State Sen. Laura Kelly (D) announced Friday that she will challenge freshman Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R) in 2010.

Jenkins defeated then-Rep. Nancy Boyda (D) last year by a 5-point margin in the Republican-leaning eastern Kansas district.

“Kansas families in the 2nd district deserve a representative who will energetically stand up for their most important concerns — their pocketbooks, their jobs, and their health care — not sit back and block progress in Washington,— Kelly said in her announcement.

The two-term Senator is from Topeka, which is also the population center of the expansive Sunflower State district.

Democrats are expected to having an uphill climb with any candidate in the district, which Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) carried with 55 percent of the vote in the 2008 presidential contest.

Ex-Editor Seeks Good News in Senate Race

Former newspaper editor Charles Schollenberger (D) announced Thursday that he has filed to run for the open Senate seat.

Sen. Sam Brownback (R) is vacating his seat to run for governor in 2010, and Republicans are favored to keep the seat.

“I believe that Kansas Democrats are looking for leadership from a candidate who is not afraid to get out among the people and wage a grass-roots campaign,— Schollenberger said in the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Reps. Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt are running in the GOP primary next August, and the winner is expected to be the next Senator from the Sunflower State. National Democrats have indicated that they do not plan to target the Kansas Senate seat.