430-0697; wible4kansas@gmail.com
Website; social media links: tylerwible.com; Tyler Wible For Senate on Facebook
About you and your positions
A * indicates an answer was required to submit this questionnaire.
Q: What specific experience and qualifications do you possess that make you the best candidate for the seat you’re seeking?*
Schmidt: My experiences as a Congressional candidate in 2022 combined with my service as both active duty and reserve Naval Intelligence Officer give me the understanding and insight necessary to bring new leadership to the Senate. If elected I will work tirelessly for hard-working families to ensure their views are represented in Topeka.
Wible: Currently I am a Property Developer and Class A General Contractor. I deal a lot with bringing economic growth and an improved quality of life to areas by utilizing and following Federal and State incentives and regulations to bring quality businesses and dwellings to areas that need them most. With my understanding of legislation and working with both State and Federal government I have an advantage stepping into the role and implementing what Kansans need.
Q: Please list the top three issues motivating you to run for this office. What concrete ideas do you have to make a difference on each issue if you are elected? Please be as specific as possible.*
Schmidt:
The Extremist GOP attacks on abortion rights and contraception, more Brownback-like tax plans and attacks on voting rights motivated me to run. I will not help the GOP enact more unconstitutional abortion restrictions and I will fight GOP tax plans that shower millions of dollars of tax breaks on the wealthy while working Kansans pay more. I will fight in the Senate to increase access to the ballot box, because in Kansas, voters should be able to exercise their vote without onerous restrictions.
Wible:
Community Involvement
-I plan to stay active in my Community like I am now. I will be the Senator for the people, by the people.
Informing the Public
-I will bring forward and help the community know what is being voted on and hear out their concerns, wants, and needs.
Protection and Involvement of our Youth
-I want to bring outreach and understanding to our younger generations. Teach them and help them see how they can make a difference in their communities and politics. Show them, this isn’t just a place where only elders are heard and that they have a voice.
Q: Would you support legalizing cannabis in Kansas?*
Options given: Yes, for any use (medicinal, recreational, etc.); Yes, for medicinal use; No
Schmidt: Yes, for any use (medicinal, recreational, etc.)
Wible: No
Q: Would you support expansion of Medicaid in Kansas?*
(Only yes/no options given)
Schmidt: Yes
Wible: No
Q: Would you support initiatives to spend more public money on private schools, such as through vouchers, charter schools, tax credits and so forth?*
(Only yes/no options given)
Schmidt: No
Wible: Yes
Q: Please elaborate on any of your answers to the yes/no questions above if you’d like to.
Schmidt: No tax dollars to private, religious schools.
Wible: These should not be yes or no questions. That doesn’t inform the voters properly.
Cannabis has had a lot of negatives in surrounding states that have. Organized crime and Chinese mob with heightened rates of human trafficking. It’s not impossible, but we need to make sure our people and kids are safe, so we need to figure adequate regulations.
No, Medicaid is a failing system. I believe in Medicaid Reconstruction not expansion. I believe that the $800M we send to the Federal government would be better spent in Kansas. But they are saying they are only going to be able to ensure and help 150k Kansans. That’s the most expensive insurance known to man. It’s too hard for Kansans to afford to live, we need to get government out of Healthcare and ensure an actual free market system where insurance companies have to bring costs down to win your business. Make insurance actually affordable again and stop lining these company pockets.
“Public Funds” are taxes. Everyone, including the parents of these kids pay them. This finally allows parents to send their kids to a school of their choice no matter their financial situation. If you want to homeschool your kids, why would you keep paying taxes to a failing public school system? Kansas needs to be fully in charge of our children’s education.
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Q: Please share your views on local control. Do you believe the Legislature should seek to enact state laws that affect municipalities’ ability to self-govern? If so, in what circumstances? If not, how will you stand up for local control?*
Context given to candidates: The Lawrence City Commission in 2022 stripped some protections of immigrants from local ordinances in response to changes in state laws.
The city in 2023 passed a safe haven ordinance to create additional protections for transgender people in response to anti-trans legislation (SB 180 in particular).
