Who is running for U.S. House, Kansas District 2 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for U.S. House, Kansas District 2 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in U.S. House District 2.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | John HauerLibertarian | Derek SchmidtRepublican | Don CooverDemocrat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income taxes | No single answer fits; see evidence | Cut taxes across the board, including for top earners and corporationsVoted · medium | No single answer fits; see evidence |
| National debt | Cut spending sharply, including popular programs, to balance the budgetSaid · medium | No single answer fits; see evidence | No public position |
| Safety net programs | No public position | Keep them, but add work requirements for able-bodied adultsSaid · high | No public position |
| Healthcare | No public position | Private insurance with more competition and price transparency, keeping protections for pre-existing conditionsVoted · medium | No public position |
| Abortion | No public position | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestSaid · low | No public position |
| Guns | No public position | Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightOfficial action · medium | No public position |
| Immigration | No public position | Secure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadySaid · high | No public position |
| Trade and tariffs | No public position | Mostly free trade with a few protectionsSaid · medium | No public position |
| Foreign policy | Pull back from foreign conflicts and aid (often called America First)Said · medium | No public position | No public position |
| Politicians trading stocks | No public position | No, ban it for members and their spousesVoted · medium | No public position |
| Mandatory minimums | No public position | Add or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl traffickingVoted · medium | No public position |
| Birthright citizenship | No public position | No, end it for children of parents here illegally or temporarilyOfficial action · medium | No public position |
| Transgender athletes | No public position | No, and Congress should set a biological sex rule nationwideVoted · medium | No public position |
| Aid to Israel | End itSaid · low | No public position | No public position |
| Aid to Ukraine | Stop sending aid and stay out of itSaid · low | No single answer fits; see evidence | No public position |
John Hauer
LibertarianLibertarian nominee for U.S. House, Kansas District 2 (delivery driver and warehouse worker)
John Hauer is a Topeka delivery driver and warehouse worker and the Libertarian nominee in Kansas District 22. He is a veteran who was deployed to Iraq twice, and says he is running to represent the working class and to push for a smaller federal government2. He is not taking donations2.
Where they stand 5 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Foreign policyPull back from foreign conflicts and aid (often called America First)medium
National debtCut spending sharply, including popular programs, to balance the budgetmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site calls for eliminating the federal income tax and drastically cutting spending, and KCUR says he wants a much smaller federal government. (2026) source
Aid to UkraineStop sending aid and stay out of itlow
Said · low confidence- His campaign site says no more sending tax dollars overseas. (2026) source
Aid to IsraelEnd itlow
Said · low confidence- His campaign site says no more sending tax dollars overseas. (2026) source
Income taxesNo single answer fitslow
Said · low confidence- His campaign site calls for eliminating the federal income tax, and KCUR reports he does not want to cut taxes for wealthy people and corporations. (2026-07-17) source
No public position found on: Social Security, Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Trade and tariffs, Energy and climate, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.
Derek Schmidt
Republican · IncumbentU.S. Representative, Kansas District 2
Derek Schmidt is the Republican incumbent in Kansas District 2 and has served in the U.S. House since January 3, 20251. He was Kansas attorney general for 12 years and spent a decade in the Kansas Senate, including six years as majority leader6. He serves on the House Armed Services, Judiciary and Small Business committees1.
Where they stand 13 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Safety net programsKeep them, but add work requirements for able-bodied adultshigh
Said · high confidence- His statement on the One Big Beautiful Bill says it strengthened safety net programs by requiring healthy adults to work to receive public benefits. (2025-05-22) source
- Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which added work requirements for able-bodied adults on Medicaid and expanded SNAP work requirements. (2025-07-03) source
ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadyhigh
Said · high confidence- He said the first focus of Congress should be people who entered without documents and then committed crimes, and that control of who enters comes first. (2024-12) source
- Cosponsored the Laken Riley Act (H.R. 29), which requires detention of unauthorized immigrants charged with theft and certain other crimes. (2025-01-07) source
- He said he supports enforcing immigration laws and that the priority should be people here illegally who commit another crime. (2026-02) source
- Voted for the Secure America Act, which provides about $70 billion for immigration enforcement and border security through 2029. (2026-06-09) source
- Voted for the Laken Riley Act (S. 5), which requires detention of unauthorized immigrants charged with theft and certain other crimes (House passage, 263 to 156). (2025-01-22) source
Transgender athletesNo, and Congress should set a biological sex rule nationwidemedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a federal rule basing girls' and women's school sports eligibility on sex at birth. (2025-01-14) source
Mandatory minimumsAdd or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl traffickingmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for the HALT Fentanyl Act, which permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I and applies mandatory minimum sentences to trafficking them. (2025-06-12) source
Income taxesCut taxes across the board, including for top earners and corporationsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Cosponsored the Death Tax Repeal Act (H.R. 1301). (2025-02-13) source
- His statement on the One Big Beautiful Bill says it locked in tax relief for middle-class families, small businesses and family farms. (2025-05-22) source
- Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which made the 2017 individual tax cuts permanent, including the 37% top rate, and extended business tax breaks. (2025-07-03) source
HealthcarePrivate insurance with more competition and price transparency, keeping protections for pre-existing conditionsmedium
Voted · medium confidencePoliticians trading stocksNo, ban it for members and their spousesmedium
Birthright citizenshipNo, end it for children of parents here illegally or temporarilymedium
Official action · medium confidence- Cosponsored the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2025 (H.R. 569). (2026-03-17) source
Trade and tariffsMostly free trade with a few protectionsmedium
Said · medium confidence- He said he has always championed free trade and was wary of sweeping tariffs, while calling the first Trump administration tariffs targeted and effective. (2024-12) source
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestlow
Said · low confidence- As attorney general he backed the Dobbs decision, said he prefers a future with less abortion, and said he would vote for the Value Them Both amendment. (2022-06-24) source
- Voted for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 21), which passed the House 217 to 204; this bill alone does not place a candidate on abortion. (2025-01-23) source
- Cosponsored the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 7); supporting evidence only, it does not place a candidate on abortion. (2025-04-01) source
Aid to UkraineNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted against the Ukraine Support Act, which provides military aid to Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia. (2026-06-04) source
National debtNo single answer fitslow
Official action · low confidence- Cosponsored a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution (H.J.Res. 10). (2025-07-15) source
No public position found on: Social Security, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Foreign policy, Energy and climate, Judges, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, DEI programs, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, China policy.
Don Coover
DemocratRancher, veterinarian and Democratic nominee for U.S. House, Kansas District 2
Don Coover is a Galesburg rancher and veterinarian and the Democratic nominee in Kansas District 212. A West Point graduate, he served in the Army as a military intelligence pilot and cryptographic operations officer before earning a veterinary degree at Kansas State University12. He is a first-time candidate who says he spent most of his life as a registered Republican and describes himself as middle of the road2.
Where they stand 1 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Income taxesNo single answer fitslow
Said · low confidence- He told KCUR that shifting the tax burden away from people with the most ability to pay is illogical and immoral, and said the One Big Beautiful Bill worsened affordability. (2026-07-17) source
No public position found on: National debt, Social Security, Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Energy and climate, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, Aid to Ukraine, China policy.
Last reviewed 2026-10-07. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.