TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Republican congressional candidate Jake LaTurner has hired the former campaign manager of U.S. Rep. Steve Watkins, his opponent in the race for the GOP nomination in the...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — After touting himself as a political outsider during last fall's campaign, Rep. Steve Watkins has surrounded himself with veteran political insiders and people with deep roots in Kansas' Republican Party in the early stages of his term in Congress.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Rep.-elect Steve Watkins has appointed members of his predecessor's staff and a state Republican Party official to key positions in his congressional office.

The GOP congressman has announced that Jim Joice will serve as communications director. Joice has been the Kansas Republican Party's executive director.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is one of the few states without a law prohibiting legislators from becoming lobbyists immediately after they leave office, an issue that was recently brought to attention when Rep. Lynn Jenkins began setting up a lobbying firm while still in Congress.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Rep. Lynn Jenkins of Kansas is launching a new lobbying firm even before her term in the U.S. House officially ends.

Jenkins chose not to seek re-election this year and her term will end the first week of January. Her new business, LJ Strategies, has already registered with the state.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former presidential candidate and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole has endorsed Republican Steve Watkins in his race for an eastern Kansas congressional seat.

Dole announced his support for the Army veteran and political novice in a tweet Wednesday.

Watkins and Democrat Paul Davis are seeking to replace retiring Republican Rep. Lynn Jenkins. Democrats hope to flip the seat even though President Donald Trump carried the district in 2016.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A spokeswoman says Kansas Democratic congressional candidate Paul Davis will not support an effort to impeach new U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Davis spokeswoman Kelsi Browning said Monday that Kavanaugh was "rightfully" sworn in as a justice and Davis is running to return bipartisanship and civility to Congress.

Some liberal groups and some Democratic members of Congress have floated the idea of impeaching Kavanaugh.

INDEPENDENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Republican running for Congress said he supports President Donald Trump's call for a border wall with Mexico because he wants to "keep our culture."

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — President Donald Trump is coming to Kansas' capital next week for a rally aimed at boosting the campaigns of Republican candidates in tight races for governor and Congress.

Trump's re-election campaign announced Thursday that the rally will be 6:30 p.m. Oct 6 at Topeka's largest arena, the Expocentre.

Trump endorsed the GOP nominee for Kansas governor, Secretary of State Kris Kobach, just ahead of his narrow August primary victory over Gov. Jeff Colyer.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some local Republican activists in a Kansas congressional district Democrats hope to flip in November are staging a revolt over the possibility that GOP voters will nominate a former Army ranger and political newcomer whose father is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to get him elected.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Freshman Kansas Rep. Roger Marshall has stepped into the race in a neighboring congressional district by endorsing political newcomer Steve Watkins for the GOP nomination.

The Watkins campaign announced the endorsement Tuesday. The former Army ranger and defense contractor from Topeka is in a seven-person contest in the Aug. 7 primary in the 2nd District of eastern Kansas.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A fourth conservative state legislator has jumped into the crowded race for the Republican nomination in an eastern Kansas congressional district.

State Sen. Dennis Pyle of Hiawatha announced Wednesday that he will run in the 2nd District. Incumbent Republican Lynn Jenkins is not seeking re-election.

Pyle has served in the Senate since 2005 and tried unsuccessfully to unseat Jenkins in the Republican primary in 2010.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas House speaker has jumped into the crowded race for the Republican nomination in an eastern Kansas congressional seat.

Ex-state Rep. Doug Mays of Topeka announced his candidacy Wednesday in the 2nd District. Incumbent Republican Lynn Jenkins is not running for re-election.

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas congressional hopeful does not plan to stop a raffle for an AR-15 rifle, even though it's the type of weapon authorities said was used in the mass shooting at a Florida high school.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An Army veteran and Harvard University graduate with no previous political experience is joining a crowded race for the GOP nomination in Kansas' 2nd Congressional District.

Steve Watkins, of Topeka, said Tuesday he will join a crowded field seeking the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, who is not seeking re-election.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two Kansas congressional Republicans who are strong advocates of gun rights said Thursday that they'd support a federal ban on devices that can modify semi-automatic weapons to shoot like automatic weapons.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Most members of Kansas' congressional delegation say they support a proposed federal tax code revision being developed by House and Senate Republicans and supported by President Donald Trump.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Former Kansas Secretary of Commerce Antonio Soave (SWAH-vay) says he is running for Congress next year.

