LIBERAL, Kan. (AP) — The Republican congressman from the sprawling 1st District of western and central Kansas is finding himself on the defensive while campaigning back home.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp is a tea party favorite and Kansas farmer known for his criticism of the GOP leadership. He is seeking a third two-year term. Huelskamp was stripped in 2012 of the farm state’s nearly automatic seat on the House Agriculture Committee.

He also told his constituents he voted against the farm bill because farmers want regulatory relief and freedom — not more handouts. He also says people should work to get food stamps.

Huelskamp is challenged in this year’s GOP primary by Alan LaPolice, a Clyde farmer and educator who has made Huelskamp’s conflicts with other Republicans the centerpiece of his campaign.