Sheriff Groves endorses Republican Schmidt for Kansas governor
PITTSBURG – (September 28, 2022) – Kansas Attorney General and Republican Nominee for Governor Derek Schmidt today received the endorsement of Cherokee County Sheriff David Groves, a Democrat, in the campaign against Governor Laura Kelly.
“I am honored to have the endorsement of Sheriff Groves, a respected leader in Kansas law enforcement and an active Democrat officeholder,” Schmidt said. “Our shared commitment to keeping Kansans safe crosses party lines.”
Groves joins more than 25 current and several former Kansas county sheriffs in endorsing Schmidt for Governor. Schmidt has also been endorsed by the Kansas Fraternal Order of Police, which backed Kelly in 2018. He’s also received the endorsements of the Kansas State Troopers Association, the National Latino Peace Officers Association, and the National Border Patrol Council, which all remained neutral in the 2018 race.
In announcing his endorsement of Schmidt, Groves cited Kelly’s failure to fix the state’s mental health system and its foster care system – both vital to public safety in Kansas communities. He also pointed to Schmidt’s strong support for the law enforcement community.
“Four years ago, I was optimistic the new governor would bring positive and meaningful changes to several areas impacting families and communities all across our state,” Groves said. “But because of the lack of meaningful positive changes in many areas over the past four years, and Derek Schmidt’s long-time and consistent work towards keeping Kansas families safe, although I’m a registered Democrat, I’m proud to endorse Derek Schmidt for Governor and cast my vote for him this November.”
Schmidt: contrast clear on public safety
A longtime champion of law and order and public safety, Schmidt has consistently stood up for the men and women serving in law enforcement.
Schmidt has announced a public-safety plan to improve school security and reduce armed violence in Kansas communities. The plan helps more schools hire School Resource Officers and Mental Health Intervention Teams to protect students, provides funds to assist local school districts in securing facilities, improves threat reporting, and strengthens penalties for gun crimes committed by repeat violent felons. Schmidt characterized the plan as “an overall approach that should garner a bipartisan consensus.”
Earlier this year, a school resource officer at Olathe East High School saved lives when he intervened and stopped a shooter. The officer was shot, but not a single life was lost. Instead of standing up for School Resource Officers, Kelly has empowered her hand-picked commission on race equity to push for “alternatives” to school resource officers. When announcing her commission, Kelly said there is “systemic racism” in Kansas policing that “must end.”
Kelly also cut Safe & Secure School grant funding after it was approved by the Legislature last year. This year, no funds were available to schools because Kelly’s Department of Education ruled federal coronavirus funds could not be used for the grants. Kelly has never requested funds in her budget proposals for this school-safety program initiated by the Legislature.
In June when Schmidt outlined his public safety plan, Kelly responded by supporting the gun control bill pushed by the U.S. Congress at the federal level. Kelly has yet to outline what, if any, plan she has to improve public safety or school safety in Kansas at the state level.
Schmidt has pledged to implement his plan within his first 100 days in office.