Smith Switches Races, Focuses on Local Issues

0:00It's March 31st. This is Kansas News Today, driven by AI. Jackson County Legislator Sean Smith, a Republican, just dropped out of the Republican primary from Missouri's 5th Congressional District after only six weeks in the race. He's switching gears to run for the state's 34th House District instead, saying he wants to focus on local issues like government, accountability and rising costs, where he can make the quickest difference. The 5th District got redrawn last year to lean more Republican, but the GOP field there is now super thin. Smith had jumped in early, but just last week he told reporters things were off to a solid start. Now, only one Republican from the Kansas City area remains to take on longtime Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, that's Brett Huffmeyer. Back in 2024, Smith pulled in about 35% of the vote against Cleaver, showing some real potential. Emanuel experts like St. Louis University's Stephen Rogers point out the rushed redistricting, left candidate scrambling, which might explain why, fewer folks jumped in, meanwhile that 34th

1:05House seat in Lee's summit is wide open and competitive. Current Democrat Kim Strickler barely held it last time by, just 709 votes, Smith thinks that's where he can hit the ground running. With other Republicans like Senator Rick Bratton already in the mix for the 5th, this shake-up keeps the focus local as primaries heat up across, Missouri.