Free Republic

U.S. Rep. Ron Estes has a Republican primary opponent. His name is Ron Estes. Ron Estes — not the congressman, the other one — said Thursday he plans to run against the better-known Estes. The nonelected Estes, who filed as Ron M. Estes, lives in Wichita and is a first-time candidate. He said in a statement he is running because “our status quo elected leaders” refuse to represent the congressional district by avoiding town halls and constituents. His campaign website calls him “The Real Ron Estes.”

There is no greater feeling than winning. And for Trump supporters, it is indeed Christmas every day. The pipelines are getting built. Abortionists and their organizations are losing funding. Congress has restored and respected the sovereignty of the several states. It’s safe to purchase and own a fire arm. Neil Gorsuch has been confirmed. The other appointments to Trump’s cabinet are opening a new wave of policy changes and enforcement. However, these winning appointments have exposed an embarrassment of riches. As conservatives move up the chain of command, someone has to take their place. Indeed, like Dorothy Gale reaching the...

WASHINGTON ― After staying away for much of the race, the Democratic Party came to the aid of James Thompson, the Democrat running to fill the House seat vacated by Donald Trump appointee Mike Pompeo, just before voters went to the polls Tuesday. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Monday began doing live calls to 25,000 households in Kansas’ 4th Congressional District, urging residents to vote in Tuesday’s unexpectedly competitive special election. National Democrats have held off committing their resources to Thompson’s campaign, citing the difficulty of flipping an ultra-conservative district that Trump carried by nearly 30 percentage points in...

GOP SURVIVES FIRST TEST Kansas state Treasurer Ron Estes held off a stronger-than-expected challenge from Democratic civil rights attorney James Thompson Tuesday night as the GOP won the first special congressional election since President Trump’s inauguration. Estes won 53 percent of the vote to take the seat vacated by CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

Poll results are available there. Ron Estes (Republican) James Thompson (Democratic)

You don’t know Ron Estes? Most people don’t. But President Trump does. In fact, the new president has already recorded a robocall to help Estes win big in today’s special election in Kansas’ Fourth Congressional District. And so has Vice President Mike Pence. And Speaker Paul Ryan is raising money for him. And Sen. Ted Cruz campaigned for the Estes there last night. “Our enemy right now is complacency,” said Cruz. What’s this all about? Well, it’s really a problem of Trump’s own making. The district’s popular congressman, Mike Pompeo, isn’t in Kansas anymore, Toto. Trump snatched him out of...

Kansas Democrats hoping to turn voter discontent into an upset picked civil rights attorney Jim Thompson to run for the U.S. House seat that Mike Pompeo vacated to become CIA director under President Donald Trump. Thompson, a 46-year-old political newcomer and Army veteran, will run against Republican state Treasurer Ron Estes in the April 11 special election. It will be the nation’s first special congressional election since Trump’s win, and Democrats view it as their best chance to flip the seat representing the heavily Republican 4th District in southern Kansas. After winning the Democratic nomination, Thompson, told delegates that the...