This is a breaking news story. The Post will update it as we get more information and reaction. 

Rep. Sharice Davids coasted to reelection Tuesday night, securing her fifth term in Congress, according to the Associated Press.

Davids defeated Republican Eric Jenkins, a former Shawnee city councilmember, and Libertarian Steve Hohe.

Davids won the seat with 60% of the vote. Jenkins received 38% while Hohe earned 2%.

This is the largest margin of victory Davids has had since she was first elected in 2018.

“Tonight, Kansans sent a clear message that they want pragmatic leadership focused on fighting corruption, finding common ground, and lowering costs for hardworking families,” Davids said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Traveling across our district throughout this campaign reaffirmed that when we reject partisanship and extremism, we can deliver real, common-sense progress together,” she said.

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Davids was first elected to Congress in 2018, when she unseated four-term Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder by nearly 10 percentage points.

She was the first Native American woman and first openly LGBTQ person to represent Kansas in Washington, D.C. A one-time mixed martial arts fighter and White House fellow in the Obama administration, she has cast herself as a bipartisan centrist during her eight years in office.

She faced criticism from the left earlier this year for her stances on issues like immigration and Israel’s war in Gaza, and she had to overcome her first-ever primary challenge in August. She ended up defeating Sarah Preu of Fairway with more than 80% of the vote.

Jenkins, a Republican, served on the Shawnee City Council from 2015 until losing his reelection bid in 2023. He also previously ran unsuccessfully for U.S. House in 2016 and 2018.

An Army veteran with more than three decades of active duty and reserve service, Jenkins also worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He pitched himself as a veteran and not a career politician.

But the race never seemed competitive.

Before last month’s final campaign finance reports, Davids held an eye-popping fundraising advantage over Eric Jenkins: roughly $3.7 million to $19,000.

“Congratulations to Sharice on her victory tonight. I’m happy to say it was a clean campaign. I wish to thank all my supporters who made a tremendous impression on me, and knowing them, was the highlight of my campaign,” Jenkins said in an email to the Post.

Kansas’ Third Congressional District, centered around Johnson County, has been a recurring target for Republicans.

In 2022, lawmakers overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto and approved a new map splitting up the district by moving northern Wyandotte County out and adding three rural counties, Anderson, Franklin and Miami.

Still, Davids won reelection that year over former health care executive Amanda Adkins by 12 percentage points. Davids has won each of her reelection bids by double-digit percentage points.

Last year, GOP lawmakers in Topeka pushed for a special session to draw new Congressional maps again following President Trump’s calls for mid-decade redistricting to favor Republicans, but legislative leaders could not gather enough lawmakers’ signatures to call the session.

Davids declined to participate in the Post’s candidate forum, ultimately leading to Jenkins dropping out, as well.

But responses from the Post’s candidate surveys, as well as information taken from campaign websites show the two had differing priorities.

Davids’ campaign largely focused on affordability — something she highlighted in her speech Tuesday night.

“ We see too many billionaires getting richer on tax breaks while hardworking families here in Kansas are getting squeezed by these high prices,” she said.

Jenkins’ priorities centered on immigration, national security and fiscal responsibility. He criticized Davids for voting against the Big Beautiful Bill and the SAVE Act.

According to his candidate survey, Hohe’s priorities included abolishing the federal income tax and reducing the national debt.

Hohe didn’t want to comment on the election results but did want to say he found it “disrespectful to the Johnson County Post” that his opponents declined to participate in the forum.

Davids said winning the election is just the beginning.

“We have to keep fighting to lower healthcare costs, to protect our public schools, to support our local farmers, to build an economy where every single person who works hard can get ahead and thrive,” Davids said in her Tuesday night address.

Kyle Palmer contributed to this report.