While most of the attention has been focused on statewide races for Kansas governor, secretary of state and attorney general, there’s been some action down ballot for the 2026 elections that is quietly unfolding.
As of Wednesday, 56 candidates have filed to run for the Kansas House in 2026, including 35 Republicans and 21 Democrats. Already there are some notable seats to watch.
Republican state Rep. Will Carpenter of El Dorado said this week he would be retiring from the Legislature at the end of his term next year representing District 75.
Carpenter, chair of the House health committee, served two stints in the House. He served from 2013 to 2016, the year he lost by 41 votes to Mary Martha Good.
He returned to the House in 2019. He’s been in the Legislature for six terms.
“Sometimes it’s just your time,” Carpenter said in an interview this week. “I’ve been in there quite a while. I’ve got grandkids and my wife’s retired. Just life.”
Republican Tyler Coats, also of El Dorado, has filed for the District 75 seat. Coats is the legislative director for House Speaker Dan Hawkins.
Coats also has worked as a senior legislative assistant for the National Rifle Association.
Earlier, Coats worked for Republican Congressman Tracey Mann as a staff assistant and legislative correspondent in Washington.
Coats also worked as a field representative for U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall in Wichita. He also worked in Marshall’s U.S. Senate campaign.
Another notable filing was in Johnson County where former lawmaker Allison Hougland of Olathe has filed to run against Republican state Rep. Lauren Bohi in House District 15.
Hougland served in the House in 2023-24 after defeating Matt Bingesser in 2022. She lost her reelection bid to Bohi in 2024 by 106 votes. Bohi has not yet filed for reelection.
President Donald Trump won House District 15 with 49.2% of the vote in 2024. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly won the district with about 54% of the vote.
Earlier this week, Mark Schaukowitch of Plainville filed for the House seat now held by Republican state Rep. Ken Rahjes, who is running for secretary of state.
Schaukowitch, who is running to represent the 110th House District, is a rural advocate and grant writer.
Previously chair of the Rooks County Democratic Party, Schaukowitch has a bachelor’s in political science and communications studies from the University of Kansas.
He has a master’s in rhetorical and communication studies from Syracuse University.
“I am running for HD 110 because we deserve more than scraps out in Western Kansas,” Schaukowitch said in a statement.
“Nursing homes are disappearing, and the big ugly bill has the potential to completely wipe out all of our rural hospitals,” he said.
Republican Derek Schmidt carried this district with about 71% of the vote in 2022. Trump won this district with about 84% of the vote.
No one had yet filed as a Republican in this race.
Here is the list of everyone else who has filed. All incumbents are listed where a candidate has filed. An asterisk denotes an incumbent who has not yet filed to run for reelection.
District 1
Rep. Dale Helwig, Republican, Columbus
District 2
Avery Rowland, Democrat, Girard
Rep. Ken Collins, Republican, Mulberry
District 4
Rep. Rick James, Republican, La Cygne
District 5
Henry Johns, Democrat, Lawrence
Rep. Courtney Sappington, Republican, Baldwin City
Sappington won a precinct election to replace Carrie Barth in the House. Johns lost to Barth in 2024 with 32% of the vote. President Donald Trump won the district with about 64% of the vote last year. Republican Derek Schmidt won the district with 52% of the vote in the 2022 governor’s race.
District 6
Frank Henderson, Democrat, Louisburg
Rep. Samantha M. Poetter Parshall, Republican, Paola*
Henderson describes himself as an Army veteran, a father of six and a union member for 27 years. “Frank knows what it means to put in the work, stand up for others, and fight for a fair deal. He believes politics should be like good negotiations: honest, practical, and no BS,” he writes on his website. Poetter Parshall has been in the House since 2021. She defeated Democrat Elena Super with about 71% of the vote in 2024. President Donald Trump won 69% of the vote in this district in 2024. Republican Derek Schmidt got 59% here in the 2022 governor’s race
District 7
Taylor Moreland, Democrat, Parsons
Incumbent: Dan Goddard, Republican, Parsons.*
Moreland is a case coordinator and caregiver in the Kansas foster care system. Goddard won the general election over Democrat Vicki Prible with about 74% of the vote. President Donald Trump carried this district with 67% of the vote. Derek Schmidt received about 57% of the vote in this district in 2022.
