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Before Kelly D. Standley decided to run as a Democrat in Kansas for U.S. Congress, he ran as a Republican in Colorado for Congress.

Standley, 47, a former Tea Party activist, is running as a Democrat for the 2nd District seat now held by U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Topeka. She is not seeking re-election.

When I moved back to Kansas I saw that the Republicans here had a hold over this state and it really bothered me that the rich keep getting richer and the working class continues to struggle in paying their bills. I did switch parties to the Democratic Party since majority of the people struggling here that I have met are Democrats or unaffiliated, Standley told The News in an email response.

Voter registration rolls in Neosho County reveal the Kansas native voted there in the 1990s before he moved to Colorado in 1999. He ran in 2010 for Colorados 1st Congressional District seat but did not become the Republican nominee. He returned to Kansas and became an active voter in Neosho County in 2016.

When he became active in the party, he was appointed Neosho County Democratic Party chairman, he told The News. We worked on the Chuck Schmidt campaign and continue to always help support Adam Lusker, our State Representative for this area, he wrote. Schmidt is a Democrat who failed to win a State Senate seat in 2016. Lusker is a Frontenac Democrat in the State House.

Jenkins announced Jan. 25 she would return to the private sector after her current term in Congress ends in January 2019. Standley filled out his statement of candidacy for the Federal Election Commission on Feb. 14. On the FEC website, there appear two active through 2018 campaign listings for Standley. One shows Kelly D. Standley, Aurora, Colorado, as a Republican campaigning for the House of Representatives, and the other lists Kelly Don Standley, St. Paul, Kansas, as a Democrat for the U.S. House.

While Republicans tossed their hats into the ring after Jenkins deicison Basehor City Councilman Vernon Fields and State Sen. Steve Fitzgerald, Leavenworth Standley has had the Democratic race to himself.

However, former Kansas House Minority Leader Paul Davis, D-Lawrence, announced Thursday he is exploring a bid for the 2nd District seat.

I do understand that people in my party will rally behind Paul Davis and give him their support, my hope is that as time goes on I will also have people rally with me and support someone who will be stronger for the people of Kansas and not just the Democratic or Republican parties, Standley wrote.

Davis challenged Gov. Sam Brownback in 2014 and lost. The position of governor also will be on the 2018 ballot. I personally would rather see him as our next Governor, Standley wrote about Davis on Facebook.

Standley said hes a single father raising a son, and his educational background includes criminal justice studies. He lists on Facebook that hes a Christian minister.

Read more here:
Republican-turned-Democrat running in 2nd District - Hutchinson News