Republican precinct leaders on Saturday morning picked Edwardsville Mayor Carolyn Caiharr to replace outgoing Rep. Mike Thompson in the Kansas House.
A realtor, Caiharr has been mayor of Edwardsville since 2022 and served on the City Council for the four preceding years.
A lifelong Wyandotte County resident, Caiharr also serves on the board of directors of the Wyandotte Economic Development Council.
She was elected on a 13-0 vote. She had no opposition.
“As both a mayor and realtor, I’ve heard time and time again about the need to address rising property taxes and provide real solutions to the affordability crisis that so many in our community face,” Caiharr said in a statement following Saturday’s election.
“I’ll work with anyone to make progress on those issues for Wyandotte County and ensure that our community is a great place to work, has safe communities, and excellent schools so our families can live the American dream,” she said.
Caiharr said she is “committed to continuing the community-focused leadership Mike Thompson has provided Wyandotte County that has delivered so many positive results for our citizens.”
Thompson — not the state senator from Shawnee — announced his resignation at a Wyandotte Republican Party event late last month. His resignation is effective Aug. 31.
Caiharr will represent District 33, once held by Democratic state Rep. Tom Burroughs of Kansas City. It has the potential to be somewhat swingy in nature.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly carried this district with 54% of the vote three years ago. Democrat Chris Mann also won this district in the race for attorney general in 2022.
However, it also was won by Republican U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, Republican Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Republican state Treasurer Steven Johnson and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt.
President Donald Trump won this district over Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024 with 51.5% of the vote. Harris received about 47% of the vote here.
Regardless of some of the district’s Democratic tendencies, Thompson won here twice.
He defeated Democrat Bill Hutton with 51% of the vote in a three-person field in the 2022 general election.
He won a second term in the Kansas House in 2024 when he defeated Democrat Eli Woody IV with about 57% of the vote in the general election.
