GOP leaders are pressuring Kansas Republican to resign from Congress immediately: report

On Thursday, the Topeka Capital-Journalreported that Republicans in Kansas and Washington are pressuring Rep. Steve Watkins (R-KS) to step down after just eight months in office.

It is currently unclear why they are calling for his resignation.

Watkins has thus far given no indications he will leave office. His spokesman Jim Joice stated that he has no plans to resign, and disputed the idea that Republican officials are pressuring him to do so, but acknowledged there have been conversations around the topic.

Journalists asked Watkins for more information on the matter during a meet and greet at the Boiler Room Brewhaus in Fort Scott, after he remarked on the "fleeting" nature of public service. Watkins refused to elaborate and fled in an SUV.

Watkins was elected to Kansas' 2nd Congressional District in 2018 in a high-profile contest with former Democratic state Rep. Paul Davis.