Kansas, 3rd District Primary
Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids heads into the Kansas 3rd District primary on Aug. 4 as a heavy favorite, but she faces a challenge from her left in the Democratic contest while three Republicans compete for the chance to unseat her in November.
Kansas's 3rd Congressional District covers the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side of the state line, making it the most urbanized and most densely populated district in the state. Kansas uses a traditional partisan primary system: registered Democrats and Republicans vote in separate primaries to choose their nominees, who then meet in a general election open to all voters. The Democratic primary has two candidates; the Republican primary has three. The general election, scheduled for Nov. 3, will include Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian nominees on the ballot. Kansas does not hold runoffs: the top vote-getter in each party primary advances.
The Candidates
Sharice Davids
Davids has held this seat since January 2019. She is one of the first Native American women elected to Congress. In the 119th Congress, she sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where she has served since taking office, and the House Agriculture Committee, with a subcommittee assignment on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit. Her legislative priorities have included affordable healthcare, infrastructure investment, and tribal-related legislation. She has sponsored the Respect Tribal IDs Act and the Increasing Tribal Input on Nutrition Act of 2026. Davids has missed fewer than 0.5 percent of roll call votes over her tenure.
Sarah Preu
Her Democratic challenger, Sarah Preu is a technology and communications professional and former small business owner who describes herself as a lifelong Kansan and, notably, a four-time Davids voter. Preu is running to Davids' left. Her platform centers on codifying abortion rights through the Women's Health Protection Act, citing Kansas voters' 2022 rejection of a statewide abortion ban as evidence of where the district stands. The Johnson County Post has reported that Preu faces significant headwinds against the well-funded incumbent. Preu has framed the contest as an opportunity for a "marketplace of ideas" within the Democratic Party.
On the Republican side, three candidates are competing in the Kansas House primary election for the right to face Davids in the fall.
Chase LaPorte
Chase LaPorte is a U.S. Army veteran and small business owner from Mission, Kansas, who has lived in the state for more than 25 years. He is running on a platform of congressional term limits, which he has pledged to introduce as his first legislative act if elected, alongside economic growth and what he calls "Kansas values." He emphasizes his background as a non-politician.
Eric Jenkins
Eric Jenkins brings a longer record in local government. He served on the Shawnee City Council beginning in 2015, including a stint as council president, and spent more than 20 years on Shawnee's Planning Commission before that. Jenkins entered the congressional race in May 2026 and is running on fiscal restraint and opposition to what he describes as government overreach.
Blake Stanely
Blake Stanley has filed for the Republican primary. Verified public records do not provide additional details about his background or platform.
One note on the Republican field: some aggregator sources list only LaPorte and Stanley as Republican primary candidates, while the candidate data and Johnson County Post reporting confirm Jenkins' filing. Voters should verify the certified ballot with the Kansas Secretary of State's office.
The Money Behind the Race
Candidates in the Kansas 3rd Congressional District race have raised a combined $3,730,771 as of July 27. That total reflects candidate fundraising only. No outside spending has been recorded in this contest: no independent expenditures and no communication costs from independent committees or organizations appear in the data.
Ratings vs. Odds
Cook Political Report rates the Kansas 3rd District race "Solid Democratic" as of July 16. Inside Elections also rates it "Solid Democratic," a rating it issued as of June 30. Sabato's Crystal Ball rates the seat "Likely Democratic" as of July 16. The consensus rating, as of July 23, is Likely Democratic, a slight step back from the two "Solid" calls, reflecting a modest difference of opinion among forecasters about the incumbent's margin of safety. All three organizations agree the seat favors Democrats.
Prediction markets align with that view. Kalshi gives the Democratic candidate a 93.6% chance of winning the general election versus 6.4% for the Republican, based on 13,162 contracts traded as of July 26. The real contest on Aug. 4 is whether Preu can close the gap against Davids in the Democratic primary.
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