Elections

All 165 seats in Kansas Legislature up for election this year

Sue Mollenkamp, right, of Topeka, fills out paperwork to file as a candidate for the Kansas State Board of Education just prior to the filing deadline Wednesday afternoon at the Secretary of State’s Office.
Sue Mollenkamp, right, of Topeka, fills out paperwork to file as a candidate for the Kansas State Board of Education just prior to the filing deadline Wednesday afternoon at the Secretary of State’s Office. Topeka Capital-Journal

The contests that will make up the next Kansas Legislature took shape Wednesday as the deadline for candidates to file passed.

All 165 seats – 125 in the House and 40 in the Senate – are up for election this year.

The Kansas Republican Party will try to keep or solidify holds on seats being vacated by a number of Wichita-area Republicans who chose not to seek re-election, including Mario Goico, Mark Hutton and Mark Kahrs in the House and Michael O’Donnell, Les Donovan and Steve Abrams in the Senate. A number of primaries will pit Republican against Republican.

Democrats, who have struggled to gain traction in Topeka, boast of what the party calls an unprecedented lineup of candidates, including a candidate in each Senate district for the first time in more than 30 years. They say they want to capitalize on voter angst related to tumult during the last two legislative sessions.

Open seats

Senate District 15

Incumbent Jeff King, R-Independence, the Senate vice president, is leaving.

Dan Goddard, 68, R, Parsons, former city commissioner and retired CEO of Great Plains Development Authority

Virgil Peck, 58, R, Havana, state House member and insurance agent

Chuck Schmidt, 66, D, Independence, retired superintendent of Independence schools

Senate District 25

Incumbent Michael O’Donnell, R-Wichita, is leaving to run for a seat on the Sedgwick County Commission.

Lynn Rogers, 57, D, Wichita, Wichita school board member

William Eveland, 51, R, Wichita

Jim Price, 45, R, Wichita, defense contractor

Senate District 27

Les Donovan, R-Wichita, is leaving after 19 years.

Lori Graham, 51, R, Wichita, business owner

Gene Suellentrop, 64, R, Wichita, state House member and business owner

Tony Hunter, 39, D, Wichita, attorney

Senate District 32

Incumbent Steve Abrams, R-Arkansas City, is leaving after two terms.

Larry. W. Alley, 67, R, Winfield

Don Shimkus, 49, D, Oxford, school board president and president of the Kansas Association of School Boards

Senate District 33

Incumbent Mitch Holmes, R-St. John, is leaving after one term.

Larry D. Salmans, 78, R, Hanston

Mary Jo Taylor, 63, R, Stafford, current superintendent of Stafford school district

Matt Bristow, 32, D, Ellinwood, attorney

House District 12

Incumbent Virgil Peck, R-Havana, is running for an open Senate seat.

Doug Blex, 69, R, Independence, former chair of Montgomery County Republican central committee

Brad Hall, 62, R, Independence, business owner

Jean Kurtis Schodorf, 65, D, Sedan, former state senator

House District 87

Incumbent Mark Kahrs, R-Wichita, is leaving after two terms.

Jeremy Alessi, 40, R, Wichita, investment adviser

Roger A. Elliott, 66, R, Wichita, member of the Andover board and retired vice president of CornerBank

Tonya Howard, 45, D, Wichita, Wichita public school teacher

House District 89

Incumbent Ron Houston, D-Wichita, is leaving after two terms.

KC Ohaebosim, D, Wichita

House District 91

Incumbent Gene Suellentrop, R-Wichita, is running for an open Senate seat.

Greg Lakin, 57, R, Wichita, family physician

J.C. Moore, 73, R, Kechi, retired chemistry and physics professor

House District 94

Incumbent Mario Goico is leaving after 14 years.

Scott Anderson, 34, R, Wichita, Sedgwick County public defender

Susan K. Osborne, 69, D, Wichita, former professor of business administration and marketing, Catholic Charities community liaison, former Metropolitan Area Planning Commission member.

Leo Delperdang, 54, R, Wichita, design engineer for fiber optics systems

House District 99

Incumbent Dennis Hedke, R-Wichita, is leaving after five years.

Randy Banwart, 54, R, Andover, project manager at Spirit AeroSystems

Susan Humphries, 58, R, Wichita, attorney

House District 105

Incumbent Mark Hutton, R-Wichita, is leaving after two terms.

Brenda Landwehr, 61, R, Wichita, former lawmaker

Cammie Funston, 64, D, Wichita, retired paraprofessional at Northwest High School

Primary matchups

Senate District 14

(i) Forrest Knox, 60, R, Altoona, farmer/rancher, senator since 2013

Bruce Givens, 60, R, El Dorado, assistant director for Butler County special education cooperative

Mark Pringle, 57, D, Yates Center, former farmer

Carl M. Shay, 46, D, Fredonia, distributor for Hiland Dairy, member of the Fredonia school board and Fredonia Recreation Commission

Senate District 16

(i) Ty Masterson, 46, R, Andover, developer-contractor-consultant, senator since 2009

Troy Tabor, 40, R, Andover, City Council member

Gabriel Costilla, 27, D, Derby, English teacher at West High School

Senate District 26

Byron C. Dunlavy, 18, R, Goddard

(i) Dan Kerschen, 63, R, Garden Plain, farmer, senator since 2013

Benjamin Poteete, 30, D, Goddard, former geographer for the Department of the Interior and graduate student

