There will be a new Secretary of State in Kansas after the incumbent decided not seek re-election to the post that serves as the state’s top elections officer and keeper of state records.

Republican Scott Schwab sought the Republican nomination for governor during the summer primary, but fell short in his bid. He did not seek re-election to the Secretary of State position, and now three candidates are vying for the spot.

Here’s a look at some basic information from each candidate.

PAT PROCTOR

Proctor is Republican lawmaker from Leavenworth that currently serves in the Kansas House of Representatives. He’s also a retired U.S. Army colonel, an assistant professor at Wichita State, and an owner of the Baan Thai Restaurant chain, according to his campaign website.

Proctor is the chair of the House Committee on Elections, and has been a leading supporter of the state constitutional amendment on November’s ballot that supporters argue will provide needed clarity that only U.S. citizens can vote in state elections. Opponents have argued the Kansas Constitution already provides that requirement, and they argue the new amendment is overreach. He also has campaigned on “restoring election day as the deadline for casting ballots, and strengthening paper audits of our elections,” according to his website.

JENNIFER DAY

Day is a former Democratic member of the Kansas House, who represented parts of Johnson County before resigning the position in 2021 due to a move that took her outside the district. Day, an Overland Park resident, touts on her campaign website 16 years of business experience in technology, real estate and finance. She also lists entrepreneurial experience of building a small real estate investment firm and founding an interior design company.

She has campaigned on the idea that “voting systems remain accurate, reliable and free from political influence, disinformation and fear mongering,” according to her campaign website. She also has pledged to research why some state have higher levels of voter turnout than Kansas, and to further modernize the process businesses are required to go through to register in the state.

SCOTT MORGAN

Morgan is a Lawrence resident who is running as a United Kansas candidate, and also serves as the executive director of the relatively new third party. Morgan has operated a Lawrence-based data publishing company, but previously was a staff member for Republican senators Bob Dole and Nancy Landon Kassebaum. While in Washington, D.C., he served as a non-voting member of the Federal Election Commission, representing the U.S. Senate, according to his campaign website.

Morgan has campaigned on removing some of the political elements from the Secretary of State position, saying the position should “serve voters and the long-term health of representative government rather than partisan political interests,” according to his campaign website. His platform also includes support for advance and mail voting, restoring the grace period for ballots mailed on time, and “limiting unnecessary barriers to voter registration.”