Top Republican Elise Stefanik offers key endorsement in Kansas House race

EXCLUSIVE — House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik has endorsed Prasanth Reddy for Kansas’s 3rd Congressional District, handing the political newcomer a coveted endorsement that could help boost his standing in the GOP primary next year.

“Dr. Prasanth Reddy is a different kind of candidate in the best sense of the word,” Stefanik said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “He’s a cancer physician, military officer, and immigrant who’s lived the American Dream, and most importantly, he knows how to get things done. He’ll put Kansans and Americans first and make Kansas’ 3rd District proud. Dr. Reddy has my full endorsement, and I’m excited to work with him to secure the American Dream.”

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Reddy is vying to challenge Democratic incumbent Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS), who is one of House Republicans’ top targets in the 2024 cycle. Davids flipped the Kansas seat in 2018, beating out then-Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS) to become the first Democrat in a Kansas congressional district in a decade. The race is deemed to be one of the more competitive races next year, although the district is expected to favor Democrats, according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

Still, the National Republican Congressional Committee considers the seat to be a prime pickup opportunity next year, selecting the district as one of its 37 top targets.

Reddy lives in Lenexa, Kansas, and is a triple-board certified physician in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hematology. The Republican candidate also has an extensive background in medical research, serving as the senior vice president and global head of enterprise oncology at LabCorp since 2021.

Reddy also has a background in military service, currently serving as a lieutenant colonel for the Air Force Reserve.

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All 435 seats are up for grabs in 2024 as Republicans seek to hold their slim majority in the lower chamber. Of these, 45 are considered competitive, with most of those held by Democrats, giving the GOP a slight advantage as it prepares for the next election cycle.

However, of the 45 competitive seats, 17 are held by Republicans in districts that voted for President Joe Biden in 2020, compared to just five Democrats who must defend their seats in districts carried by former President Donald Trump.