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Jacob Andrew Joseph LaTurner (born February 17, 1988) is an American politician serving as the
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
for
Kansas's 2nd congressional district Kansas' 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Kansas that covers most of the eastern part of the state, except for the core of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The district encompasses less than a quarter ...
. A member of the Republican Party, LaTurner was the 40th
Kansas State Treasurer The State Treasurer of Kansas is the chief custodian of Kansas’s cash deposits, monies from bond sales, and other securities and collateral and directs the investments of those assets. The Treasurer provides for the safe and efficient operation ...
from 2017 to 2021 and a
state senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...
from the 13th district from 2013 to 2017. Upon his appointment as Kansas State Treasurer by Governor
Sam Brownback Samuel Dale Brownback (born September 12, 1956) is an American attorney, politician, diplomat, and member of the Republican Party who served as the United States Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom from 2018 to 2021. Brownba ...
, LaTurner became the youngest statewide official in the country. He was elected to the post in his own right in 2018, becoming the youngest elected statewide official in the United States. LaTurner briefly campaigned for the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
in the 2020 election before instead opting to run for the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
in . He defeated incumbent U.S. Representative Steve Watkins in the primary election, amid corruption allegations against Watkins, and won the general election against Topeka mayor Michelle De La Isla.


Early life and education

LaTurner was born and raised in
Galena, Kansas Galena is a city in Cherokee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,761. History Although the railroad was built through the territory of Galena in 1871, the community did not start until the d ...
. He graduated from Galena High School and enrolled at
Pittsburg State University Pittsburg State University (Pitt State or PSU) is a public university in Pittsburg, Kansas. It enrolls approximately 7,400 students (6,000 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students) and is a member of the Kansas Board of Regents. History ...
, where he earned his undergraduate degree in political science. LaTurner worked for former Kansas Treasurer and Congresswoman
Lynn Jenkins Lynn Haag Jenkins (born June 10, 1963) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as the U.S. representative for , in office from 2009 to 2019. She previously served as Kansas State Treasurer from 2003 to 2008, in the Kansas House of Repr ...
during his time in college in her Pittsburg district office.


Kansas Senate

After losing the 2008 District 13 primary election to Republican Senator Bob Marshall, he defeated Marshall in a 2012 rematch.Ballotpedia Jacob LaTurner
''
Ballotpedia Ballotpedia is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States. The website was founded in 2007. Ballotpedia is sponsored by the Lucy Burn ...
''. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
At age 24, he became the youngest member of the Kansas Senate. As a senator, LaTurner drafted legislation that would impose
term limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...
s on state legislators, reform the process for requesting
public records Public records are documents or pieces of information that are not considered confidential and generally pertain to the conduct of government. For example, in California, when a couple fills out a marriage license application, they have the opti ...
, and combat potential
nepotism Nepotism is an advantage, privilege, or position that is granted to relatives and friends in an occupation or field. These fields may include but are not limited to, business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, fitness, religion, an ...
. He faced opposition on these issues, including from Speaker of the
Kansas House of Representatives The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for craftin ...
Ray Merrick, a Republican, and Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley. In February 2015, LaTurner was the lead sponsor of legislation allowing Kansas adults to carry firearms without a concealed carry permit. In 2016, he authored a bill limiting property tax increases.


State Treasurer of Kansas

LaTurner was appointed
Kansas State Treasurer The State Treasurer of Kansas is the chief custodian of Kansas’s cash deposits, monies from bond sales, and other securities and collateral and directs the investments of those assets. The Treasurer provides for the safe and efficient operation ...
in April 2017 by Governor
Sam Brownback Samuel Dale Brownback (born September 12, 1956) is an American attorney, politician, diplomat, and member of the Republican Party who served as the United States Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom from 2018 to 2021. Brownba ...
. He replaced
Ron Estes Ronald Gene Estes ( ; born July 19, 1956) is an American politician, engineer, and farmer who has been the U.S. representative for since April 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Kansas State Treasurer from 2011 to 2017. A fif ...
, who had been elected to the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
for . Appointed at age 29, LaTurner became the youngest statewide official in the country. Defeating state senator Marci Francisco in 2018, he became the youngest statewide elected official in the country. As state treasurer, one of LaTurner's primary responsibilities was to oversee unclaimed property, over which there is over $350 million worth in Kansas. He completed a 105 County Tour within 5 months during his first year in office, and returned over $10 million during the tour. During LaTurner's first year in office, he returned a record amount of unclaimed property to Kansans, over $25.5 million. "Every dollar we return to the people of Kansas is a dollar that goes back into their local communities," LaTurner said. "Not only have we returned a record amount of money to Kansans, but we have made the process more user friendly and we have improved the service offered to Kansans." LaTurner also administered the Kansas Learning Quest 529 Education Savings and ABLE Savings Programs, which assist Kansans in saving for their future. During his first year in office, he implemented changes to the Kansas Learning Quest and ABLE Savings Programs. Under these changes, individuals living with a disability are able to roll over saved funds within a 529 Education Savings Account into their ABLE Account. Additionally, Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Account holders can utilize their funds for K-12 education tuition. In December 2020, Governor
Laura Kelly Laura Jeanne Kelly (born January 24, 1950)"Laura Kelly,"
''Kansapedia,''
announced that she would appoint Lieutenant Governor Lynn Rogers to succeed LaTurner as treasurer. Rogers took office on January 2, 2021.