The city also approved a ban on single-use plastic bags, which legislators attempted to nullify with a new law that was vetoed this year.
Schmidt: Kansas has a long history of “home-rule,” and I see no reason to restrict cities’ abilities to govern themselves as they see fit, so long as they are not using their power to discriminate.
Wible: The State will always have power over municipalities. It’s a fact that we need to face. We need to work together as state and municipalities to understand the over all objectives of the individuals in the municipalities and state legislation and why certain laws are difficult to let municipalities enforce that also effects other Kansans. We need to do better about working together and not fighting each other with legislation. But if municipalities can’t accept the fact that they are a lower level in government and need to work with the state, then we will continue to have these issues.
Q: Kansas voters in August 2022 soundly rejected a constitutional amendment that would have opened the door to extreme restrictions on abortion. Still, the Legislature has passed or attempted to pass more laws regulating abortion. Please share your stance on what actions the Legislature should or should not take regarding abortion.*
Schmidt: The legislature should respect the will of the voters and stop trying to ban abortion.
Wible: The Republican party has a lot of trust to earn back on this subject. I believe abortion is necessary under protection of the mother, rape cases, and incest cases. All Republicans that I know in the legislature personally believe this. You will not see legislation that will take away abortion for those three reasons. This is very important to understand.
Q: In recent years, the Legislature has increasingly passed or attempted to pass legislation that could have potential negative outcomes for LGBTQ+ people. Please explain your stance on the rights of LGBTQ+ people — particularly transgender kids — and what the Legislature’s role in their lives and health care should be.*
Schmidt: The state has no business in people’s personal lives, and especially the lives of children. Parents are capable of raising their children and providing to their healthcare needs.
Wible: My biggest stance is no mutilation of children under 18. I understand adolescents is the time our bodies change most, hormones are high, and we are trying to find our way in the world. So we shouldn’t be adding a huge option of bodily mutilation of sex change operations to weigh on their minds while they are growing into themselves. If they can’t smoke or drink till 21 years old and can’t serve their country until 18, all based on the understanding they are not mentally developed enough to make those decisions. Body Mutilation is no different.
Optional questions
Q: What would you say is the top concern you’ve heard from voters as you’ve been campaigning, and what actions would you take to better that problem?
Schmidt: Abortion rights is the top concern of the voters I’ve talked with, and they agree the Extremist GOP needs to stop trying to ban it.
Wible: The cost of living. We need to make sure we concentrate on legislation that doesn’t increase our taxes and we focus on adequate spending and not increasing spending as much as we can.
Q: Please share a question we didn’t ask that you’d like your fellow candidates to answer. How would you respond?
Schmidt: Do you support legislation to address gun violence?
Q: Free space: Please share anything you’d like voters to know about you and your stances that we haven’t asked here.
Wible: I’ve been here my whole life, I’m active in the community, and I’m the candidate that actually cares. My sole reason for running is to protect and give accurate representation for my friends, family, and neighbors. My district is full of people I’ve been lucky enough to be around my whole life. I love and care for my people. You won’t see the same passion I bring into this by my opponent.
Just for fun
Candidates were not required to answer any of these questions, but we wanted to give our readers a chance to get to know them a little better and have some fun with this.
Schmidt:
Favorite color? Green
Zodiac sign? Gemini
Do you have any pets, and/or what’s your favorite animal? Yes, dog named Teela
What’s a fun fact our readers may not know about you? (Have a hidden talent? Interesting hobby?) Classical pianist
Favorite book, TV show and/or movie? The Wire
Wible:
Favorite color? Red
Zodiac sign? Pisces
Do you have any pets, and/or what’s your favorite animal? My Dog Mávros, he’s my rescued Bulldog mix. The sassiest baby I’ve ever had.
What’s a fun fact our readers may not know about you? (Have a hidden talent? Interesting hobby?) I use to train and break horses and still love riding when I have the chance. Otherwise my only other hobbies are furniture building and my classic cars.
Favorite book, TV show and/or movie? “Billy Madison” is my favorite movie of all time.
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