Republican Derek Schmidt won election to a U.S. House seat representing Kansas on Tuesday. Schmidt defeated Democrat Nancy Boyda in the 2nd Congressional District of eastern Kansas. Both candidates were trying to make a political comeback, seeking a seat that was open because two-term Republican Rep. Jake LaTurner didn’t run again. Schmidt served 12 years as Kansas attorney general before narrowly losing the 2022 governor’s race to Democratic incumbent Laura Kelly. Boyda was the last Democrat to represent the 2nd District in Congress. She held the seat in 2007 and 2008. The Associated Press declared Schmidt the winner at 11:13 p.m. EST.

The Associated Press