(Updated to reflect interview with Newland from Saturday night)
A member of the Kansas Farm Bureau board was elected as the new state representative in House District 13 on Saturday afternoon.
Precinct committee members voted 61-20 to elect Joe Newland to the House over Yates Center Mayor Ben Weber, a spokesman for the House speaker said.
Newland will finish the term of Larry Hibbard who resigned from the House earlier this month because of an illness.
Newland, who described himself as a conservative, was elected in 2011 to represent the Farm Bureau’s 3rd district made up of Allen, Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson counties.
He was reticent about discussing specific issues such as Medicaid expansion, taxes and a possible constitutional amendment on abortion.
“I don’t know at this point in time if I have certain priorities,” he said. “My priorities are to get with leadership and find out what my role might be with them. I don’t think I would name any specific issue I want to attack right now.”
Newland said he opposes abortion but wants to know more details about any constitutional amendment addressing a state Supreme Court decision that found the right to an abortion is protected by the state Constitution.
Last Tuesday, he declined to say whether he whether he would have voted to override Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of tax legislation. He said he needed to study Medicaid expansion in more detail, but added that he had a “little apprehension” about broadening the program.
Newland said in an interview last Tuesday that he wanted a conservative to keep the House District 13 seat. He said running for state office was a way to broaden his public service horizons.
“I’ve always said to younger people within the Farm Bureau organization that there’s life beyond Farm Bureau and that we need to be involved,” he said.
“I just feel it’s time that maybe I get involved at this level and see what we can do to help the state.”
Newland said he plans to run for the seat again next year. He plans to give up his seat on the Farm Bureau board this December when his term expires.
Newland and his wife, Dana, farm 2,800 acres of wheat, corn, soybeans and hay. They also manage a 300 head cow-calf herd.
The Newland’s have four children: Justin, Wade, Tyler and Jackie.
Hibbard, a Toronto Republican, was in his fourth term representing District 13, which covers Elk, Greenwood, Wilson and Woodson counties in the southeastern area of the state.
He was unopposed in last year’s general election. He defeated Londa Tindle in the Republican primary with 55% of the vote.
The district is decidedly conservative, going for President Donald Trump in 2016, former Gov. Sam Brownback in 2014 and Mitt Romey in 2012.
