A Kansas politician who once accused Tyson Foods of hiring illegal immigrants hopes to become Kansas’ next U.S. Senator.
Kris Kobach, a former two-term Kansas Secretary of State and a failed gubernatorial candidate in 2018, filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to form a campaign committee, reported KSN. Kobach hopes to fill the Senate seat presently held by Pat Roberts. Roberts, a Republican who calls Dodge City his home, announced in January that he would not seek re-election.
Roberts, a Republican, currently serves as the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Kobach, known for his stance on tough immigration reform, in an opinion piece published in the Kansas City Star in 2017, expressed his joy for Tyson Foods' decision to back away from its plans to build a poultry complex in Leavenworth County, Kansas. In his letter, he said it was “highly likely that hundreds of unauthorized alien workers would have been brought in to work at the plant.”
Kobach’s allegations were refuted in a follow-up letter to the editor from Hector Gonzalez, vice president of human resources for Tyson Foods’ poultry division. In his letter, Gonzalez wrote, “In 2011, Tyson Foods became one of the first large food companies to become a full member of the Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers program, which enables employers to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on employment-verification matters.”
Kobach, a Republican, was defeated in the governor’s race by Democrat Laura Kelly.
Roberts started his congressional career in 1980, elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. represented Kansas’ First Congressional District -- the state’s largest district in terms of geographical area -- until he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, replacing retiring Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum.
Roberts, who played a major role in forming the recently-passed 2018 farm bill, holds a unique spot in history, having chaired both the House and Senate agriculture committees. He has also served as the ranking member of both committees.
