By Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Democrat Chris Mann said Wednesday the time had come to declare his candidacy for attorney general in a bid to unseat Republican incumbent Kris Kobach in 2026.
Mann, who had his law enforcement career cut short when struck by a DUI motorist, lost the 2022 campaign to Kobach by 1.6 percentage points with 1 million ballots cast. Kobach’s 15,000-vote victory was the closest margin for a Kansas statewide race in that election cycle.
After conclusion of his work as a police officer, Mann went to law school and served as a prosecutor in the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office. He subsequently worked as an attorney with the Kansas Securities Commission before opening a private law practice in 2016.
“In times like these, Kansas families need a law enforcement officer defending our communities and our rights, not a politician focused on their own personal ambition,” Mann said. “Instead of focusing on what’s best for Kansas families, Kris Kobach has focused on his own personal agenda, and what office he can run for next. Kansans deserve better from their attorney general.”
Mann said the Kansas attorney general’s office needed to be reoriented to concentrate on basics of law enforcement and to “defend the rule of law, protect our rights, protect our families and make Kansas a safer place to live.”
Kobach, who served as Kansas secretary of state prior to election as attorney general, would be the presumed Republican candidate for reelection. In 2022, he prevailed in a three-candidate GOP primary against state Sen. Kellie Warren and attorney Tony Mattivi. Kobach later appointed Mattivi to lead the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
Mann was 21 years of age when he became a police officer during his junior year in college. In 2002, he was struck during a routine traffic stop by a drunk driver. His injuries made it necessary to retire from the force at age 25.
“Because of that crash, I was forced to start over,” he said. “With the help of my faith and family, I found a new way to serve the public and protect our communities in the courtroom instead.”
He prosecuted a broad range of cases while at the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s office. Over time, he volunteered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and was appointed to the MADD National Board of Directors in 2014. He served as the organization’s national chair.
In Kansas, he advocated for the law that required vehicle ignition locks for DUI offenders.
“Working in Kansas and across the country to change DUI laws and penalties is a critical way I can help victims and stop offenders from hurting more families,” he said.
He said he has continued to collaborate with organizations supporting victims and first responders struggling with PTSD.
Mann, who has not held elective office, lives in Lawrence. His wife, Ashley, is a surgeon practicing medicine in Olathe.
His campaign treasurer is Jill Docking, who was a 2014 Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor. She was on the ticket with Paul Davis, which lost to incumbent GOP Gov. Sam Brownback.
“Never before has it been so clear that we need leaders who will honor the rule of law,” Docking said.
