KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Republican Steve Watkins stopped the Democrats from flipping a red congressional seat to blue on Tuesday.
Watkins defeated Democratic candidate Paul Davis, who conceded Tuesday night in very close race, to represent the Kansas 2nd Congressional District.
Republican Rep. Lynn Jenkins is the incumbent, but she announced in 2017 that she would retire at the end of her term.
Jenkins endorsed Watkins in a TV commercial the week before the election.
Watkins attended the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., became a U.S. Army captain, and later served in Afghanistan.
After his military service, Watkins worked as an independent contractor, mainly with the Department of Defense in Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asia, according to his campaign website.
His campaign drew praise and support from Trump, but he also came under fire for exaggerating his resume, experience and achievements on numerous occasions.
Davis, 46, spent 11 years in the Kansas legislature before he lost a 2014 bid for Kansas governor against former Gov. Sam Brownback, who resigned in January to join President Trump's administration
