Party switch spurred Congressional hopeful

Don Coover, a Neosho County veterinarian and an Army veteran, switched parties from Republican to Democrat and is now running for a seat in Congress.
Published: December 15, 2025
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Don Coover, a Neosho County veterinarian and an Army veteran, switched parties from Republican to Democrat and is now running for a seat in Congress.

A lifelong Republican, Don Coover became a Democrat on Jan. 6, 2021. The day mobs attacked the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overturn the 2020 election results.  

“I didn’t leave the Republican Party. It left me,” he said. 

Coover was in town recently to pitch his campaign for 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives currently held by Republican Derek Schmidt. 

Susan Lynn-Register editor

Susan joined the Register in 2000 and succeeded her father, Emerson Lynn, as editor and publisher in 2001. He was at the helm from 1965 to 2000. The fourth generation of her family to publish the Register, Susan has also served as president of the Kansas Press Association and the William Allen White Foundation. She currently serves on the Kansas Commission of Judicial Conduct. She attended the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas. She has a liberal arts degree from Western Washington University and a master’s of library science from Wayne State University. Susan is married to local physician Brian Wolfe. In their free time they love to travel, spend time with their grandchildren and take advantage of Iola’s amazing trails.

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