The Kansas City Star reports Soave announced Thursday that he would seek the Republican nomination in the 2nd Congressional District of eastern Kansas. Republican Lynn Jenkins is not seeking re-election.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Former Kansas Commerce Secretary Antonio Soave (SWAH-vay) is considering running for Congress next year.

The Kansas City Star reports that Soave emailed supporters Saturday and is looking at seeking the Republican nomination in the 2nd Congressional District of eastern Kansas. Incumbent Republican Lynn Jenkins is not seeking re-election.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Another Kansas state lawmaker has become the third Republican to enter the race to succeed retiring GOP U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Rep. Kevin Jones of Wellsville in east-central Kansas' Franklin County announced his candidacy Wednesday for the 2nd Congressional District seat held by Lynn Jenkins.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two fellow Republicans in the Kansas congressional delegation urged a reluctant Sen. Pat Roberts on Monday to support changing the Senate rules to make it easier for the party to push through its legislative priorities.

The sometimes testy exchange came at the convention of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association, typically a friendly venue for the state's all-Republican delegation.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two members of Kansas' Congressional delegation say they disagree with President Donald Trump's proposal to ban transgender people from serving in the military, although they agree the government shouldn't pay for gender transition surgeries or hormone treatments.

U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder and U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, both Republicans, said in statements Wednesday anyone who wants to serve in the military should be allowed to do so.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas statesman Bob Dole has been nominated for the highest civilian honor Congress bestows.

Sen. Pat Roberts and Rep. Lynn Jenkins are seeking to honor the longtime senator with the Congressional Gold Medal. The Wichita Eagle (http://bit.ly/2tzyInM ) reports that Roberts and Jenkins jointly introduced resolutions Monday, two days after Dole's 94th birthday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kansas Congressman Lynn Jenkins is assailing President Donald Trump for his crude tweet ridiculing a cable news anchor.

The five-term Republican says on Twitter: "This is not okay. As a female in politics I am often criticized for my looks. We should be working to empower women."

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A portrait of a Muslim teenager from Kansas painted by a schoolmate will soon be hung in the U.S. Capitol.

The Topeka Capital-Journal (http://bit.ly/2qAlbf0 ) reports Republican Rep. Lynn Jenkins of Topeka visited Washburn Rural High School on Monday to present a certificate to the artist, 18-year-old Claire Fallon.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal budget proposal that puts a passenger train route that passes through Kansas at risk is raising concerns.

At issue is a provision in President Donald Trump's budget that calls for the elimination of federal subsidies for some long-distance train routes, The Topeka Capital-Journal (http://bit.ly/2pJGetT ) reports.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Prominent Democrat and former state lawmaker Paul Davis is considering a run for Congress in the 2nd District of eastern Kansas.

Davis said Thursday that he expects to make a formal announcement about his plans this summer after spending several months talking to voters.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Conservative state Sen. Steve Fitzgerald is running for the congressional seat that incumbent Lynn Jenkins will vacate when her term expires.

The Topeka Capital-Journal (http://bit.ly/2oBDDmb ) reports that Fitzgerald, of Leavenworth, filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. He also told supporters in an email Saturday that he will seek the 2nd District seat Jenkins is vacating in January 2019.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins' announcement that she has no plans to seek office in two years shakes up the Kansas Republican gubernatorial race in which she had been expected to run — and possibly other campaigns.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Lynn Jenkins, a low-profile Kansas Republican and five-term House veteran, said Wednesday that she will retire from Congress in two years.

Jenkins is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which will be in the middle of this year's GOP effort to recast President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and revamp the federal tax code.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas congresswoman Lynn Jenkins and a fellow Republican candidate are not withdrawing previous endorsements of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump over sexual assault allegations against him.

Jenkins told The Associated Press on Thursday: "I'm not going to come out with a new statement on the presidential race every time a new headline hits the papers."

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas oil and gas producers listened to dire warnings about their industry's future from two House members during their convention in Wichita.

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins told the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association on Monday that it is still an assault on the industry by President Barack Obama's administration from a regulatory environment to tax proposals. She claims the administration wants to put them out of business.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Republican primary voters in this deep red state head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to back their GOP congressional incumbents, including two who are running unopposed for their U.S. House seats.

The state's Democrats have slightly more choices on their primary ballot as they decide who they want as challengers for the November elections.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran faces a primary race with Della Jean "D.J." Smith, a former Osawatomie city...