A former western Kansas newspaper publisher and former aide to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is running for the state Senate against Republican incumbent Rick Kloos.
Dena Sattler, who has lived in Topeka since 2019, announced Thursday that she’s running for Senate District 3 as a Democrat.
The district, made up mostly of Republican and unaffiliated voters, covers parts of Shawnee, Franklin and Douglas counties and all of Osage County.
“I’ve always been passionate about serving my community, my state and my nation, and welcome this amazing opportunity to represent the people of my region in the Kansas Senate,” Sattler said in a statement.
The district is now represented by Kloos, who was elected in 2020 when he upset Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, the longest serving member of the Legislature.
When the district was redrawn after the census, Kloos was moved into the same district with Democratic state Sen. Tom Holland of Baldwin City.
Holland said he doesn’t plan to run again in the 3rd District. He’s planning to run for reelection in the newly created Senate District 19.
Kloos could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Sattler went to work as the head of marketing and communications for the Commerce Department shortly after Kelly took office in 2019.
She moved to the Commerce Department after serving as editor and publisher of The Garden City Telegram from 2004 to 2018.
In 2018, she was named southwest Kansas group publisher for what was then GateHouse Media, serving as publisher of The Telegram, the Dodge City Daily Globe, The Pratt Tribune, Kiowa County Signal and St. John News.
Later in 2019, Sattler became the governor’s communications director, a position she held until 2020 when she returned to Commerce.
Sattler is a past president of the Kansas Press Association board of directors.
She has a bachelor’s from the University of Iowa and also served in public affairs in the U.S. Army Reserve.
“Our focus has to be on building an even stronger future for every Kansan, which means prioritizing education, health care and economic growth,” Sattler said.
“I have many years of budget management and believe we can be fiscally responsible while still supporting our friends, neighbors and communities.
“I’m a common-sense candidate who will put the people of Kansas and their interests first.”
The district political makeup is 45% Republican, 26% Democratic and 27% unaffiliated.
Six years ago, about 35% of the voters here were Republican, 35% were unaffiliated and 29% were Democratic.
Last year, Kelly won Senate District 3 with 53% of the vote. Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt received about 44% of the vote in the district while independent state Sen. Dennis Pyle received about 2%.
The constitutional amendment removing the right to an abortion from the state constitution lost in this district, receiving 35% of the vote.
Sattler goes into the race with support from former Senate President Steve Morris.
“Dena Sattler will serve the people of Senate District 3 with dedication and distinction, and her strong record of service is proof,” Morris said in a statement.
“I know firsthand her ability as a leader and passionate advocate for thoughtful, responsible policies,” he said.
“She knows how to work with others to get things done and will hit the ground running in the Kansas Senate.”
