Considering Trump’s
constant abuses of power and mismanagement of the economy, 2026 could
be a great election year for Democrats.
Let’s make sure we make
the most of that opportunity by electing as many Democrats as we can,
up and down the ballot.
Seats for the
Kansas House are up for reelection this year, which means we have
another opportunity to break the Republican Supermajority in the
Kansas Legislature.
In 2024, I
raised money for Democrats running for the Kansas Legislature.
I created and
promoted an ActBlue fund called, “Breaking the Republican
Supermajority in the Kansas Legislature.”
Five
people collectively donated $618.33 to the fund.
I discussed
those donations in my 2024
Political Fundraising Report, which I published last year.
In another
article, I covered the results of the 2024 elections for the Kansas
Legislature.
This year, I’m
raising money for Democrats running for the Kansas Legislature,
again.
The sunflower
is the state flower of Kansas.
I created an
ActBlue fund called, “Sunflower
Democrats.”
The fund will
raise money for Democrats running for office in Kansas.
Caption: A close-up photo of a pin that displays the Kansas State Seal. The pin is part of my button collection.
This article
will focus on Democrats running for the Kansas Legislature.
In a future
article, I will discuss the other Kansas candidates and causes I am
fundraising for.
Breaking the
Supermajority
Since 2011, Republicans have held two-thirds supermajorities in both chambers of the Kansas Legislature.
The Kansas Legislature passes consequential laws that affect the state budget, healthcare, education, abortion rights, and transgender rights.
The Republican supermajority allows Republican legislators to override a governor’s veto with only Republican votes.
This grants Republicans the ability to pass laws without support from any Democrats.
The Republican two-thirds supermajority also allows Republicans to advance constitutional amendments to a public vote, without the need to secure support from any Democrats in the Legislature.
Members of the
Kansas House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the State
Legislature, are up for reelection in 2026.
Members of the
Kansas Senate, the upper chamber of the State Legislature, won’t be
up for reelection until 2028.
Democrats need
to flip five seats in the Kansas House to break the Republican
Supermajority in the chamber.
If Democrats
break the supermajority, Republicans wouldn’t be able to override a
governor’s veto, or advance constitutional amendments to a public
vote, without receiving support from Democratic lawmakers.
So, let’s
break the Republican supermajority.
Our best
chance to do that will be flipping districts won by Republicans by
narrow margins in recent elections.
I have
monitored districts decided by less than 10% in 2024 and 2022.
Some of these
districts have contested Democratic primaries.
Others have
candidates who haven’t yet published their campaign websites.
The Democrats
listed in the table below are running in competitive districts, don’t
have contested primaries, and have published their campaign websites.
Each of these
districts is currently represented by a Republican.
These six
candidates are included in the Sunflower
Democrats fund.
I will discuss
these six candidates, and their races, later in this article.
After
additional candidates publish their campaign websites, they will be
added to the fund.
If you plan to
donate to Kansas Democrats, I recommend allocating your planned total
donation across multiple donations throughout the campaign cycle.
Candidates can
make the most of your donation early in the cycle, so donate part of
your total donation, now.
Come back in a
month or so, and donate again, after additional candidates have
launched their campaign websites, to support them too.
Finally, save
part of your donation for the general election, after we know who our
nominees will be in important races with contested Democratic
primaries.
The Kansas
Primary election will take place on Aug. 4.
Remember, if
we flip five seats, we can break the Republican Supermajority in the
Kansas Legislature.
So, let’s take a look at some of those flippable seats.
Allison
Hougland — Dist. 15
Allison Hougland, a former
member of the Kansas Legislature, is running for her former seat,
after narrowly losing it in 2024.
Hougland is a real estate
agent in Olathe.
On her campaign
website, Hougland says she supports expanding Medicaid and fully
funding schools.
In 2022, Allison Hougland
won a close election in Dist. 15, which is located in Johnson County.
Hougland (D) received
50.7%, and Matt Bingesser (R) received 49.3%.
