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Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach is stepping down from that office this year as he seeks the Republican nomination for governor. That opening has drawn a crowded field of Republican candidates who hope to succeed him.

The secretary of state’s office is responsible for a wide range of duties, but the most prominent include supervising state and federal elections in Kansas, being the official record-keeper of the state and recording business filings such as articles of incorporation and annual reports.

Although the secretary of state is traditionally a low-profile office, it has been the focus of controversy under Kobach, who has been the target of state and federal lawsuits challenging the strict voter registration requirements he has championed, particularly a law requiring new voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship in order to register. That law that was recently struck down by a federal district judge but is now on appeal to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals

The candidates in the Republican primary include two current legislators, a former employee of the office, one longtime Republican Party activist from Salina, and a longtime administrator in Republican administrations.

The winner of the primary will go on to face Lawrence Democrat Brian McClendon in the general election.

Randy Duncan

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Randy Duncan

Randy Duncan, 61, of Salina, has been an activist in the Kansas Republican Party for decades. He was chairman of the Saline County Republican Party for 15 years, until 2002, and was the 1st District chairman for 13 years until 2017. He was also a delegate to Republican national conventions in 2008, 2012 and 2016.

He was elected to the Saline County Commission in 2006 and 2010. He has also served as a township clerk and township treasurer.

“I’m the only candidate who understands county government and who has direct experience in working with county clerks,” Duncan said in a statement on his campaign website.

“I can work with our County Clerks to keep our Federal, State, and Local elections safe and secure by working to improve our data entry systems,” his statement continued. “I believe in photo I.D. and proof of citizenship and will work to improve the registration process for small business owners in Kansas.”

Keith Esau

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Rep. Keith Esau

Rep. Keith Esau, 58, of Olathe, has served in the Kansas House since 2013 and currently chairs the House Elections Committee.

He has also been active in GOP politics for years. During the 1990s, he was part of a group known as the Kansas Republican Assembly, which recruited socially conservative candidates to run for precinct committee positions as well as legislative offices. He also served on the 3rd District and state committees of the Kansas Republican Party from 2004 through 2012.

Esau entered the race in March, issuing a statement that said he too supports the voting restrictions that Kobach championed, including the proof of citizenship requirement.

“While we must continue to be vigilant watching the front door of our polling places by ensuring proper registration and identification of all voters, we must now also keep watch on the back door — defending our election systems, business filings, and lien records from electronic tampering and manipulation,” Esau said in the statement.

Craig McCullah

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Craig McCullah

Craig McCullah, 35, of Topeka, is a former deputy assistant secretary of state in Kobach’s office, where he headed the administrative division. Before that, he was director of public affairs in the office and previously worked in the Kansas Legislative Research Department.

According to his website, he served 15 years in the U.S. Army, including deployments in Kenya, Afghanistan and Ukraine. He is also involved in residential real estate development in Topeka.

McCullah’s campaign has focused mainly on his administrative experience in the secretary of state’s office. While in that office, he has said, he implemented a new pagination system that has reduced the cost of printing the Kansas Register, which publishes official state notices, as well as a new web-based system for submitting certain kinds of corporate filings which he says will reduce agency expenditures by $250,000 a year.

He has also said he supports the proof of citizenship law for voter registration.

Scott Schwab

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Rep. Scott Schwab

Rep. Scott Schwab, 46, of Olathe, has served two stints in the Kansas House. He was first elected in 2002 and was re-elected in 2004, but he was defeated for re-election in the Republican primary in 2006. He came back and won the seat in 2008 and has held it ever since, and he now holds the post of speaker pro tem in the House.

A native of Great Bend, he graduated from Fort Hays State University and now works as a national sales trainer for a pharmaceutical company.

A leader within the conservative faction of the House Republican caucus, Schwab has the endorsement of Kansans for Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion organization.

Schwab has said he supports state laws requiring people to show proof of citizenship in order to register, and to show photo ID at the polls in order to cast a ballot.

Dennis Taylor

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Dennis Taylor

Dennis Taylor, 68, of Topeka, has been involved in Republican politics and Republican administrations for decades.

A former Shawnee County commissioner, he has served under former Gov. Mike Hayden as secretary of the Department of Human Resources, now called the Department of Labor, and as secretary of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, now called the Department for Children and Families.

He also served as chief of staff to former Senate President Bud Burke and has held a number of administrative positions with the city of Topeka and Shawnee County.

Taylor has said he believes the issue of Kansas voting laws will eventually be resolved by federal courts. In the meantime, he has said, he believes the best way to prevent voter fraud and improve election security is by auditing elections, requiring voter-verified paper ballots in all counties, and improving computer system security in the secretary of state’s office.