Congressman Ron Estes wins re-election to U.S. House in Kansas’ 4th District
U.S. Congressman Ron Estes will keep his U.S. House seat for another term.
The Wichita Republican easily defeated Democratic challenger Bob Hernandez, a military veteran and small business owner, in the race for Kansas’ 4th Congressional District.
The Associated Press called the race at 10:09 p.m.
Estes has held the seat since 2017 and has previous political experience, including terms serving as Sedgwick County treasurer and Kansas state treasurer.
Hernandez, who switched his political affiliation from Republican to Democrat earlier this year, sought to oust him after feeling dissatisfied with Estes’ representation, he has said.
With three of 778 precincts left to report, Estes had won 64% of the vote — taking all of the 4th District’s 17 counties — while Hernandez had about 36%, according to unofficial race results posted on the Kansas Secretary of State’s website. The tally stood at 140,486 to 79,241 votes shortly after midnight.
Both men are longtime residents of the district, although their views on the area’s most-pressing issues differed. For Estes, it is inflation, which he blames on out-of-control federal spending, including the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill. Hernandez, the son of beet field workers, said population decline in the district’s rural counties was the top issue.
The 4th District covers counties in south-central Kansas and includes the state’s largest city, Wichita.
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 7:27 PM.
