KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas state senator who switched political affiliations last year launched her campaign for U.S. Senate on Wednesday.
State Sen. Barbara Bollier said on social media that she was running for the seat held by four-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts, who is not seeking re-election.
Late last year, Bollier, who was first elected to the Kansas Legislature in 2010 as a Republican, said that she would switch political parties to become a Democrat. At the time, she said that she had become "increasingly uncomfortable with Republican leaders’ hardline rhetoric."
In a campaign announcement video, Bollier described herself as a "pragmatic Democrat."
“I’m running for U.S. Senate to be a voice of reason in Washington for Kansas,” she said in a video. “Instead of getting into political fights, I’ll focus on what matters most to families: the basic cost of living issues like health care, child care, how to save for retirement.”
Other Democrats who have launched Senate campaigns include former federal prosecutor Barry Grissom and Manhattan Mayor Pro Tem Usha Reddi.
There also is a crowded field of Republicans vying for the seat, including former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, Rep. Roger Marshall, Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle, Kansas City area businessman Dave Lindstrom and conservative commentator Bryan Pruitt.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report