Senate District 28

Jo L. Hillman, 67, R, Wichita, retired deputy county treasurer

(i) Mike Petersen, 54, R, industrial electrician, senator since 2005

Keith Humphrey, 58, D, Navy veteran and business owner

Senate District 30

Anabel Larumbe, 25, D, Wichita

Nathan Tokala, D, Wichita

(i) Susan Wagle, 62, R, Wichita, business/real estate, Senate president

Senate District 31

Renee Erickson, 52, R, Walton, middle school principal, Newton school board member

(i) Carolyn McGinn, 57, R, Sedgwick, agriculture producer, senator since 2005

J. Michelle Vann, 45, D, Valley Center, retired teacher

Senate District 34

Edward E. Berger, 70, R, Hutchinson, retired president of Hutchinson Community College

(i) Terry Bruce, 41, R, Hutchinson, attorney, Senate majority leader

Homer L. Gilson, 69, D, Hutchinson, land surveyor and small business owner

House District 75

Mary Martha Good, 61, R, El Dorado, retired kindergarten teacher

(i) Will Carpenter, 59, R, El Dorado, business owner, House member since 2013

House District 97

Nick Hoheisel, 30, R, Wichita, member of the Wichita District IV Advisory Board

(i) Leslie G. Osterman, 68, R, Wichita, retired, House member since 2011

Stan Reeser, 54, D, Wichita, former Wichita City Council member

House District 98

Steve Crum, 50, D, Haysville, Haysville City Council member

Justin Kraemer, 42, D, Wichita, former local news anchor

(i) Steve Anthimides, 39, R, Wichita, business owner, House member since 2013

House District 104

(i) Steven R. Becker, 68, R, Buhler, retired district court judge, House member since 2013

Lowell J. Peachey, 59, R, Hutchinson, president of Mennonite Friendship Communities

Betty Taylor, 69, D, Hutchinson, small business owner

House District 114

Herchel A Crainer III, 60, R, Hutchinson, insurance agent

(i) Jack Thimesch, R, Spivey, farmer/construction, House member since 2013

General election matchups

Senate District 35

Levi Morris, 44, D, Linn, attorney

(i) Richard Wilborn, 71, R, McPherson, consultant, senator since 2015

House District 72

Tim Hodge, 39, D, North Newton, Newton school board member

(i) Marc Rhoades, 55, R, Newton, financial adviser, House member since 2007

House District 73

(i) Les Mason, 61, R, McPherson, business owner, House member since 2014

Terrance J. Krier, D, McPherson, regional plant manager for Farmers Alliance Mutual insurance, former McPherson school board president

House District 80

Anita Judd-Jenkins, 68, R, Arkansas City

(i) Kasha Kelley, 46, R, Arkansas City, marketing, House member since 2005

Michelle Schiltz, 59, D, Caldwell, caterer, former Caldwell finance commissioner

House District 81

(i) Blake Carpenter, 25, R, Derby, contractor, House member since 2015

James W. McCluer, 64, D, retired Air Force

House District 82

(i) Pete DeGraaf, 59, R, Mulvane, financial consulting, ministry director, House member since 2008

Danette Harris, 45, D, Mulvane, combat veteran

House District 83

M. Lewis Ackerman, 61, R, Wichita, self-employed, precinct committeeman

(i) Henry Helgerson, 64, D, Eastborough, businessman, House member 1983-2000 and 2016, Senate 2003-04

House District 85

Patty Beamer, 54, D, Bel Aire, retired Navy and clinical educator in the School of Nursing at Wichita State University

(i) Chuck Weber, 57, R, Wichita, film producer/writer, appointed to House in 2016

House District 86

Christopher Drake, 35, R, Wichita, retired military and owner of small business PaveCo

(i) Jim Ward, 58, D, Wichita, attorney, House member 2003-present

James Pruden, 58, L, Wichita

House District 88

Elizabeth Bishop, 72, D, Wichita, retired, precinct committeeperson, former executive director of Wichita Independent Neighborhoods

(i) Joseph Scapa, 42, R, realtor, House member 2011-12 and 2015-present

House District 90

Lou Cicirello, 56, D, Valley Center, City Council member

(i) Steve Huebert, 57, R, Valley Center, self-employed, House member since 2001

House District 93

Deb Shepard, 58, D, Clearwater

(i) John Whitmer, 47, R, Wichita, small business owner, House member since 2014

House District 95

Michael Capps, 38, R, Wichita, CEO of Ray Alan and Associates

(i) Tom Sawyer, 58, D, Wichita, accountant, House member from 1987-98, 2003-08 and 2013-present

House District 100

James Breitenbach, 80, R, Wichita, semi-retired and grass seed farmer

(i) Daniel Hawkins, 55, R, Wichita, insurance agent, House member since 2013

Glen Shafer, 31, D, Wichita

House District 101

Clifton Beck, 40, D, Wichita, manager of Technology Service Professionals

(i) Joe Seiwert, 64, R, Pretty Prairie, agribusiness, House member since 2009

House District 102

(i) Jan Pauls, 63, R, Hutchinson, attorney, House member since 1991

Patsy Terrell, 54, D, Hutchinson

House District 116

(i) Kyle Hoffman, 44, R, Coldwater, farmer/rancher, House member since 2011

Jolene Roitman, 64, D, Wellington

This story was originally published June 1, 2016 at 7:42 PM with the headline "All 165 seats in Kansas Legislature up for election this year."

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