Dr. Prasanth Reddy, a Kansas Republican, announced his bid on Wednesday to unseat the Democratic congresswoman currently representing the 3rd Congressional District of the state.
Reddy is an Indian American immigrant, a physician, and a military officer and is hoping to beat incumbent Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) in 2024.
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“As an immigrant, I've lived the American dream, and I've spent my life trying to give back to the country that gave me everything,” he said in a press release. “My whole life, I've run toward problems. Whether it was serving cancer patients, or when I became a citizen and an officer in the Air Force Reserve after 9/11, I've always sought to be part of the solution.”
Davids has been eyed by Republicans as vulnerable, particularly because of her past anti-police remarks and voting record of standing against policies meant to prevent repeat offenses and allow police to better enforce laws.
In April, a local law enforcement officer, Anderson County Sheriff Vern Valentine, expressed frustration over a system that has become a revolving door for criminals. “We have sent a person back already, and they made it back here in a month or so,” he said at the time. “Now we have sent them back again, and I heard he was back in the area again.”
While Republicans see the seat as a target, it is still rated as "likely Democratic" by the Cook Political Report.
In Reddy's pitch to voters in the currently Democratic district, he emphasized his position as a political outsider. “I'm not a politician. I've never wanted to run for office," he explained.
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"But the unique experiences I've had as an immigrant, a military officer, a physician, and a businessman put me in a position to help save our country. Extremist views cannot be the norm. Now is the time to act and to save the greatest country on Earth — the country that made a dream like mine possible," he added.
Davids's campaign did not respond to the Washington Examiner's request for second-quarter fundraising numbers. In the first quarter of 2023, she raised over $500,000, most of which was $100 or less, according to her campaign.