He’s pledged to pursue greater school choice opportunities
Pursue greater school choice opportunities in Kansas.
Occurrences
Evidence
The Kansas City Star reported that Schmidt "has pledged to pursue greater school choice opportunities" as part of his 2022 Kansas governor campaign.
Schmidt's official House biography says he has represented Kansas's 2nd Congressional District since January 3, 2025, and describes his work in Congress rather than any Kansas state executive role.
Kansas law already established a tax-credit scholarship program giving eligible students an opportunity to attend schools of their parents' choice; the statute was in force before and after Schmidt's 2022 campaign.
The homepage lists Derek Schmidt as a U.S. Representative for Kansas's 2nd District and shows his current news items focus on federal legislation and constituent services, not Kansas state executive action on school choice.
Schmidt's official biography says he has represented Kansas's Second Congressional District since January 3, 2025, and describes his current work in Congress rather than any Kansas executive role.
The Kansas City Star reported that Derek Schmidt had pledged during the 2022 Kansas governor campaign to pursue greater school choice opportunities.
The Kansas Secretary of State certified Governor/Lt. Governor results showing Laura Kelly / David Toland with 499,849 votes, 49.54%, and Derek Schmidt / Katie Sawyer with 477,591 votes, 47.33%.
Schmidt's official House biography says he has represented Kansas's Second Congressional District since January 3, 2025, and describes his current work in Congress after prior service as Kansas attorney general and state senator.
Kansas statute 72-4353 states that the tax credit for low income students scholarship program is established and provides eligible students an opportunity to attend schools of their parents' choice; the history lists enactment in 2014 and amendment in 2015.
Congress.gov records H.R.1 as becoming Public Law No. 119-21 on July 4, 2025. The CRS summary says section 70411 establishes a nonrefundable tax credit of up to $1,700 for contributions to organizations that provide scholarships for qualified elementary and secondary school expenses to eligible students.
Public Law 119-21 defines a covered State as one that voluntarily elects to participate and identify scholarship granting organizations; it also says the tax-credit amendments generally apply to taxable years ending after December 31, 2026.
The Clerk recorded Roll Call 190 on H.R.1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, as passed 218-214 on the motion to concur in the Senate amendment; Derek Schmidt, Republican of Kansas, voted Aye.
The Clerk recorded Roll Call 145 on H.R.1 as passed 215-214-1 on passage; Derek Schmidt, Republican of Kansas, voted Yea.
Assessments
Schmidt made the promise in the 2022 Kansas gubernatorial race but lost, so he did not hold the state executive office normally needed to deliver a Kansas-specific school-choice expansion. Kansas already had a tax-credit scholarship law before the promise, so that cannot count as new delivery. In later federal office, he voted for H.R.1/Public Law 119-21, which included a federal scholarship tax-credit mechanism related to school choice, so he did materially support a relevant later-term action. But the provision is national, requires state participation, and was not yet shown to have created greater school-choice opportunities in Kansas as of the evidence window. This supports partial credit rather than full delivery.
Schmidt made the promise during his 2022 Kansas governor campaign, but he did not win that office and the evidence does not show that he later used a relevant Kansas state office to enact, sponsor, or materially advance expanded school-choice opportunities in Kansas. Kansas already had a tax-credit scholarship program, but it predated the campaign promise and is not evidence of delivery by Schmidt. His later federal House service is outside the state executive context of the pledge and the record shows no school-choice action tied to him that delivered the Kansas outcome.
Schmidt made the school-choice pledge during his 2022 Kansas governor campaign, but the evidence does not show that he later held a Kansas executive office or enacted/secured an expansion of school choice opportunities in Kansas. Kansas already had a tax-credit scholarship program, but preexisting policy does not satisfy a promise to pursue greater opportunities after the campaign. No serious post-promise legislative or executive attempt tied to Schmidt is shown in the record.