By Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Former financial services executive Sandy Spidel Neumann announced Thursday her candidacy for the Democratic Party’s nomination to the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Roger Marshall.
Spidel Neumann said she opposed Marshall-endorsed tariffs that are harmful to farmers and Medicaid cuts that threaten rural hospitals. She said she was motivated to seek office in the wake of Marshall’s decision to walk out on a combative, contentious crowd during a March town hall he was hosting in Oakley.
“When I saw Marshall walk out, I knew I had to step up,” she said. “I’m running for Senate because leaders can’t be afraid of the tough questions. They should stand with, not run from, the people they serve.”
Marshall, who was elected to the Senate in 2020 and replaced retiring GOP U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, previously served four years in the U.S. House. A frequent supporter of President Donald Trump, Marshall said in an interview he would seek reelection in 2026.
“When Kansans pressed him on tariffs that crushed our farmers and health care cuts that closed our hospitals, he couldn’t defend himself,” Spidel Neumann said. “So, he took his toys and went home. That’s not leadership. Kansans deserve a senator who shows up, listens and fights for us.”
Spidel Neumann joined three other Democrats with campaigns to seek the Democratic Party’s nomination in the August primary election. The others are Christy Davis of Cottonwood Falls, attorney Anne Parelkar of Overland Park and Michael Soetaert of Wellington.
Spidel Neumann was born near Topeka and grew up in Overland Park. She earned an economics degree at the University of Chicago and a master’s in business at Northwestern University.
She had a 40-year career in business that culminated with 22 years as an executive with Ameriprise Financial Services. She retired in May and has not held public office.
“In business, I’ve seen what happens when leaders fall short. Like when Roger sells out Kansas time and again, and then jets off to his Florida mansion,” Spidel Neumann said. “You don’t need a degree in economics to recognize what he touts as accomplishments — chaotic tariffs, health care cuts and tax breaks for himself and his billionaire buddies. They all hurt the Kansans he left behind.”
She accused Marshall of declining to “stand up to special interests” as Kansas families were forced to choose between gas and groceries while hospitals disappeared, farmers struggled economically and seniors skipped medication to make ends meet.
“Washington won’t fix itself. It’s time for someone who knows how to get things done,” she said. “I’ve always rooted for the red and the blue, but most of all, I root for Kansas.”
