(Update to include interview with Hawk)
Democratic state Sen. Tom Hawk of Manhattan on Thursday announced that he will retire from the state Senate right after the new legislative session starts.
Hawk represents the 22nd Senate District, which includes Riley, Geary and Clay counties. His resignation will be effective Jan. 10.
He is the second state senator to announce plans to leave office. Republican state Sen. Gene Suellentrop is leaving Jan. 2.
“It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve our state and represent my pocket of Kansas in the Legislature,” Hawk said in a statement.
“I am grateful to my neighbors for placing their trust in me to be their voice in Topeka over these past 10 plus years.
“I look forward to continuing this work as a private citizen, and will seek opportunities to advocate for Manhattan at every turn in this new chapter of my life.”
Hawk, 76, said in an interview that he had been debating internally whether he should resign for a while.
Last fall, Hawk said he had “a little health incident” where his heart rate accelerated that forced him to seek treatment in an emergency room.
“That was kind of a wakeup call that maybe at my age you don’t live forever,” Hawk said.
“I’ve lost some colleagues over the years in the Legislature so I said, ‘You know, maybe this would be a good time.
“‘Maybe you need to let somebody else get started, get established and see what they can do,‘” he said.
“Then they’re in a position that they’re known to the voters,” he said.
On Thursday morning, Hawk said he was reminded of a passage from Ecclesiastes in the Bible.
“For everything there is a season, a time to be born, a time to die,” he said. “I’m thinking, ‘How about a time to retire?’ before the die part.”
Hawk served two full terms in the Kansas Senate, having been first elected to represent the 22nd District in 2012.
He was most recently elected with 51% of the vote in 2020 in defeating Republican Craig Bowser.
He was unopposed in 2016 and won in 2012 with 51% of the vote over Bob Reader.
Before joining the Senate, he served three terms in the Kansas House from 2005 to 2011.
He is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Transportation Committee. He also serves on the Utilities Committee.
Sen. Hawk’s retirement concludes his 51-year career in public service.
Before joining the Senate, Hawk served as executive director of the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board of Kansas, following his 33-year career working for the Manhattan-Ogden School District including as superintendent.
Hawk earned a bachelor’s degree in math education, a master’s degree in counseling and doctorate in educational administration from Kansas State University.
Democratic precinct leaders from Senate District 22 will meet to pick Hawk’s replacement.
They have 21 days from the date that the secretary of state is notified to convene and pick a replacement.
The new senator can fill out the term without standing for a special election.
The term ends in 2024.