Hougland won by 78 votes,
or 1.4%.
In 2024, Hougland was
narrowly defeated in Dist. 15.
Lauren Bohi (R) received
50.7%, and Hougland (D) received 49.3%.
Bohi won by 106 votes, or
1.4%.
Dist. 15 was one of three
Kansas House districts flipped by Republicans in 2024.
In 2026, Hougland is
running for her old seat in Dist. 15.
The election will be a
rematch between Hougland and Bohi, neither of which have a contested
primary.
Sherry
Giebler — Dist. 14
Sherry Giebler is a retired
counselor, who worked at elementary and middle schools, for Johnson
County Community College, and in private practice.
She also served as an
adjunct professor at Fort Hays State University.
Giebler lives in Olathe.
On her campaign
website, Giebler advocates for fully funding special education,
keeping public dollars in public schools, and providing access to
high-quality affordable healthcare.
Dist. 14 is located in
Johnson County.
In 2022, Democrat Dennis
Miller narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Charlotte Esau in Dist.
14.
Miller (D) received 51.0%,
and Esau (R) received 49.0%.
Miller won by 221 votes, or
2.0%.
The 2024 election was a
rematch between Miller and Esau, and this time, Esau won.
Esau (R) received 51.4%,
and Miller (D) received 48.6%.
Esau won by 404 votes, or
2.7%.
Dist. 14 was one of three
Kansas House districts flipped by Republicans in 2024.
In 2026, Esau (R) will run
against Sherry Giebler (D) in the general election.
Neither Esau nor Giebler
have a contested primary.
Brenda Bandy
— Dist. 67
Brenda Bandy co-founded the
Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition, a non-profit that promotes
breastfeeding in Kansas.
Bandy lives in Manhattan.
On her campaign
website, Bandy expresses support for quality affordable
healthcare, supporting families, and lowering costs.
Dist. 67 is located in
Riley County.
In 2022, incumbent
Republican Mike Dodson narrowly won reelection in Dist. 67.
Dodson (R) received 52.4%,
and Kim Zito (D) received 47.6%.
Dodson won by 420 votes, or
4.8%.
I covered the 2022 State
House race in Dist.
67 in an article that discussed debates surrounding Medicaid
expansion, abortion rights, and transgender rights.
In 2024, a different
Republican, Angel Roeser, narrowly won Dist. 67.
Roeser (R) received 52.4%,
and Kim Zito (D) received 47.6%.
Roeser won by 529 votes, or
4.9%.
In 2026, Stacy Kohlmeier
and Kaleb James are running in the Republican Primary in Dist. 67.
Democrat Brenda Bandy will
run against the winner of the Republican Primary in the general
election.
Jeff Pittman
— Dist. 41
Jeff Pittman previously
served in both chambers of the Kansas Legislature. He is running for
the Kansas House, after narrowly losing a race for the Kansas Senate
in 2024.
Pittman lives in
Leavenworth.
According to his campaign
website, Pittman supports fully funding special education,
increasing teacher pay, and expanding Medicaid.
In 2016, Pittman won the
Kansas House election in Dist. 41, in Leavenworth County, against
incumbent Republican Tony Barton.
Pittman (D) received 55%,
and Barton (R) received 45%.
Pittman won by 10%, or 624
votes.
In 2018, Pittman was
reelected in Dist. 41, after a rematch with Barton.
Pittman (D) received 57.4%,
and Barton (R) received 42.6%.
Pittman won by 14.8%, or
781 votes.
In 2020, Jeff Pittman was
elected in Dist. 5 to the Kansas Senate.
Dist. 5 is located in
Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties.
Pittman (D) received 53.1%,
and Kevin Braun (R) received 46.9%.
Pittman won by 6.1%, or
1,935 votes.
In 2024, Pittman lost
reelection to the Kansas Senate by only 31 votes.
The election in Dist. 5 was
the closest Kansas Senate race in the state.
