Schmidt, Democrats weigh in on AG’s pick for gubernatorial running mate

On Jun 2, 2022

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Derek Schmidt signed on the dotted line Wednesday, officially launching his run for governor, and revealing Katie Sawyer, as his lieutenant governor running mate.

Schmidt says “Katie and her family are very much about the types of messages that we’re going to be sharing with Kansas. We want this to be a place that grows.”.

Sawyer is from McPherson, Kansas, and is a State Director for Senator Roger Marshall.

If elected, at 38-years-old, Sawyer will be the youngest republican lieutenant governor currently serving in America.

“She has a breath of experience in journalism, she has a breath of experience in agriculture. She and her husband and family run a farming operation out between McPherson and Inman…obviously a very capable, bright, professional person who absolutely loves Kansas, and so she brings a partnership that we’re gonna be able to bring to the table, to make the case and deliver the things we’re promising folks” says Schmidt.

Kansas Democratic leaders say Schmidt’s selection confirms he is running on a fiscally irresponsible, anti-education, anti-health care platform.

Representative Susan Ruiz says “Derek Schmidt and Katie Sawyer’s opposition to Medicaid expansion is disqualifying. If you care about healthcare, if you want your neighbors coworkers, friends and family members to have access to healthcare, if you want to ensure that the federal funds that we already pay actually goes towards something we need to reelect Governor Laura Kelly and Lt. Governor David Tolland”.

But Schmidt believes he and Sawyer are in step with what Kansans want.

“My goal in life is to make sure that my state is better for my children than it is now so when I’m given the opportunity to serve my state and work alongside Derek to get back on the right track I jumped at the opportunity”, he says.