Don Coover

Don Coover grew up the second of seven children on a southeast Kansas farm that produced dairy, alfalfa and soybeans.¹ His father was a farmer and union truck driver, and his mother taught school.¹ At West Point, he joined the intercollegiate pistol team as a freshman and competed in intramural boxing.¹

After graduation, Coover served more than ten years in the Army, beginning in the infantry and later working in Korea as a pilot and cryptographic operations officer.¹ He reached captain and graduated from Kansas State University's veterinary school.¹ He returned to Army work providing veterinary services for working dogs and inspecting food production facilities serving Defense Department contractors.¹

He operates a cattle genetics company, a ranch and a veterinary practice serving livestock producers.¹ The genetics business works with cattle, sheep and goats.¹ He and his wife, Traci, live on their Galesburg ranch; he has two stepdaughters and a granddaughter.¹ A longtime registered Republican before this Democratic candidacy, he describes himself as politically in the middle.²

Coover's first campaign for elected office centers on the cost of housing, food and healthcare.² He calls for protecting Medicare and rural hospitals and ending political insider trading and government contracts awarded without competitive bidding.² He has criticized tax changes that, in his view, shift the burden away from people best able to pay.²