The west front of the U.S. Capitol is photographed near dusk Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Rep. Lynn Jenkins, a Topeka Republican, began her political career in the Kansas Legislature, serving one term in the House and two years in the Senate. In 2002, midway through her Senate term, she was elected as state treasurer. She was re-elected in 2004, then ran for the 2nd District U.S. House seat in 2006, defeating one-term incumbent Democrat Nancy Boyda.

Jenkins grew up on a dairy farm near Holton, north of Topeka, and graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in accounting. She worked as a certified public accountant before entering politics.

In the House, Jenkins serves on the Ways and Means Committee and as vice-chair of the House Republican Conference.

While she was state treasurer, Jenkins helped establish a Kansas college savings plan, known as a 529 plan, and she says colleges and universities should provide “more upfront information on what an average salary in a chosen field is and what your debt will look like when you leave college and enter that profession.”

Jenkins is an outspoken opponent of the Affordable Care Act. “Obamacare isn’t the answer, and we need to replace that law with a patient-centric system that addresses the rising costs and doesn’t cost the taxpayers millions of dollars in wasted funds,” she said.

She also said reforming the federal tax code is needed to improve the economy and create jobs. And on immigration, she said the U.S. should “refuse to grant amnesty to those who violate our laws.”

Jenkins also favors increased military spending. “We’re at a dangerous point in our history where our enemies do not fear us, our allies do not trust us and our standing in the world is diminished,” she said. “It’s incredibly frustrating when some folks in Washington want to start every discussion with ‘for every dollar you increase defense, you have to increase the same for domestic policies.'”