District 8
Rep. Chris Croft, Republican, Overland Park
District 9
Rep. Fred Gardner, Republican, Garnett
District 10
Rep. Suzanne Wikle, Democrat, Lawrence
District 14
Rep. Charlotte Esau, Republican, Olathe
District 16
Rep. Linda Featherston, Democrat, Overland Park
District 17
Rep. Jo Ella Hoye, Democrat, Lenexa
District 18
Rep. Cindy Neighbor, Democrat, Shawnee
District 19
Rep. Stephanie Sawyer Clayton, Democrat, Overland Park
District 20
Rep. Mari-Lynn Poskin, Democrat, Leawood
District 33
Rep. Carolyn Caiharr, Republican, Edwardsville
The mayor of Edwardsville won a precinct committee election earlier this year to replace Mike Thompson in the House.
District 34
Rep. Valdenia Winn, Democrat, Kansas City
District 35
Rep. Wanda Brownlee Paige, Democrat, Kansas City
District 38
Rep. Timothy H. Johnson, Republican, Basehor
District 40
Rep. David Buehler, Republican, Lansing
District 41
Ann Reinhart, Republican, Leavenworth
Reinhart is a dental hygienist who has lived in Leavenworth for five years after living in Seattle most of her life. She also lived for two years in Minnesota before moving to Kansas. She is seeking to replace Pat Proctor, who is running for secretary of state. Former state Democratic lawmaker Jeff Pittman also is considering running for this seat.
District 43
Rep. Bill Sutton, Republican, Gardner
District 49
Rep. Nikki McDonald, Democrat, Olathe
District 50
Rep. Kyle McNorton, Republican, Topeka
District 51
Rep. Megan D. Steele, Republican, Manhattan
District 55
Rep. Tobias Schlingensiepen, Democrat, Topeka
District 59
Michael Lewis, Republican, Ottawa
Rep. Rebecca Schmoe, Republican, Ottawa*
Lewis ran against Schmoe as a Democrat in 2024 and lost by more than 45 percentage points. He’s now running again as a Republican.
District 61
Rep. Francis Awerkamp, Republican, St. Marys
Robert Thomas, Republican, Wamego
Thomas ran against Awerkamp as a Libertarian in 2024 and lost by about 30 percentage points. He’s now taking another shot, this time as a Republican.
District 62
Rep. Sean M. Willcott, Republican, Holton
District 63
Rep. Allen Reavis, Republican, Atchison
District 64
Rep. Bill Bloom, Republican, Clay Center
District 65
Rep. Shawn Chauncey, Republican, Junction City
District 68
Rep. Nathan Butler, Republican, Junction City
District 70
Kylie Christine Kilmer, Democrat, Abilene
Rep. Greg Wilson, Republican, Abilene*
This seat was held previously by Republican Scott Hill, who is now serving in the Senate. Kilmer works in field services for the Kansas School for the Blind and is a member Abilene School Board. She told the Abilene newspaper that her top issues were fully funding public education, supporting rural hospitals and public health, government transparency, and making life affordable for the middle and working class. Keep an eye on Abilene Mayor Brandon Rein, who lost a Republican precinct election to Wilson by 13 votes in July. He’s indicated he will run for this seat.
District 74
Rep. Mike King, Republican, Hesston
District 80
Rep. Bill Rhiley, Republican, Wellington
District 82
Rep. Leah Howell, Republican, Derby
District 88
Jace D. Arellano, Republican, Wichita
Rep. Sandy Pickert, Republican, Wichita*
District 91
Rep. Emil M. Bergquist, Republican, Park City
District 94
Rep. Leo Delperdang, Republican, Wichita
District 95
Rep. Tom Sawyer, Democrat, Wichita
District 104
Rep. Paul Waggoner, Republican, Hutchinson
District 107
Cheri Koochel, Democrat, Salina
Rep. Dawn Wolf, Republican, Bennington
Koochel was an elementary school social worker in the Manhattan/Ogden School District until she retired in 2018. Koochel is a graduate of Kansas State University with a bachelor’s in social work and family and child development. She graduated with a master’s in social work from the University of Kansas in 1992. Wolf is seeking a second term in the Legislature. She also served for six years on the Ottawa County Commission.
District 108
Rep. Brandon Woodard, Democrat, Lenexa
District 111
Rep. Barbara Wasinger, Republican, Hays
District 114
Rep. Kevin D. Schwertfeger, Republican, Turon
District 115
Rep. Gary White, Republican, Ashland
District 116
Rep. Kyle Hoffman, Republican, Coldwater
District 118
Rep. Jim Minnix, Republican, Scott City
