Bowser calls for unity after defeating senator and rep in ‘most controversial’ Kansas primary race

LAWRENCE — Republican Craig Bowser says it is “time for our party to pull together and move forward” after defeating incumbent state Sen. Dennis Pyle and Rep. John Eplee in the primary Tuesday night.

Washburn University political scientist Bob Beatty called it the “most controversial” primary race this year.

Bowser, a U.S. Army Reserve veteran from Holton, won 41% of the votes in a primary filled with drama and PAC spending. Eplee, of Atchison, finished second with 37% and Pyle, of Hiawatha, finished last with 23%.

“I want to congratulate my opponents on a hard fought campaign,” Bowser said in a statement posted to his campaign Facebook page. “Now is the time for our party to pull together and move forward. We’re going to do some great things for the district and the state. God bless America.”

Pyle upset Republicans in the 1st District, which he has represented for 20 years, when he ran as an independent for governor in 2022. Republicans blame Pyle for splitting the Republican vote and helping Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly win reelection. A TV ad from the Kansas Chamber PACshows Pyle saying “I intended to split the vote,” and claims Pyle joined Kelly and President Joe Biden in a district where former President Donald Trump won with almost 66% of the vote in 2020 and Kelly lost with almost 40% in 2022.

Constituents were flooded with mailers, advertisements, text messages and calls for months leading up to the primary.

Mailers funded by Elpee show Bowser as a “fake conservative” who “wants to send our taxpayer dollars to communist Venezuela … just like Joe Biden.”

Bowser fired back with a text message blast alleging that Elpee’s June 10 car crash was a result of intoxicated driving.

“This was a very intense race,” Beatty said, “with quite a bit of negativity.”

In an interview Wednesday, Eplee said “Kansans made their wish known.” But he said the advertisements centered around his crash were “unfortunate” and false.

Elpee also said he isn’t surprised Pyle lost.

“The way he voted in the last year was not supportive of the GOP, and leaving the party was a bad move,” Elpee said.

Kelly and Pyle went to Holton and Hiawatha on July 2 to promote their bipartisan efforts on the tax reform bill. Kelly talked about her time as a senator and said when she needed a bipartisan cosponsor, she would go to Pyle.

Pyle and Bowser did not respond to requests for comment for this story.