Seven Republican candidates now vie to replace Republican Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins in Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District. Jenkins announced last year that she wouldn’t seek re-election.
Tyler Tannahill, a Marine veteran and former medical devices salesman, announced his campaign yesterday. He joins a crowded Republican field that includes state Sens. Steve Fitzgerald and Caryn Tyson, state Rep. Kevin Jones, as well as Matt Bevens, Vernon Fields, and Steve Watkins. Former Kansas Secretary of Commerce Antoine Soave dropped out of the race in November.
The winner will likely face Democrat Paul Davis, a former Kansas House Minority Leader and gubernatorial candidate.
Tannahill joined the Marines at 17, and said he is entering the Congressional race out of that same sense of duty to serve and defend the American way of life.
“Though I no longer wear the uniform, the ability to make decisions under pressure, combat hostile situations, and lead during times of need has not left me. I look forward to serving my constituents at home with the same passion and fortitude that I served my fellow Marines overseas,” Tannahill said.
The Kansas 2nd Congressional District is made up of several eastern Kansas counties including Douglas, Franklin, and Atchinson as well as the cities of Lawrence and Topeka. Tannahill is one of four veterans seeking to representative the district, which also includes Ft. Leavenworth. Fitzgerald, Jones and Watkins are also veterans.
Tannahill has a degree in political science from Kansas State University and serves on Congressman Kevin Yoder’s Military and Veteran Advisory Board. He also interned for Sen. Jerry Moran.
“You can trust my level of dedication to our region as well as my ability to provide a voice for you on the issues that matter most,” he said in a press release announcing his candidacy. “My commitment to this mission will never fade, and together we will accomplish our goal of providing a place where our families can succeed.”
President Donald Trump carried Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District with 52 percent of the vote in 2016, but the district is one of 59 being targeted by Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program.
Tannahill lives in Leavenworth with his wife, Luisa, and is the father of a newborn son, Zaven. Luisa is a religious refugee from the Soviet Union.