Sharice Davids

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, has filed for reelection to her House seat.

Davids will not challenge U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, ending speculation about a potential Senate run.

Her decision follows the failure of Kansas Republicans to pass a redistricting plan that would have targeted her district.

The only Democrat in the Kansas congressional delegation is running for reelection to her seat in the U.S. House instead of mounting a run for the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, filed for reelection on May 11 in Topeka, officially putting to bed any remaining speculation that she would challenge U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas.

"It's important to remember where the whole conversation got started, was because Donald Trump had indicated to Republican legislatures that he wanted to see them try to redistrict to maintain political power," Davids told reporters when asked by The Capital-Journal why she decided not to run for the Senate.

Davids represents the 3rd Congressional District, which would have been the target of Republican gerrymandering efforts had the GOP supermajorities in the Kansas Legislature succeeded in their push for mid-decade redistricting.

Republicans failed to call a special session last fall, but leadership promised to make redistricting a priority during the regular legislative session. However, they fell far short of the necessary number of votes and there was never any attempt before the Legislature adjourned in April.

While there are renewed calls for a special session, House Republicans still lack the votes.

"I was surprised that the Kansas Legislature raised their hands and said that they were willing to try to do it — and then I was very relieved and happy to see that Kansans made their voices heard," Davids said. "A lot of people reached out to their state legislators.

"To be honest, there were also Republicans in the state Legislature who said, 'I'm not going to do this because it's not the right thing to do.' You got to give credit where credit is due. I think we don't do that enough in politics."

Sharice Davids fueled speculation of Senate run

Last fall, Davids ignited speculation that she would run against Marshall if state lawmakers gerrymandered her Kansas City-area district. She told reporters in October that "every option is on the table, including a statewide run" and reiterated it in November.

Meanwhile, Davids reportedly met with the vice chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to talk through the logistics of a Senate campaign.

Davids further fueled speculation when she launched a tour of cities outside of her congressional district in January. About two weeks later, Marshall launched his own tour.

Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin told The Capital-Journal in February that Davids would be a "great candidate," but stopped short of publicly encouraging her to run.

Why Sharice Davids wants voters to send her back to DC

Davids is running for a fifth term in the House.

"I really have felt just honored and privileged to have the trust of the people of the Kansas 3rd to go out to Washington and take our issues and concerns — and our successes and ideas — out there," she said. "There's just a lot of work to be done. I think there are a lot of people who are so dissatisfied with the chaos they see coming out of Washington.

"I hope to continue to serve the Kansas 3rd and be a voice of reason, get stuff done and try to do everything possible to make life more manageable, less chaotic and make sure that we're actually bringing down costs and making it so that people can afford to put gas in the car, get their kids to school, afford medications, afford groceries. Everyday Kansans are struggling, and it matters to have people in D.C. who are actually trying to focus on the needs of the people of Kansas and not political gamesmanship and bickering."

Democrats are trying to win back the House

Nationally, Democrats are trying to retake control of Congress, especially the House, in the 2026 midterm elections.

"I don't like to count my chickens before they hatch, but I would say I'm feeling optimistic about the American people coming together and pushing back against extreme policies," Davids said when asked how confident she is in Democrats winning a majority in the House.

"For any of my colleagues on either side of the aisle, if what they're bringing is more chaos, recklessness or extremism, I think the American people are going to push back against that. People are very dissatisfied and very frustrated right now, and November is the time that they get the opportunity to change the makeup and composition of the House, the Senate, and I think we're going to see a lot of people coming out to do that."

Other candidates have filed for 3rd District

Davids will face challengers in the primary election and, if she wins, the general.

Democrat Sarah Preu is mounting a primary challenge, positioning herself as a progressive while accusing Davids of being too bipartisan and "watering down Democratic values."

Republican Chase LaPorte has filed with the Kansas Secretary of State's Office but not the Federal Election Commission.

In a statement after she filed for reelection, the Kansas Republican Party criticized Davids.

"Sharice Davids has had multiple terms in Congress, and Kansans are still paying the price for her unwavering support of the Biden-Democrat agenda that has driven up inflation, weakened border security, and left working families behind," said Rob Fillion, the Kansas GOP executive director. "Her record is not one of independence or moderation. It is one of consistent alignment with the most out-of-touch priorities coming out of Washington."

The filing deadline is June 1.