U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins

Joshua Joel Tucker

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins on Tuesday easily won her Republican primary against little-known challenger Joshua Joel Tucker.

With the majority of precincts reporting in the 2nd District, Jenkins had 70 percent of the vote to Tucker’s 30 percent. Jenkins won in Douglas County, 67 percent to 33 percent.

Jenkins will face Democrat Margie Wakefield, a Lawrence attorney, in the November general election. Wakefield had no primary opponent.

The 2nd U.S. House District covers most of eastern Kansas outside the Kansas City-metro area.

In a statement, Jenkins said, “As I look forward to the General Election, I will run a campaign based on the major issues of the day. We will focus on the economy, healthcare and reforming the tax code because these are the issues that affect Eastern Kansans.”

She also thanked Tucker “for having the courage to run.” Tucker could not be reached for comment.

Jenkins, seeking her fourth two-year term, easily outspent Tucker, a web applications developer and computer systems analyst at Pittsburg State University.

Tucker had raised about $9,500 through July, while Jenkins had raised more than $470,000 since April.

During the campaign, Tucker said he was unhappy with Jenkins’ votes to increase the debt ceiling and for national defense bills that he said included provisions to allow the indefinite detention of Americans without a trial.

Jenkins’ campaign said the law would not infringe on the rights of U.S. citizens.

Last year, Jenkins supported efforts to de-fund the federal government unless the Affordable Care Act was de-funded or delayed. Then she voted to for the bipartisan measure to raise the debt ceiling.

At the time, she said: “I voted today to get our government back open, to prevent any default on our obligations and get people back to work while our negotiators have a serious conversation about our debt crisis.”