Nearly a dozen former state GOP chairmen have endorsed Kansas Treasurer Lynn Jenkins over former Rep. Jim Ryun in her bid to secure the Republican nomination in the 2nd district.

The Jenkins campaign announced late last week that 11 former state Republican Party chairmen had chosen to back her over Ryun, who held the eastern Kansas 2nd district seat for a decade until 2006, when he was ousted by now-Rep. Nancy Boyda (D).

“We have seen a lot of talent come and go throughout the years. Lynn Jenkins stands out as one of the most effective and talented leaders not only in Kansas, but nationwide,” the former chairmen said in a joint statement released by the Jenkins campaign.

Ryun led Jenkins by 44 points in an internal poll conducted in April for the Ryun campaign.