Jeff Klemp (R) received
50.05%, and Jeff Pittman (D) received 49.95%.
Klemp won by 31 votes, or
0.1%.
This year, Pittman is
running for his old seat in the Kansas House, representing Dist. 41,
which has been competitive in recent elections.
In 2020, Republican Pat
Proctor was elected in Dist. 41.
Proctor (R) received 53%,
and Mike Griswold (D) received 47%.
Proctor won by 6.0%, or 435
votes.
In 2022, Pat Proctor was
narrowly reelected in Dist. 41.
Proctor (R) received 51.6%,
and Harry Schwarz (D) received 48.4%.
Proctor won by 144 votes,
or 3.2%.
In 2024, Pat Proctor won
another narrow reelection.
Proctor (R) received 52.6%,
and Aimee Bateman (D) received 47.4%.
Proctor won by 324 votes,
or 5.1%.
This year, Pat Proctor is
running for Kansas Secretary of State.
Therefore, the election for
Dist. 41 will be for an open seat.
The general election in
Dist. 41 will be between Jeff Pittman (D) and Ann Reinhart (R).
Neither Pittman nor
Reinhart have a contested primary.
Megan
Phillips — Dist. 8
Megan Phillips is a
licensed clinical psychologist who works in the Kansas state hospital
system.
Phillips lives in Overland
Park.
On her campaign
website, Phillips advocates for increasing state investment in
community mental health, reducing wait times for psychiatric care,
protecting public education, and expanding Medicaid.
Dist. 8 is located in
Johnson County.
It’s not as competitive
as the districts we have previously discussed, but in a good year for
Democrats, the district could be in play.
In 2022, incumbent
Republican Chris Croft was reelected in Dist. 8.
Croft (R) received 54.4%,
and Pam Shernuk (D) received 45.5%.
Croft won by 9.0%, or 896
votes.
The 2024 election was a
rematch between Croft and Shernuk.
Croft (R) received 55.3%,
and Shernuk (D) received 44.7%.
Croft won by 10.5%, or
1,388 votes.
In 2026, the general
election in Dist. 8 will be between incumbent Chris Croft (R) and
Megan Phillips (D).
Neither Croft nor Phillips
have a contested primary.
Kelsey Stock
— Dist. 121
Kelsey Stock is a program
manager for the Kansas Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She
has also worked for child protective services.
Kelsey Stock and her
husband have five children, two of whom are deaf.
Stock is currently pursuing
a PhD in Population Health at the KU School of Medicine. She is
researching healthcare accessibility for people who are deaf.
Stock lives in Olathe.
According to her campaign
website, Stock supports fully funding public schools and special
education, and making Kansas more affordable.
Dist. 121 is located in
Johnson County.
It’s not as competitive
as the first four districts we discussed, but in a good year for
Democrats, the district could be in play.
In 2022, incumbent
Republican John Resman was reelected in Dist. 121.
Resman (R) received 54.6%,
and Mel Pinick (D) received 45.4%.
Resman won by 9.2%, or 839
votes.
The 2024 election was a
rematch between Resman and Pinick.
Resman (R) received 55.5%,
and Pinick (D) received 44.5%.
Resman won by 11.0%, or
1,346 votes.
Resman is not running for
reelection in 2026.
Two Republican candidates,
Thomas Palenske and Mike Storm, will compete in the Republican
primary in Dist. 121.
Democrat Kelsey Stock, who
doesn’t have a contested primary, will run against the winner of
the Republican primary in the general election.
What You Can
Do
As you can see, elections
for the Kansas Legislature are often decided by narrow margins.
You can support the
candidates featured in this article through Sunflower
Democrats.
I plan to write about Kansas candidates, included in the fund, who are running for other
positions, in a future article.
CORRECTION
(July 9, 2026): The first table in this article previously omitted
Kaleb James, a Republican candidate running in Dist. 67 for the
Kansas House of Representatives.
The mistake was accidental.
The table has been updated, and the previously omitted candidate has been
included.
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