Schmidt enters race for insurance commissioner

Jan. 30--State Sen. Vicki Schmidt, a Topeka pharmacist, entered the race Monday for state insurance commissioner, setting up a likely Republican primary contest for August.

"Working as a pharmacist, I deal with health insurance problems every day. I see first-hand the impact rising healthcare costs have on our families and seniors. On the journey of life, there are challenges, but insurance shouldn't be one," Schmidt said in a statement.

Schmidt was first elected to the Kansas Senate in 2004. She is chairwoman of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee and the Home and Community Based Services Oversight Committee.

Republican Clark Shultz, of McPherson County, is gearing up for his own bid for the job. Shultz served in the state House and state Senate before running for insurance commissioner in 2014. He lost that primary to Ken Selzer. After Selzer became insurance commissioner, he hired Shultz and Shultz is the assistant commissioner.

Selzer hopes to become the Republican nominee for governor this year. In late 2017, Shultz formed a campaign committee and began raising money for his 2018 race for insurance commissioner. At of the start of 2018, he had about $128,000 in his campaign account. The filing deadline is June 1, and he has not officially filed to run.

No Democrat has announced for the insurance commissioner race.

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