''LaTurner v. United States''

As Kansas Treasurer, LaTurner continued a legal case against the
United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...
which requested the federal government return the proceeds from matured bonds to Kansas. Though a judge in a
lower court A lower court or inferior court is a court from which an appeal may be taken, usually referring to courts other than supreme court. In relation to an appeal from one court to another, the lower court is the court whose decision is being review ...
sided with the state of Kansas, requiring the federal government to return approximately $150 million in savings bonds to the state of Kansas, the
United States Court of Appeals United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
overturned that decision and found in favor of the federal government. The bonds will still be returned to Kansans, but that process will be overseen at the federal, rather than state, level.


2020 U.S. Senate campaign

On January 8, 2019, LaTurner announced his candidacy for the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
in the 2020 election, hoping to succeed four-term incumbent
Pat Roberts Charles Patrick Roberts (born April 20, 1936) is a retired American politician and journalist who served as a United States senator from Kansas from 1997 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Roberts served 8 terms in the U.S. House of R ...
. LaTurner's announcement came roughly two weeks after Roberts announced his intention to retire in 2021. LaTurner announced his candidacy at age 30, the minimum age the
United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...
requires a Senator to be. As LaTurner's next election as State Treasurer would not be until 2022, the Senate campaign was considered relatively low-stakes. Campaigning as a conservative, he supported the proposed Trump wall, an expansion of the physical barrier along the
Mexico–United States border The Mexico–United States border ( es, frontera Estados Unidos–México) is an international border separating Mexico and the United States, extending from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border tr ...
, argued for
fiscal responsibility A balanced budget (particularly that of a government) is a budget in which revenues are equal to expenditures. Thus, neither a budget deficit nor a budget surplus exists (the accounts "balance"). More generally, it is a budget that has no budget ...
, and supported
term limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...
s for federally elected politicians. Responding to questions at a meeting with five locals at the Garden City library, he said Representative
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of t ...
"thinks that the government can fix all of our problems for us and doesn't think that individuals have rights, naturally." "I think that what I believe in, and it's what our founders believed in, is that our rights come from God, not from the government... We need to continue to send people to Washington, D.C., that aren't afraid to stand up with President Trump and defend conservative principles." LaTurner stated in several interviews that he would step aside and drop out of the race if
United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's ...
Mike Pompeo Michael Richard Pompeo (; born December 30, 1963) is an American politician, diplomat, and businessman who served under President Donald Trump as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2017 to 2018 and as the 70th United State ...
opted to run for the seat. In one interview, LaTurner stated that he would be the "first to support ompeo" while in another he said Pompeo had "right up to the last minute. He can decide to run." On September 9, 2019, LaTurner suspended his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, opting instead to run for the U.S. House in the 2020 election.


U.S. House of Representatives


Elections


2020

While LaTurner was running his Senate campaign,
incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-e ...
Republican Representative for Steve Watkins was becoming embattled in several controversies, including that he inflated his business resume, was not present for important votes, voting fraud and allegations of
sexual misconduct Sexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature which exists on a spectrum that may include a broad range of sexual behaviors considered unwelcome. This includes conduct considered inappropriate on an individual or societal basis of morality, s ...
. Watkins and his staff had edited his
Wikipedia Wikipedia is a Multilingualism, multilingual free online encyclopedia written and maintained by a community of online volunteering, volunteers, known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and using a wiki-based editing system. Wikipedia ...
page to remove content relating to the controversies. Many speculated Watkins was planning on resigning prior to the end of his term, which he adamantly denied. Watkins was charged with interference with law enforcement, providing false information; voting without being qualified; unlawful advance voting; and failing to notify the DMV of change of address. In response, former
Governor of Kansas A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Jeff Colyer publicly encouraged LaTurner to consider challenging Watkins for the seat. LaTurner announced he would end his Senate campaign in order to challenge Watkins on September 4, 2019. In an interview with ''
Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and inter ...
'', LaTurner said, "At the end of the day, we don't want to see another congressional seat be turned over to the Democrats in Kansas...Congressman Watkins, without question, puts this seat in jeopardy this cycle." Watkins had been elected in 2018 by a margin of less than 1%. LaTurner was able to move $470,000 cash on hand from his Senate campaign to his House campaign, giving him a large advantage over Watkins who had only $260,000 at the time of LaTurner's announcement. On August 4, 2020, LaTurner defeated Watkins in the Republican primary to run against Democratic Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla in the November 3 general election.


Tenure

On January 6, 2021, during the United States Electoral College vote count for the 2020 presidential elections, LaTurner voted in favor of sustaining the objection raised against Arizona's electoral votes after the session was earlier suspended when Trump supporters stormed and occupied the Capitol. Before the session concluded, he had to withdraw in quarantine because of a positive
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
test, and thus was not able to vote on the objection to Pennsylvania's electoral votes. LaTurner voted against impeaching Trump in the following days.


Committee assignments

* Committee on Homeland Security ** Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Innovation ** Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism *
Committee on Oversight and Reform The Committee on Oversight and Reform is the main investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. The committee's broad jurisdiction and legislative authority make it one of the most influential and powerful panels in ...
** Subcommittee on Government Operations *
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...
** Subcommittee on Research and Technology


Caucus memberships

*
Republican Study Committee The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is a study group of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives. As of 2021, the Chairman of the RSC is Representative Jim Banks of Indiana. Although the prima ...


Electoral history


Primary results


General election


References


External links


Representative Jake LaTurner
official U.S. House website
Campaign websiteState Senate website
*
Follow the Money
* , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:LaTurner, Jacob 1988 births 21st-century American politicians Candidates in the 2020 United States elections Kansas state senators Living people People from Galena, Kansas Pittsburg State University alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kansas State treasurers of Kansas Conservatism in the United States